Bear Issues Affect North American Big Game Hunters
Sign In SHOPPING CART:0 ITEMSTOTAL: $0.00View Cart

Helping You Get the Most From Your Hunting Dogs


Bear Issues Affect North American Big Game Hunters





Two issues concerning North American bears will have an impact on big game hunting in the United States and Canada. Controversies surrounding the proposed delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly bear from endangered to threatened, as well as the proposal to list the polar bear as threatened could set dangerous precedents that anti-hunting groups will use in their quest to take hunting away from sportsmen.

Polar Bears

Late in 2005, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition claiming that polar bears could become extinct by the end of the century due to the melting of their sea ice habitat due to global warming. In December 2005, Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council joined the Center for Biological Diversity in filing a federal lawsuit to seek protection for polar bears.

The three environmental groups contend that polar bears must be added to the Endangered Species List to protect Arctic ice. The heart of the matter lies in the fact that if the polar bear is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, U.S. federal agencies must ensure that any action carried out, authorized, or funded by the U.S. government will not jeopardize the continued existence of the animals, or adversely impact their critical habitat, i.e. sea ice. Global warming is the real target, opening the door to restrictions on emissions on everything from cars to factories. If the polar bear is listed as threatened, American hunters will be prohibited from importing polar bear trophies.

Yellowstone Grizzlies

The Yellowstone grizzly bear is a success story that proves good wildlife conservation practices work. In November 2005, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed delisting the Yellowstone grizzly bear. The Yellowstone grizzly has been a threatened species since 1975 when USFWS counted an estimated 200 bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, which encompasses parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Today, the USFWS estimates the population at around 600.

Delisting the grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem fulfills the mission of the Endangered Species Act. If the Act worked, the ultimate goal was to place species on the list and allow them to recover. Once recovered, they would be removed from the list and state agencies would be given management authority of those species.

The Yellowstone grizzly debate gets to the heart of the radical animal rights agenda. Animal rights groups such as the Sierra Club, which is leading a petition drive to oppose the delisting, would have the public believe that threatened species should be kept on the list forever, even after stable populations are reached. Keeping grizzlies on the Endangered Species List ensures that sportsmen will be shut out of opportunities to hunt these bears in the future.
US Sportmens Alliance on Target

We want your input:
Logo
Copyright ©2024   - All Rights Reserved