7,000 applied to hunt Alberta's 'problem' wildlife — including grizzly bears — says minister
CBC
Since the provincial government announced it would assemble a pool of Albertans to act as "public wildlife management responders," permitting them to assist in selective hunts for "problem" elk and grizzly bears, about 7,000 people have applied for a spot.
The government says the program is a wildlife management tool.
So far, 30 Albertans have been selected for a shortlist — 10 each in the north, south and central regions of the province.
"If the need arises for a problem wildlife response, the first person on the responder list in the relevant region will be contacted. If they are unavailable, the next person will be contacted, and so on," reads an email from a Forestry and Parks press secretary sent on Monday.
"To date, no responder has been contacted."
It comes after the Alberta government announced it would permit selective grizzly bear hunts this fall as part of a June 17 ministerial order, so long as they meet certain criteria. Under the order, the minister could issue what the province refers to as a "grizzly bear management authorization" for the purpose of hunting a grizzly.
It marks a shift that could allow the species to be hunted by members of the public for the first time in nearly two decades. But Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen says the new rules won't mean it's open season for Alberta's grizzlies.
"This isn't a hunt, this is a problem wildlife responder. There's nothing about this that resembles a hunt, actually," he told CBC News.
"They'll have a finite area, a finite amount of time to pursue that bear and they'll have to be after a specific animal."
Loewen says it was important to ensure equal opportunity for all Albertans to apply.
"This time we wanted just to see what the engagement would be like and see how many people would want to respond," he said, adding the next round of calls for wildlife responders may require an application fee.
"Problem elk" are also included in this new program, said Loewen, noting this process responds to Albertans' concerns about protecting their own property and safety.
"I don't think it's necessary to hire [Fish and Wildlife] officers to do this job that Albertans can do."
Those chosen to be part of the hunting pool must have firearm and hunting licences. However, there are no specific educational requirements or training sessions for becoming one of Alberta's public wildlife responders — it's why one wildlife conflict specialist is critical of the public's involvement in the program, saying it doesn't require enough bear-specific expertise.
