No good reason to allow bear-baiting

I wonder if anybody can explain why the baiting of bears is allowed in Saskatchewan, for the purpose of then killing the bears, a so-called sport for a few?

As campers and nature lovers, not to mention animal lovers, we — the majority of residents enjoying our natural areas in the province — have been told repeatedly not to habituate bears to human presence; one of the most important things we are told to do is to keep food stowed away and food odours at a minimum. We are told that these practices are to protect the bears, so that they don’t have to be destroyed.

Now, in the spring, when there are mother bears with young cubs — making this bear-baiting practice even more illogical and incomprehensible — there are groups of young men out there, consuming alcohol and having a great old time, while they bait unsuspecting bears to their deaths. Somebody must believe that even young, inexperienced hunters can tell a male from a female bear at a distance.

I don’t believe for one minute that the bear meat from these kills is commonly consumed, either. I have to conclude it is the thrill of the killing that lies behind this, and there is something very distasteful and even more concerning in that.

A recent poaching of a mother moose and her calf made headlines recently. I guess for some reason, bears don’t get the headlines. Or I guess because our government allows bear-baiting for some inexplicable reason, it’s OK. It’s starting to feel like the U.S. up here in Saskatchewan — guns “trump” respect for animals.

Bear-baiting should be a criminal offence. I cannot comprehend there being any justification for this practice, and frankly, it is repulsive to most people. Again a minority get to do as they wish — it never ceases to amaze me.

I would be interested in why our provincial government allows and even encourages this so-called “sport,” when habituating bears to humans endangers not only the bears, but people as well.

Pat Vogt, Regina