Alberta hunter doesn’t like graphic bear-spearing clip
A graphic video showing an American hunter spearing a black bear, boasting about it and leaving it to flee, then die in the woods continues to ignite controversy and debate. Although Alberta’s Wildlife Act does not specifically prohibit spears, Alberta Fish and Wildlife is investigating and may consider a ban.
Albertans have responded angrily, and some hunters fear the video paints them all with a dark brush.
Postmedia’s Eva Ferguson spoke to Richard Deslauriers of Alberta Bush Adventures, a northern outfitter for more than 30 years.
He offers his insight about spear hunting and how a video like this affects the responsible hunting community.
Q How common is spear hunting, and is it accepted within the hunting and outfitters community?
A This is an isolated incident. It just doesn’t happen, that someone would actually do this. Spear hunting was fine during the caveman days but we’ve graduated to better things. One of the reasons we have rifles and bows is so that we can take an animal out quicker so that it never has to suffer. I don’t know any hunters that don’t try to make a quick, clean kill. They want the animal to suffer as little as possible.
Q. What kind of hunting is more favourable within the outfitter community? Why?
A. A moose or elk shot with a good, high-powered rifle, a well-placed shot, is the best way for an animal to be taken out. It takes only seconds to die. And, in many cases, it’s better than aging, succumbing to predators. Sometimes that kind of a death can be very painful and slow. In many ways, it’s better than being in a feed lot. Animals that are hunted are living stress-free, and they die quickly. We skin and gut the animal right away. We cut it into quarters, we let the meat cool and take it to a butcher and have it processed. There is the gut pile and the bones left behind, and that’s all taken up by predators. Everybody benefits.
Q. Much of the online criticism of the video was about its boastful nature and the use of animals as trophies. What are your thoughts on trophy hunting, and how should Albertans understand that process?
A. A trophy hunt with an outfit like ours requires respect and understanding of a herd. Many beautiful animals are passed up in a trophy hunt. You’re not shooting the first thing you come across. It can take months, even years, to find the right animal. Many of these hunters take years to follow herds with hundreds of elk. They will figure out which animal is the oldest, which one will most likely die next.
Q. Do you think a video like this paints you with a bad brush? And what do Albertans need to understand about hunting?
A. We’re involved in an ongoing process to educate people. But some people will always think we shouldn’t kill anything at all. They live in an unreal world. They make judgments because they just see an animal die, they see an unethical video. They don’t understand it’s not like that at all. People need to remember, in order for them to wear a leather jacket, leather shoes or eat a meal, an animal has to die.