When Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was established in the 1960s, the U.S. government had several goals in mind—chief among them protecting the region’s unique wildlife and wilderness. But the region has one extremely contentious asset that has sparked controversy for decades—nearly 10.3 billion barrels of petroleum under the ground. Now, Congress is proposing legislation […]
Tag: Black Bear
Wildlife advocates win! No Florida bear hunt for at least 2 years
If you’ve ever wondered whether public outcry really has any effect, look no further than Florida. Based almost solely on public pressure, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) decided this week against authorizing a black bear hunt in 2017 or 2018. Wildlife advocates are extremely happy with the news. Hunters, not so much. […]
POLL: Should Alaska’s refuges be opened for hunting again?
Sprawling over 77 million acres, Alaska’s 16 national wildlife refuges are peppered with iconic animals, from grizzly bears and black bears to wolves and coyotes. But these predators, which have enjoyed increased protections since this past summer, could once again be hunted using controversial methods such as trapping and baiting. A measure passed by the […]
POLL: Should Trump disband USDA Wildlife “Killing” Services?
Despite persistent outrage from the public, the U.S. government killed 2.7 million wild animals in 2016 — and almost 1.6 million were native wildlife, according to data released this week. That’s roughly five animals every minute. Even after scientific investigations by a team of ecologists cast serious doubts around the necessity of these killings, Wildlife […]
POLL: Should more bear hunting licenses be issued?
NORTHERN MICHIGAN (WPBN/WGTU) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is hoping to increase the amount of bear hunting licenses this year. Last week, the DNR made the recommendation to increase the quota by 160 licenses throughout the state due to an increase in the black bear population. The DNR believes there is about 12,000 […]
POLL: Should the bear bile trade ban be strictly enforced?
In 2005, the Vietnamese government made it illegal to extract bile from bears. But the illegal trade in bear bile and gall bladder is still going strong, more than ten years after the ban, according to a new report. The unending demand for bear parts is driving two bear species — Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) […]
POLL: Should spear hunting of bears be banned?
Authorities in the Canadian province of Alberta have vowed to ban spear hunting and are weighing whether to lay charges against an American hunter after a video surfaced showing him killing a black bear with a spear. The video – one of several hunting videos posted to the YouTube account of Josh Bowmar – shows […]
How to survive a bear encounter
Peak camping season is upon us, and this July and August millions of Americans will be loading the minivan, heading into our national parks and forests, and inevitably meeting some bears. Fortunately, most of these encounters will be uneventful. In almost every case, the bear will turn its tail and run. Take Yellowstone national park […]