Stewart bear hunt closure proposal

[Skeena Hunter 1]

It never ends does it? Should be interesting this one.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/48787777.html

[Gateholio]

A “No Bear Hunting” area is being proposed along the 60 km stretch of Highway 37A between Meziadin Junction to Stewart and Hyder, which would ban hunting of the animal from mountain top to mountain top along the Bear Pass.
The Stewart Municipal Council passed the motion at its meeting June 8 in recognition of the animal being a large part of its tourism draw.
“It was just kind of something that council has been talking about for a while,” said District of Stewart Mayor Angela Brand Danuser.
“We rely so much on tourism, and tourism is our bears.”
The province’s current hunting regulations prohibit firearms being shot within 400 metres on either side of that highway.
Brand Danuser said council wanted to show they were serious about people coming into the community and enjoying what there is to offer, and said it was hypocritical to rely on bears for tourism and then excuse its killing for sport in the jurisdiction.
“We’re well aware that it might create some controversy, because we do have a lot of bears,” she said, noting that there are always bears in the community and that proper conservation efforts are still needed to keep people safe.
“Local residents know that we’re promoting the bears and helping from keeping them be destroyed in the area,” she said.
The mayor said the motion will probably require some regulatory changes in hunting areas or licensing from the Ministry of Environment, and council will be speaking with the ministry to see what the next steps are.
While the specified area is just a little ways outside of the community’s jurisdiction, Brand Danuser said the district does start promoting the community and its bear watching opportunities at Meziadin.
“We’re not trying to stop hunting in the northwest, it’s just this small region that we’re talking about,” she said.
“More people come to view (the bears) and take pictures of them, and that’s the image we want people to bring home.”

[Gateholio]

Their focus is tourists- Anyone that has been a tourist in Stewart, bought supplies in Stewart, or gone to enjoy some of Stewarts great snowmobile riding may want to respond to the letter, and let them know that if they pass this that you will BOYCOTT Stewart!

8)

[Gateholio]

If you INTEND to be a tourist in Stewart, write a letter too!:grin:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

They seem to be over-stepping their municipal jurisdiction just a tad:roll:.

If they get the ban that's one place to cross off my list to visit.:???:

SSS

[Gunner]

Just another small town council willing to trample on the rights of fellow BCers to put a few bucks in their own pockets.If this goes through I won't bother going to Stewart again,and I'll be letting them know why! Gunner

[Bowtime]

All these tourists searching bears go across the boarder to the bear veiwing site in Hyder. That is already bringing in the tourism. Why would they propose a ban when there is already a set site?

[Gateholio]

This was sent to the Terrace Standard:

The lovely town of Stewart is a wonderful place to visit. It offers exceptional summer outdoor recreation and of course excellent sledding in winter. In an effort to increase tourism, Stewart council is considering a an anti bear hunting policy. This may appeal to those that don't understand wildlife management, however, there is no conservation concern that would be addressed by this policy.

The result of this policy would likely be that human/bear conflicts would likely increase an problem bears would be destroyed and wasted at taxpayer cost. The other result would be that Stewart would lose a segment of the tourists that they want to attract- All the tourists that come to Stewart to fish, hike, camp, go sledding and spend money in local business that are also part of the hunting community.

Much of BC offers great outdoor recreation, there is no reason for hunters to support a town that won't support hunters.

Clarke Gatehouse
Pemberton, BC

[Downwind]

Well said Gatehouse! It's amazing that some of these smaller communities don't realize that they rely on the hunting community and that they are the ones that help attract other outdoor enthusiasts to their areas. I know I have a few friends that have new fishing holes that they go to that I found on some of my hunting excursions.

[Fisher-Dude]

Women as mayors. And women that use this "three name thing", like Angela Brand Danuser. Yeah. Save the Bears. :roll:

I won't be stopping by Stewart to spend my tourism dollars any time soon, and with all the fuel I burn, they are gonna go broke! Dipschitz! I guess they would rather ignore Dr Valerius Geist who has proven that unhunted bears are a BIG problem, and generally results in more bear attacks on humans and more bears being killed as problems than ever killed by hunters.

WTG Angela Brand Danuser, you just started the unnecessary and completely avoidable death sentence for many of those bears.

[BCbillies]

Good response Gatehouse! As a family (along with extended family/guests) we go to Stewart every summer and really enjoy the scenery, glaciers, hiking, bears, etc. We also drop a few $$$ in the town. The Hyder bear viewing is an intersting place :???: and I really have to bite my tongue while I'm all como'd up on the platform. :wink: We all know that the area has an abundance of bears and how important it is that they have some fear of humans. As it exists now we can't shoot within 400 metres of the highway so what the hey! Since I've met the mayor on a few occasions I think a phone call is in order. Looks like our vacation trips to the area may dry up. You can let the mayor know how rediculous their idea is and that they may lose some tourism dollars. Email mayor@districtofstewart.com

[Gateholio]

Good response Gatehouse! As a family (along with extended family/guests) we go to Stewart every summer and really enjoy the scenery, glaciers, hiking, bears, etc. We also drop a few $$$ in the town. The Hyder bear viewing is an intersting place :???: and I really have to bite my tongue while I'm all como'd up on the platform. :wink: We all know that the area has an abundance of bears and how important it is that they have some fear of humans. As it exists now we can't shoot within 400 metres of the highway so what the hey! Since I've met the mayor on a few occasions I think a phone call is in order. Looks like our vacation trips to the area may dry up. You can let the mayor know how rediculous their idea is and that they may lose some tourism dollars. Email mayor@districtofstewart.com


You are a classic example of who should be writing letters to the paper! By all means call the mayor, but get the message out to her employers- the people of Stewart- that you are a regular customer of theirs and YOU WON'T be coming back!
:grin:8)

[BCbillies]

You are a classic example of who should be writing letters to the paper! By all means call the mayor, but get the message out to her employers- the people of Stewart- that you are a regular customer of theirs and YOU WON'T be coming back!
:grin:8)

10-4 . . . I just have to calm down a bit before I respond. I will be sending a response to the local Chamber office (editor@stewart-hyder.com) and the Ripley Creek Inn (ripleycreekinn@yahoo.com) where we stayed the last two summers and the Bitter Creek Cafe (kamermans@yahoo.com). I will let them know that I will spread the word!

[Gateholio]

Well done!!

[riflebuilder]

I was planning a trip to Stewart this summer. well now it is to the QCI instead. I will have to let the mayor know why.

[Gateholio]

I was planning a trip to Stewart this summer. well now it is to the QCI instead. I will have to let the mayor know why.

Let the mayor and the local papers know why!!

Does anyone have a link to Stewarts local paper, I am sure they have one?

[BCbillies]

Let the mayor and the local papers know why!!

Does anyone have a link to Stewarts local paper, I am sure they have one?

I can't find a link just a phone number. The Border Times - 250-636-2376 and the Stewart Free Press - 250-636-9260.

[jchunter]

I will be writing a letter as soon as I get back home, I have never been to Stewart or know if I'll ever go (realy don't think so now). But if this does get passed think of the repercussioins that it could have. Next thing you know is we won't be able to hunt near any town with a green, anti hunting council. We have to get this shut down now, not just for the hunting around Stewart but for our rights and future as hunters all across BC.

[bigwhiteys]

I have sent in my letter to the Mayor.

Carl

[Tikka270wsm]

Tourists looking at bears are sometimes too excited to completely pull their vehicles off the road. On a highway, it's a matter of time before people are killed or hurt.
Not to mention, the morons that feed the bears their hotdog buns to get the bear closer for a better picture. Anyone that has driven from Port Alberni to Ucluelet has been witness to this. I almost wrote my truck off a couple of years ago trying to avoid hitting a Honda Accord that was parked in the middle of the road. The guy was outside his car taking a picture of a bear. I called him every bad word in the book but I don't think he spoke english.
Banning hunting bears in this area near Stewart is a bad idea. Bears that see and are around people frequently become problem bears and end up having to be killed anyways!

[bushguy]

[quote=Tikka270wsm;474425]Tourists looking at bears are sometimes too excited to completely pull their vehicles off the road. On a highway, it's a matter of time before people are killed or hurt.

Almost splattered some idiot and his camper by Blue
River this spring,,parked on the side of the highway on a corner taking pics of a bear.40 tons of metal passed by him at about a foot,going 90 KPH.Never took his eye off the camera,air horn and all.sure as hell wasnt going to splatter the people in the oncoming lane.Unbelievably stupid brain dead people.And then theres the time,,,nevermind.

[branthunter]

E-mails sent to the local rag and the mayor's office. I'm not a bear hunter myself but the thin edge of the anti-hunting bias wedge is an insidious thing and needs to be blunted at every opportunity.

[PGK]

There's a lot of bears in the Mez area. And not a lot of bear hunters.....seems kind of pointless, especially with the 400m ban we all know already exists. That, and taking into consideration that 99% of tourists dont get more than 100m off the highway, let alone 400.....well, this is kind of stupid.

[416]

Wrote a letter after l read thread.....was surprised to recieve an answer the next day........

Hello Mr. XXXXX,

I am sorry to hear that, but I am glad that you are taking the time to let us know how you feel. As you know the government process involves public input and before anything as far reaching as this can become law it would have to go through a very defined public comment process. As I am sure you are also aware the District of Stewart does not have any jurisdiction over provincial regulations such as hunting - this proposal is just that, a proposal. It has provided Stewart with quite a bit of publicity, and perhaps it might even go to help your business - people might want to come here, because obviously there are quite a few bears in this area.

I will take your comments and add them to any others Council recieves.

Sincerely,
Angela Brand Danuser
Mayor
District of Stewart


Who knows, it may go somewhere, although it seems when politicians hatch an idea they usually don't let common sense get in the road........

[boxhitch]

It has provided Stewart with quite a bit of publicity, and perhaps it might even go to help your business

D, not sure how that line fits in ?

[starbuck]

I don't hunt in the Stewart area at all, but I wrote the mayor and expressed my concerns If this stuff starts creeping up on us, we hunters are going to be getting kicked out of more than just this area. Anybody reading this thread at all should be writing to the mayor and/or some of these other links that the guys are posting. Lets not take the attitude "its not my area so I won't worry about it". There have been very few posts but many views on this thread which I hope does not mean that most of the people viewing are doing nothing. Next thing you know it will be your area that the anti's are trying to shut down, and it would suck if no one would help you out. So people get involved, it doesn't take much time and it would really help some of these guys out.

Starbuck

[416]

Quote:
It has provided Stewart with quite a bit of publicity, and perhaps it might even go to help your business
D, not sure how that line fits in ?


Me either, l identified myself as a hunter and conservationist, thats it.:confused:

[Daybreak]

Ancient thread, however I'm thinking your letters might have helped prevent this misguided effort on the part of Stewart's council.

I can't find any mention of no shooting on 37A in terms of height of land restrictions. Anyone able to confirm this?

[wideopenthrottle]

hey this area has a lot of bears...I was thinking of taking up bear hunting....maybe I'll go there and shoot a bear now that I have heard all about all the bears there

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Things are about to get worse up hwy 37