Largest Bear Contest

[Walksalot]

The number of hunters who chose to pass up all the bears they saw in persuit of that contest winner got me to wondering. Will a largest animal taken contest be detrimental to a wildlife management strategy. Would the hunters who chose to pass them all by have taken one had the contest not been on? Would a hidden size of the bear and not necessarily the biggest, to win the contest, be more advantagous to a wildlife management strategy. The fact that each hunter can harvest two bears tells me the biologists want the population reduced.

Personally I aways buy a tag but have never shot a bear. Over the years I have seen scads but have never had a good enough reason.

[Caveman]

I usually carry a tag as well,but won't take one unless he is large enough in my mind. Just to go and shoot any bear really doesn't interest me. If you do it for the meat and give away or sell the hide, fine, but for myself I'm looking for a large rug and the meat is a bonus. I'd rather be selective, than just shoot and not use what the animal has to offer which would bother me more. That's not to say that what gets shot isn't getting used but we all know that there are a few people out there that are in this (hunting, not the contest) just to kill something which gives us all a bad name with the Anti's. I think the reason the govt. allows 2 tags might be for the population of bear to the bear hunter ratio allows it, not so much looking to lower the population as to keep it in a balance. A contest of this type would have little or no effect on this, because these same people can also get a second animal. It may build an interest in bear hunting which may not have happened without the contest so who knows it might just balance out.

[Steeleco]

For me it's meat first, this year for the first time I kept the hide only. My son was along and it's the first one worth keeping that I've taken.

I believe that a few years ago there was a proposal set out to drop the fee for bear tags to $5 to try an introduce more people to bear hunting to try an reduce the bear population. In the broucher released a few years back I recall it saying that hunting for bears has become unpopular and as such less people hunt them. My son won't even talk about the bear we got this spring with any of his buddies at school unless he know's they hunt with their dad's. Too much grief. Pretty sad state of affairs I'd say.!!

[3kills]

i m one of the guys that past on a bear and no it had nothing to do with the contest....last year i shot a nice 6ft brown why would i shoot a 5 or 5 and half foot blackie this year??? i hunt for the meat but when it comes to bears i hunt for fun...time spent in the bush...i dont care if i shoot a bear every year and if i do great but its not going to be a lil dink either....

[Krico]

Bag limits for black bears are at 2 because the population is very healthy and stable and there is very little hunting pressure on this species. I don't think they want the species numbers reduced, it's just that the population can handle it. That logic would suggest that anything with a bag limit over one or even just at one is a species which needs a reduction in population.

[Rob]

i m one of the guys that past on a bear and no it had nothing to do with the contest....last year i shot a nice 6ft brown why would i shoot a 5 or 5 and half foot blackie this year??? i hunt for the meat but when it comes to bears i hunt for fun...time spent in the bush...i dont care if i shoot a bear every year and if i do great but its not going to be a lil dink either....

If your hunting for meat why ot shoot a 5-51/2 footer?

[416]

l am of a similar mindset as 3kills.....the bear tag allows me to get out in the bush in the spring and have fun, whether l shoot a bear is secondary, plus l have shot enough yogis in the past that now it has to be something special (size,colour) before l will use my tag. I doubt very much this "contest' will have any impact on the bear population..... decreased hunter pressure and the banning of selling animal parts have given blackies a chance to become a strong, healthy species in BC.

[TOP_PREDATOR]

You guys are all very lucky,what i would do to be able to shoot two bears a year.
Good luck to everyone for the fall season.

[rrfred]

I passed on a couple bears this spring, got enuff bears not to have to "get one". Best part was when I bumped into a buddy in the bush while my daughter and I were watching a decent sized bear mow the lawn for almost half an hour; i held point while my buddy got a few pics, then we let him go;we called it catch and release:)

[Gateholio]

I was actually thinking about our bear contest this year, and how i woudl do it differently if we do it again.

I'd liek to see everyone get out in the spring and get hunting, and take a bear if they choose, and then enter it in the contest.

Measurements matter to some people, but not everyone, so I'd like to see the winners be a random draw from the entrants, rather than "Biggest bear wins"

There is a time and a place for the "biggest Animal Caught" contest,s but I don't think it shoudl be here. Myself, I'd prefer that HBC encourage participation of all members, rather than just rewarding the guys that have the good fortune to kill the biggest bears.

I don't think the contest that HBC ran had any impact whatsover on the bear population/managemnet strategy, but I see the need for the contest to change if we do it again.

Put it plainly, I'd rather see some kid that shot a 5' bear have as much chance to win the contest, that a guy that has shot 20 bears has.:cool:

[Kirby]

You guys are all very lucky,what i would do to be able to shoot two bears a year.
Good luck to everyone for the fall season.

We are very lucky, but I can promise you have animals to chase that we would all love to hunt:D

As to the question, I like huning bears, but I prefer helping new hunters get bears than tagging out myself. Unless its a HUGE bear it doesn't really get me excited about tagging it myself.

Kirby

[Walksalot]

I don't think the contest that HBC ran had any impact whatsover on the bear population/managemnet strategy, but I see the need for the contest to change if we do it again.


Gatehouse, I was not thinking of the HBC hunt in particular but all biggest is best hunts.

[Fred]

Does anyone else remember the 5 bear limit in the Pemberton area in the early 80's? Fred

[puppychow]

I took a bear this year for the meat. Last year I did not bear hunt. The unfortunate part of my story is that the bears that we harvested two years ago was improperly processed by our chosen butcher. (No longer in business) I had a great amount of difficulty finishing the meat. I have chosen an excellent butcher this year. Back into enjoying bear pepperoni again. Puppychow.

[3kills]

If your hunting for meat why ot shoot a 5-51/2 footer?

cuz i hunt deer and moose for meat not bears...bears are just the lil bonus of pepperoni and what not....

[abbyfireguy]

This or any contest for bears would most probably have little or no impact on numbers or whatever..There does seem to be no lack of the hairy creatures at this time..
They always seem to pop up whenever I am hunting for deer and moose..I don't have the inclination to take a bear as I don't care for bear meat and I have a cinnamon bear rug from the only bear I harvested back in 1985...
That being said, it is fun to stalk them and get some close up pics though...:D

[ryanb]

Does anyone else remember the 5 bear limit in the Pemberton area in the early 80's? Fred

It wouldn't hurt to reinstate that around here. The bear population is close to out of control around pemberton. Although, with the meat regulations the way they are I'm fairly certain there would be few that would exceed the 2 per year limit anyways.

[pupper]

I would shoot 2 regardless, I shot one this fall and one this spring. I just like being out in the woods, improving my bow/ stalking/ distance judging skills and staying in the hunting game in the spring. Rather than going once a year for a moose in a boat, I like hunting as much as possible for all types of game to always be improving.

[Gateholio]

Gatehouse, I was not thinking of the HBC hunt in particular but all biggest is best hunts.

Yeah, I know...

And I think you are correct, actually...Athough I don't see these contests as a problem.

Like I said, I think there is a time and place for big scoring hunts, but........I'd rather see people participate rather than worry aboutscore.:cool:

[willyqbc]

Measurements matter to some people, but not everyone, so I'd like to see the winners be a random draw from the entrants, rather than "Biggest bear wins"


This is the way we do our clubs big bear contest....we get a table full of prizes the largest bear gets first pick and then those who took a bear get their name in the hat first and when they have all been drawn everyone else goes in the hat to be drawn as well. Seems to work pretty well.

Chris

[Hunter's Dad]

I agree that this contest would have little or no impact to our bear population and I would like you to consider other ways to reward a winner/s. Such as best story, random size ( as suggested earlier) ... .

Why we hunt, idividually, is a personal thing and we all have theories and styles of hunting that others may not agree with. As a contest such as this grows in size and popularity this risk is that other negative characteristics show up, like cheating on size and I won't bother naming other possibilitys. As things spiral we forget why the contest started in the first place and that was to share experiences with others of simular interest. If our only goal is to win then I believe that is the most negative thing that this contest could create.

A hunter's ability plays a large part in obtaining good trophys, however the larger role is played by genetics and the own animals survival abilitys. I find it difficult when we take more credit for our trophy than I think we earn.

I enjoyed all of your storys, the pics and the videos. Especially since I haven't been out chasing them as I used to. To me the adventure is the real story, the harvest is icing on the cake. The key is to have fun. Just my two cents on contests.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

The only person that I ever compete with is myself. If I have a great day in the bush with some cool encounters then it was worth it. This year was the first year in quite a few that I was not in on a kill but I had a great year mostly with a video camera in my hand. One of my best purchases for hunting fun8-) !
Contests have no bering on anything I do and if I was ever to win anything it would be a bonus. I've played competitive sports all my life but I don't find it carrying over into my hunting. Totally different mindset and I'm glad it is that way.

SSS

[Elkhound]

I loved the contest this year. Did it affect what I shot. No. I would have hunted the same way. I shot the first decent size bear I could. It was more enjoyable to see the smiles on a few other faces taking their first bear than the fun I had taking mine. I had the pleasure to hunt with a few members and make some new friendships. As for the prize for the biggest bear.......wouldn't really matter. A random thing would be okay. But good stories is what we all seem to enjoy the most. Some stories it makes you feel like you were part of it. Now thats just fun. And bears with character always get my attention as well. I enjoyed the stories of the 5fters just as much as the stories of the big ones.

[bigwhiteys]

I concur with what gatehouse and others have mentioned here. I wouldn't object to the bear contest being a totally random deal with a few special categories for ugliest bear, best story, youngest hunter, etc...

I think good stories, pictures and videos should be the focus too. I have thoroughly enjoyed this part.

Happy Hunting!
Carl