Some 3,000 black bear hunters will likely be contacted this winter as a part of the Ministry of Pure Assets’ first survey on the species in eight years.
From January to March, some 2,000 hunters residing in Ontario and 1,000 non-resident US hunters will likely be randomly requested to take part, the ministry introduced in a Jan. 6 electronic mail to companions, together with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).
The evaluation is a part of an everyday cycle of surveys of hunters, leisure anglers, and different nature-based recreationists, and trappers, officers acknowledged. They’re along with necessary hunter exercise and harvest reporting.
Invited hunters will have the ability to full the survey on-line at ontario.ca/BearHunterSurvey utilizing the distinctive entry codes supplied of their invitation letters or by filling out and returning a paper questionnaire utilizing a supplied postage-paid return envelope.
“These surveys complement the knowledge we obtain from different sources — like necessary hunter reporting – to offer a richer understanding of who’s partaking with these actions in Ontario and the way, in addition to insights into the views and preferences of contributors and the kinds of advantages that these actions present to people and to the province,” Fish and Wildlife Coverage Department Director Christie Curley wrote.
Final survey in 2017
The final survey of black bear hunters was performed in 2017. It was primarily designed to estimate the financial contributions of the spring and fall black bear looking seasons to Ontario from hunter expenditures. Different objectives included assessing consciousness of, participation in, and boundaries to participation within the voluntary black bear premolar enamel submission program, and profiling Ontario’s black bear hunters.
The 2024 survey can also be designed to allow financial expenditure estimates by looking season, profile Ontario’s black bear hunters, observe consciousness and participation with the voluntary black bear premolar enamel submission program, and study present looking types and preferences, officers acknowledged.
The scope of the survey has additionally been expanded to incorporate further questions on looking types (reminiscent of strategies for figuring out feminine bears) and preferences (reminiscent of journey and placement preferences), and hunter experiences looking with licensed bear operators. Hunter views on black bear administration in Ontario (reminiscent of boundaries to reporting of bears taken in safety of property), can even be sought.
