7,000 applied to hunt Alberta’s ‘problem’ wildlife — including grizzly bears — says minister

Since the provincial government announced it would assemble a pool of Albertans to act as “public wildlife management responders,” permitting them to assist in selective hunts for “problem” elk and grizzly bears, about 7,000 people have applied for a spot.

The government says the program is a wildlife management tool.

So far, 30 Albertans have been selected for a shortlist — 10 each in the north, south and central regions of the province. 

“If the need arises for a problem wildlife response, the first person on the responder list in the relevant region will be contacted. If they are unavailable, the next person will be contacted, and so on,” reads an email from a Forestry and Parks press secretary sent on Monday.

“To date, no responder has been contacted.”

It comes after the Alberta government announced it would permit selective grizzly bear hunts this fall as part of a June 17 ministerial order, so long as they meet certain criteria. Under the order, the minister could issue what the province refers to as a “grizzly bear management authorization” for the purpose of hunting a grizzly. 

It marks a shift that could allow the species to be hunted by members of the public for the first time in nearly two decades. But Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen says the new rules won’t mean it’s open season for Alberta’s grizzlies.

“This isn’t a hunt, this is a problem wildlife responder. There’s nothing about this that resembles a hunt, actually,” he told CBC News. 

“They’ll have a finite area, a finite amount of time to pursue that bear and they’ll have to be after a specific animal.”

Loewen says it was important to ensure equal opportunity for all Albertans to apply.

“This time we wanted just to see what the engagement would be like and see how many people would want to respond,” he said, adding the next round of calls for wildlife responders may require an application fee.

“Problem elk” are also included in this new program, said Loewen, noting this process responds to Albertans’ concerns about protecting their own property and safety.  

“I don’t think it’s necessary to hire [Fish and Wildlife] officers to do this job that Albertans can do.”

Firearm, hunting licences required

Those chosen to be part of the hunting pool must have firearm and hunting licences. However, there are no specific educational requirements or training sessions for becoming one of Alberta’s public wildlife responders — it’s why one wildlife conflict specialist is critical of the public’s involvement in the program, saying it doesn’t require enough bear-specific expertise. 

“I would like to see a more reserved approach. There are other options as far as managing human-bear conflicts,” said Dan LeGrandeur, a former Fish and Wildlife officer and the owner of Bear Scare Ltd., a company specializing in human-wildlife conflict training.

“I certainly don’t believe in putting the responsibility of managing human-wildlife conflicts onto the public. I think that is something that certainly should be left to the professionals, the Fish and Wildlife officers. They have the training, they have the expertise, they have the tools to do the job properly.”

LeGrandeur says his reservations about the program come from the lack of training or grizzly-specific experience. He says a hunting licence or firearm licence isn’t enough, in that such training wouldn’t necessarily qualify someone to handle human-wildlife contact. 

He’s worried that inviting Albertans to participate in hunting grizzlies could escalate the situation and increase the likelihood that someone could get injured. LeGrandeur believes the government’s criteria should involve experience in managing human-wildlife interactions, especially conflict. 

Alberta’s government says the program is a response to rising reports of problematic grizzly encounters. 

According to the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, 27 bear incidents have been reported so far in 2024. Of those, 25 were “predator encounters,” meaning a “negative interaction with a grizzly bear that may have required the use of bear spray or avoidance tactics to prevent contact,” and two were maulings.

In 2023, the province recorded 17 predator encounters and zero maulings.

The ministry says that, from 2016 to 2023, “there have been over 750 livestock lost to grizzly predation resulting in just under $1 million in compensation paid to farmers.”

Calgary man survives grizzly attack

Carmelo Silvestro, a Calgary man who was attacked by a grizzly in Rocky View County earlier this month, says he supports the idea of hunting the bear that attacked him. 

Silvestro encountered a mother grizzly bear and her cubs during a season opener hunting trip near Madden, Alta., on Sept. 1. Silvestro, who self-identifies as an avid hunter, was clawed and bitten by the grizzly before it eventually fled after he continuously deployed bear spray.

“That bear spray saved my life,” said Silvestro. “I was in an area where I didn’t even think there was going to be bears.”

He said he believes the bear has attacked before. 

Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services is in charge of tracking down the bear that attacked Silvestro. The government believes there are multiple bears and cubs in the area. It says DNA testing will be conducted to confirm the identity of the bear responsible for attacking Silvestro.

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WATCH | Grizzly attack survivor shares his story: 

WARNING: This video contains graphic images of injury.

When it comes to hunting grizzlies, some wildlife conservation groups are concerned the process doesn’t address the need for more education surrounding human-wildlife safety.

Ruiping Luo, a conservation specialist with Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA), says the group is opposed to Alberta’s selective grizzly hunting program. 

“Generally, hunting bears hasn’t been the most effective way of controlling bear populations. More importantly, hunting bears isn’t the most effective way of controlling conflicts,” said Luo. 

“There doesn’t seem to be a scientific justification for a grizzly hunt.”

Threatened species

In Alberta, grizzly bears were classified as a threatened species in 2010, and the government says the grizzly population was roughly 700 to 800 bears at that time. They have no federal protections, although they are listed as a Species of Special Concern in Canada.

Luo says that’s because Alberta’s grizzly population is facing issues with habitat loss, and they’re not a rapidly growing species. She believes clarity is lacking around the decision to allow bears to be hunted. 

“They have fairly low reproductive rates, and so they’re still threatened,” she said, noting the problematic encounters could be linked to more people venturing into the backcountry. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s the grizzly population that you’re really seeing increase, I’d say it’s a lot of people going into grizzly bear habitat,” she said. 

CBC News previously reported the province said it would continue to fund educational initiatives intended to prevent human-wildlife conflict, such as the Community Bear Smart Grant program, in addition to the new public wildlife management responders.

In order to mitigate contact with grizzlies, Luo is hoping to see a greater focus on the education component.

“Mostly I think it boils down to knowledge, to education, to understanding, and to being able to share our lands with these animals.”