The Alberta government’s decision to allow hunters to utilize dogs in black bear hunting, purportedly to aid caribou conservation, has stirred controversy among wildlife biologists. The regulation change, initiated last year by Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen, received backlash from wildlife advocates but support from hunters. This year’s reinstatement of the practice has sparked public calls for rescinding the hunt and a campaign to show backing for it.
The Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations for this year states that permitting the use of dogs for hunting aims to assist predator management in regions of caribou recovery concern. However, Dave Hervieux, the former caribou manager for the province, disputes the idea that hunting black bears with dogs contributes to caribou conservation efforts, citing the lack of scientific basis for such claims.
Hervieux noted that out of the 23 wildlife management units where hunting black bears with dogs is allowed, 10 lack caribou range, and two have minimal caribou presence. He emphasized that these units historically did not support caribou and that the hunting focus on non-caribou areas renders it ineffective for caribou conservation.
While the government conducts wolf culls to aid caribou populations, Hervieux highlighted the disparate impact of wolves and bears on caribou. He emphasized the limited evidence of black bears preying on caribou calves in Alberta and stressed the imperative of habitat conservation for caribou recovery.
Echoing Hervieux’s stance, University of Alberta ecology professor Mark Boyce dismissed the effectiveness of hunting black bears with dogs for caribou protection, emphasizing the minimal impact of black bear predation on caribou. Boyce also raised concerns about the potential risks of provoking grizzly bears during the hunting process.
The provincial Department of Forestry and Parks justified the use of dogs for hunting black bears as providing sustainable hunting opportunities for Albertans, with caribou conservation deemed a secondary benefit. The statement emphasized the role of reducing black bear populations in alleviating predation pressure on neonatal caribou and improving calf survival.
Last year, hunters harvested 2,431 black bears in Alberta, with the government asserting that managing predation on caribou is crucial for supporting caribou recovery. The use of dogs in black bear hunting is allowed in specified months to avoid overlapping with caribou calving periods, and it is restricted to areas where baiting is prohibited. Apart from black bears, dogs can be employed for hunting cougars and game birds in Alberta.