“Spear-hunting is being banned in Alberta following outcry after a viral video showed an American hunter killing a black bear with a spear,” Canada’s National Post reports. Can that be right? All it took was one American hunter on YouTube to get spear hunting bears banned in Alberta? Yup . . .
The government pledged to change the rules after the graphic online video of the bear’s death surfaced in 2016.
The video, posted on YouTube by hunter Josh Bowmar, showed a bear being baited before the spear, with a camera attached, was launched at the animal from 11 to 14 metres away. The video also showed the man celebrating when the bear was hit.
After the video caused uproar on social media, the province consulted with hunting groups and Alberta Environment and Parks received more than 3,900 responses from the public about the new regulations. Phillips said most supported the prohibition.
“Of the about 118,000 who hunt big game in Alberta every year, over 90 per cent of those folks are Alberta residents,” Phillips said. “We are really just reflecting what Albertans want.”
What was that about democracy being two wolves and a sheep discussing what’s for dinner?
The province has updated hunting rules to ensure big game animals do not suffer unnecessarily and to discourage reckless hunting.
“Albertans know that spear-hunting is not safe,” Environment Minister Shannon Phillips said in an interview.
“It’s not humane because most hunters know that the chances of getting close enough to hit that moving target with big game, and sufficient accuracy and force to kill immediately is next to zero.”
Hello? Have you seen the arms on Josh Bowmar?
Sigh. I guess there are some things you just shouldn’t post on YouTube. Like . . . Justin Timberlake’s new “Filthy” video. Is Justin Timberlake from Canada or is that Justin Bieber? Anyway, the new rules arrive just in time for the 2018 hunting season. How great is that?