Should Ontario Change How It Manages Black Bear Hunting?
Official title: Proposal to update the province's black bear management approach(source: Environmental Registry)
Ontario wants to overhaul how it sets black bear population targets and hunting limits. The province is also proposing to ban hunting cubs and mother bears in fall (already banned in spring) and to crack down on bear bile possession. These changes aim to make bear management more transparent and sustainable.
Why This Matters
Hunt black bears or run a hunting outfitter? This directly affects your season. Live in bear country? Population management decisions shape how often you might encounter bears near your property. Even if you just care about wildlife conservation, this sets the rules for years to come.
What Could Change
New guidelines would replace the current static approach with flexible, area-based hunting allocations. Some outfitters could lose hunting opportunities while others gain them. Hunting cubs or mother bears in fall would become illegal. Possessing bear bile outside the gall bladder would be explicitly banned, making enforcement easier.
Key Issues
- Should hunting allocations shift from static limits to flexible, area-based management?
- Should the ban on hunting cubs and mother bears extend to fall season?
- Should possession of bear bile be explicitly prohibited to strengthen enforcement?
How to Participate
- This consultation is now closed. Comments were accepted until January 5, 2026 through the Environmental Registry of Ontario.