Bear Killed in a Colorado Den Could Change That State's Hunting Rules
The black bear, weighing more than 700 pounds, might make the record books, but its influence on state regs could have even more lasting implications if Colorado decides to ban den-hunting.By New West
Commissioners, appointed by the governor to help set wildlife policy for Colorado, were asked to consider adopting a regulation following an incident in the fall in which a hunter near Craig said he tracked a large black bear to a cave, entered the cave and killed the bear. Colorado hunting regulations currently do not prohibit hunting a bear in a den.
Regulations manager Brett Ackerman told the Commission Wednesday that den-hunting is not common among bear hunters. The recent kill, which happened in November and was subject of a lengthy feature article in the Craig Daily Press, provoked significant negative public feedback. Ackerman said numerous other states have banned den-hunting on the grounds that it does not meet public expectations of fair chase.
Commission Chairman Tim Glenn said the commission considers regulations regarding hunting ethics on a case-by-case basis. "This is a perfect example of the kind of issue that the Wildlife Commission needs to look at," Glenn said. "We talked about the importance of fair chase for maintaining public trust in what we do. That is absolutely critical, so for what it's worth, I certainly think we do need to address this issue."
The hunter, Richard Kendall of Craig, Colo., told the Craig paper the bear snarled at him before he shot the animal, whose size may set a state record. According to a report in the Denver Post, some experienced bear hunters have questioned whether Kendall's description of the cave as the bear's "den" is even accurate.--even if the bear was awake, the biology of this creature is such that human hunting at this time of year is anything but Fair Chase............with the bear in essence in low acitivity, shut-sown mode--blogger Rick
"Bears, especially males, don't usually hibernate in caves," said Brian Bachman, president of the North American Bear Foundation, a hunting and conservation group based in Pillager, Minn., told the Post. Tracking a large bear to a cave and even venturing inside the cave after the animal is considered unsafe.
"The question is, what is a den? Everyone thinks it's a cave, but it rarely is. Every situation's going to be different, but if the bear's awake, it's snarling at him, I wouldn't consider that a denning situation," Bachman said.
Several commissioners Wednesday wondered if the issue could be addressed by closing bear hunting seasons earlier, before bears would be expected to enter hibernation. But others noted that weather, elevation and geography all factor in to the timing of bear denning, which varies across the state. As a result, the commission directed staff to draft a regulation specifically aimed at prohibiting den-hunting.
The commission will consider the draft at its March meeting in Denver and could approve it in May.
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