Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services are reaching out to the public for assistance following the discovery of a deceased grizzly bear with a gunshot wound last autumn, as revealed in a recent social media announcement. The lifeless bear was located by a hunter on November 25 near Honey Coulee, an outdoor trail area situated approximately 110 kilometers south of Calgary. Officials determined that the grizzly bear had been shot sometime earlier, potentially between November 8 and 20, as reported by Fish and Wildlife.
In Alberta, hunting of grizzly bears has been prohibited since 2006 due to their classification as a threatened species by the provincial government. A spokesperson from Fish and Wildlife emphasized the detrimental impact of poaching and other illegal hunting activities on the ecosystem and law-abiding hunters. Such actions undermine conservation efforts, jeopardize wildlife population management, and may lead to more stringent regulations affecting lawful hunters.
Through the Report A Poacher program in the province, individuals providing information that leads to the laying of charges could be eligible for a monetary reward. Retired Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer John Clarke highlighted the significance of the incident, stating that the shooting of a grizzly bear is a serious matter given their low reproductive rates and vulnerable status. Clarke recounted several past cases involving illegally shot grizzly bears, including instances of intentional killing and mistaken identity with black bears.
While black bear hunting is permitted in the area where the deceased grizzly was discovered last November, Clarke noted that the bear in question was unmistakably a grizzly based on the shared photograph. The ongoing investigation by Fish and Wildlife likely involves scouring the area for evidence such as tire tracks or footprints, interviewing locals, and identifying hunters with licenses for black bear hunting in the vicinity. However, the possibility that the grizzly was shot and wandered off before succumbing to its injuries could complicate pinpointing the exact location of the shooting.
The provincial government monitors grizzly bear fatalities in Alberta, with vehicle collisions identified as the leading cause of mortality between 2013 and 2022. During this period, there were 58 recorded cases of illegal killing and six instances where grizzlies were mistaken for black bears in the province.
