Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services is asking for public help following the discovery of a deceased grizzly bear with a gunshot wound last autumn, as reported in a social media post on Friday. The hunter who reported the bear carcass last November 25 found it near Honey Coulee, a popular trail area located approximately 110 kilometers south of Calgary.
Investigations by officers revealed that the grizzly bear had been shot sometime earlier, likely between November 8 and 20, according to Fish and Wildlife. Grizzly bear hunting has been prohibited in Alberta since 2006, as they are classified 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 Alberta’s ecosystems and law-abiding hunters. These actions undermine conservation efforts, jeopardize wildlife population management, and result in more stringent legislation affecting lawful hunters. The Report A Poacher program in the province offers a cash reward to individuals providing information that leads to charges being laid.
Retired Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer John Clarke stressed the significance of illegally shooting a grizzly bear due to their low reproductive rates and at-risk status. Clarke recounted three notable cases involving grizzly bears being unlawfully shot during his tenure, highlighting the vulnerability of these animals. Black bear hunting was permitted in the area where the deceased grizzly was found last November, raising the possibility that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
Despite speculations, Clarke confirmed that the dead bear in question was unmistakably a grizzly bear based on the photo shared by Alberta Fish and Wildlife. Investigations by the authorities may involve searching for tire tracks or footprints in the area, interviewing locals, and identifying hunters with black bear hunting licenses in the vicinity. The provincial government monitors grizzly bear deaths in Alberta, with vehicle collisions being the leading cause of mortality from 2013 to 2022. During this period, there were 58 documented cases of illegal killing and six instances of grizzlies being misidentified as black bears.