Every spring

To the editor:
Bears! Well, there’s not much more I, or the government, hasn’t said. One thing is certain, they and the problems they’re causing are not going away.
As I begin my annual campaign handing out letters and “We support tourist outfitters” signs to local businesses, it seems most people have had problems or know someone who has.
The minister of natural resources was on television over the weekend telling us to put away our bird feeders and barbecues, and to store our garbage in the garage or basement. Although this will avoid cleaning up the mess left by bears, it doesn’t reduce the over-population problem.
The sad thing is this message from the MNR was recorded from three years ago.
Isn’t it ironic that every spring I tell everyone the answer to the bear problem is to reinstate the spring hunt, yet government’s answer is to make your garages and basements smell worse than they already do?
Wait! As I write this letter, I hear the word “bear” on CBC Radio. It’s 5:45 in the morning and here’s a report on a study being done in Algonquin Park on sows and cubs. They just removed a cute little cub from their winter den, and measured and weighed them.
The MNR biologist then said about one-half of the cubs will die from wolves or starvation (keep in mind there’s no hunting in Algonquin Park).
Now just a minute, that’s the reason the government and animal rights groups used to cancel the spring hunt. Hunters were accused of shooting sows—leaving the cubs to die.
One wonders how much more of taxpayers’ dollars need to be spent finding excuses for bears.
Well, I’d better finish this letter. Let’s see, I was trying to help remove that smell from your basement and garages.
One more note: After you finish cleaning up the mess and destruction nuisance bears cause, I urge you to contact your local officials.
Signed,
Clifford R. Long
Cobblestone Lodge
Ignace, Ont.