Wake up!

Dear sir:
This information is intended as a wake up alarm and consideration for the voters, taxpayers, and outdoor sportspersons of this province. You still have an opportunity to request the Harris government to reconsider their actions outlined in EBR registry number RB9E6001–the intent to close the spring bear hunt.
If you do not submit a proposal, it will really cost us all! Remember, bears do not pay taxes or vote.
The following is my submission:
I request that you reconsider your past action and reverse your decision to close the spring bear hunt.
I realize it is possible that someone may have shot a female bear with
cubs, either inadvertently or by reason of frustration. But it is not appropriate to blame the rest of us in our society, whether we are bear hunters, taxpayers, or bear hunt operators.
Since laws already exist prohibiting this, charges should have been laid against the offender and documentation must be in evidence, otherwise the accusation is fraud and should be dealt with as such.
Since when are our laws regulated by hearsay?
We also have been concerned at your past actions which have been a classic poor example of conservation. When you dumped the problem of nuisance bears onto the municipalities, you merely put the entire population of nuisance bears in harm’s way. Municipalities have demonstrated their lack of concern for the bear’s safety. Their policing body (OPP) now uses the nuisance bears as a source of target practice. Their concern is for the safety of their taxpayers and citizens.
Since your action will cause the bear population to increase drastically because of the spring hunt closure, they naturally will have more problems to deal with. A lot of these will be females with cubs.
Your ministry also has exhibited a real lack of conservation in the situation of nuisance bears in unorganized areas that have cottage owners confronting the problem. It is a fact that almost all cottage owners have a loaded shotgun on hand to deal with the bears that visit their personal bait sites (i.e., garbage can, barbecue pit, pet food storage, or bird feeder).
The cottagers maim and kill indiscriminately when the confrontation occurs. Yes, we have seen wounded females and cubs limping around. Most of these situations are very dangerous. None of them are licensed to kill a bear nor is conservation considered. Yet your ministry has chosen to look the other way.
These occurrences far outnumber your concerns in the reason to end the hunt.
Last, but not least, is that your people have taken the political side of the anti-hunters. They are a minority who have rigged their concerns with fraudulent claims and tales of falsehood. They have stated that they have the backing of the taxpayers of this province.
You are, by your action, going to cost the taxpayers of Ontario untold millions of dollars. You are, by your action, going to cost the tourist industry untold millions of dollars in lost revenues and assets.
The Harris government can ill afford any of the aforementioned detrimental actions. Wake up and look at the real facts. Reverse your decision on closing the spring bear hunt.
Conservation be with you.
Respectfully yours,
John Steinke
Guide, hunter,
and taxpayer