Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services is asking for the public’s help following the discovery of a deceased grizzly bear with a gunshot wound last autumn, as announced in a social media post on Friday. The bear’s body was found by a hunter on November 25 near Honey Coulee, a popular trail area approximately 110 kilometers south of Calgary. Officials determined that the grizzly had been shot sometime between November 8 and 20, as reported by Fish and Wildlife.
Grizzly bear hunting has been prohibited in Alberta since 2006, with the species classified as threatened by the provincial government. According to a spokesperson from Fish and Wildlife, illegal hunting activities such as poaching not only harm Alberta’s ecosystems but also impact law-abiding hunters. These activities undermine conservation efforts, jeopardize wildlife population management, and result in more stringent regulations that affect lawful hunters.
Through the Report A Poacher program, individuals providing information that leads to charges could be eligible for a cash reward. Retired Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer John Clarke emphasized the significance of the incident, noting that grizzly bears have low reproductive rates, making them vulnerable. Clarke mentioned past cases where grizzly bears were unlawfully shot, either intentionally or mistakenly for black bears.
The area where the dead grizzly was found allows black bear hunting, and Clarke speculated that the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity given that the black bear season ended shortly before the incident. However, examining a photo of the bear, Clarke confirmed it was indeed a grizzly bear. Fish and Wildlife’s investigation likely involves searching for evidence like tire tracks or footprints, interviewing locals, and identifying hunters with black bear licenses in the vicinity. The possibility that the bear was shot elsewhere and later succumbed to its injuries could complicate pinpointing the exact location of the shooting.
The provincial government monitors grizzly bear deaths in Alberta, with vehicle collisions identified as the primary cause of mortality between 2013 and 2022. During this period, 58 instances of illegal killing and six cases of mistaken identity with black bears were documented by the province.