After Polar Bear Import Ban

[Mark Audino]

Before the USA's most recent "iron curtain" came down denying imports of legally taken polar bears in Canada, the US Fish & Wildlife Department opened up the pending import ban for public comment. This is a standard 90-day procedure allowing the citizenry at large to express their views and rationale to back them up.

So, as with all such pending US F&W decrees, I wrote a lengthy position paper in support of polar bear imports. Regrettably, when US F&W eventually went forward with the ban, I learned that there were only 150 letters against the ban, and something on the order of 9 million post cards in favor of the ban. This was an organized campaign by anti-hunting groups. Please don't hold me to these numbers because like many things in government, it is hard to secure facts and truths. But suffice to say we lost by an overwhelming order of magnitude. That's the nature and scope of the anti-hunting wall that we have to climb to beat it. You very where know how hunting in Africa is being affected by virtue signalers and politics.

I'll go out on the line and say that we need to get our act together and fight like we are going to lose hunting if we don't. The death by a thousand cuts that we are seeing in Europe mirror what we face in USA. Altitude Sickness was spot on with his comment. Whether it's called racism or neo-colonialism, the US government projects arrogance in overseeing and second-guessing the wildlife departments of other countries. If the biologists in those countries determine there are huntable populations and also implement sound conservation policies, why do we often say, "we know better"? It's embarrassing, egoist, and political. Wildlife suffers. Humanity suffers.

I can tell you a story for a fact. I spoke with the very famous Canadian Arctic outfitter, Fred Webb, the day after the curtain came down on polar bear imports. He sadly reported that one of his longstanding Inuit guides committed suicide, apparently distraught over the prospect of not being able to support his family and carrying on the work he had done for years. True, this may be one of the extreme examples of fallout from policy, but there is carnage everywhere that you only know about if you're in the business, or hunt a lot, or get close to the people on the ground an immerse in their cultures.

I am even saddened by some of our great hunter-conservationist institutions have not integrated their strategies and resources to help hunting and fight unnecessary regulations. Saving hunting is warfare, and the first principle of warfare is the principle of force. We are missing the force of unity. Could it be that each organization wants credit given to them? I can't say for sure. But the better question is, why not rally together and be a greater force for hunting?

 

[Jerycmeach]

If you want to be exhausted…. Just dive into understanding the intricacies behind the way polar bear permits are allocated and the options for your polar bear hunt; let alone who will Actually be taking you hunting! I am exhausted by the research I have done! This polar bear hunt “research” is way more complex than any other hunt I have looked into! I am a fellow exhibitor at many sports shows where the well known polar bear outfitters exhibit. I know and understand what they are offering. I also have friends that have gone with outfitters and been disappointed by the lack of fair chase. I’ll say no more. Anyway, the best way I can describe this situation is to make a comparison with my sportfishing business I operated in Alaska for 32 years. You could have booked your fishing trip on a national online charter fishing website and I may have ended up taking you fishing. You may have been booked at a show or by a booking agency or even as a walk up at the ketchikan visitors bureau or maybe even by a little dockside tour hawker booth! Ha! In the end your best price and your best “security in knowing you would be well taken care of”; would have been to book directly with ME! Ole Capt. Jerry! Ha! I would have described the experience you could expect, I would have met you and shoot your hand and then deliver the charter! Signing my name to the promise I made you!
Well, I am currently trying to line up a polar bear hunt, fair chase only….. no tired out polar bear chased to exhaustion by a snow machine and then shot by me; the “proud hunter!” Not!
So In attempting to talk to the outfitters about there’s concerns they really can’t be of a lot of help. How many tags will they get, that’s an unknown! Which Inuits will get the tags? Unknown but assumptions can be made based on past years. Who will actually be the Inuit taking you? Not sure is the answer.
So I’m going to do this but someday if you want a real challenge just dive headlong into understand all the moving parts of a non resident, outfitted, polar bear hunt in Nunavut! It has been quite a ride so far! Decisions are made in the issuance of the tags and how they are hunted at the end of this month or at the latest the end of next month as I understand it. Stand by!