A Port Coquitlam councillor wants the province to prohibit bow hunting in urban areas after two bears were wounded by arrows in the northeast area of the city earlier this month.
Coun. Darrell Penner said he was shocked when he heard from a conservation officer that discharging a bow and arrow is legal in the Lower Mainland. During Monday's council meeting, he asked PoCo staff to look into the details of the law and to consider lobbying the province for changes.
"It is pretty disturbing to see that happen," Penner said. "There is a safety aspect and a humanity aspect to this. It is just wrong to wound an animal."
Earlier this month, conservation officers told The Tri-City News that hunters who shot and wounded a bear on a Coquitlam blueberry farm were within the bounds of the law. A $115 fine was issued to one hunter for not cancelling his hunting tag, indicating he had shot a bear - a minor offence - but his licence was otherwise in order.
The bear was eventually tracked down by conservation officials, who destroyed the 250 lb. male.
Another bear that was reportedly wounded by a bow hunter last week has still not been found.
But having injured bears roaming around the community is a danger to nearby residents, Penner said.
"By deliberately wounding a bear, you are putting the public at risk," he said. "[In] the bulk of bear attacks, the bear is either sick or it is wounded."
Const. Murray Smith said the bow hunters involved in the bear shooting may have lacked experience because an arrow shot from a modern bow is powerful enough to kill an animal.
LOOKING FOR WOUNDED BEAR
Meanwhile, officials are asking people to report all sightings of injured bears to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service after a bruin apparently shot with a bow fled into the bush last week. James Kelly, who works in the Fraser Valley zone, said he was called out to search for a bear that was sighted in a back yard off Oriole Avenue last week but he couldn't locate it.
"We'd definitely like it if somebody sees anything like that they would call us," said Kelly, who said there have been many calls from the Tri-City area since then but none about a bear being injured by an arrow.
Most of the sightings have been about bears eating natural food, such as salmonberries, which are ripening this time of year. But Kelly said he doesn't want to hear about bears turning to garbage and he's urging people to keep their garbage locked up until the morning of collection day and to remove any other attractants.
The Conservation Officer Service is also asking farmers to erect electric fences to keep bears away from livestock.
As well, Coquitlam's Bear Aware co-ordinator is putting up signs in northeast Coquitlam asking people to report all sightings of injured bears or other injured animals to the Conservation Officer Service and any other illegal activities, such as the shooting of bears, to the RCMP. Anyone who hears gun shots should immediately call 911, said Drake Stephens, who said he put the signs up in the areas of Cedar Drive, DeBoville Slough and Oliver Road because of the recent sighting of an injured bear.
"If you see an injured bear or other injured wildlife do not approach the animal, leave the area immediately and call both the RCMP and the conservation officer," Stephens said.
To report sightings or problems, call 1-877-952-7277.
