The centuries-old practice of bear hunting has both praise and criticism. On one hand, supporters of bear hunting argue for its ecological significance. Hunting helps manage bear populations, mitigate human-bear conflicts, and provides numerous benefits for surrounding habitats and varying species. Additionally, bear hunting is deeply ingrained in certain cultures and traditions, serving as a preserved pastime for many.

On the other hand, opponents of bear hunting raise varying ethical concerns about harvesting wild animals. Some believe that hunting bears is inherently cruel and unnecessary. Furthermore, they question the effectiveness of hunting and advocate for alternatives such as habitat preservation and education on coexistence with wildlife.

Despite these differing perspectives, there is potential common ground between bear hunters and non-bear hunters. Both groups generally desire sustainable wildlife management practices to preserve populations. Moreover, there is often agreement on the importance of preserving natural habitats and minimizing human-bear conflicts through responsible land use planning and public awareness campaigns.

Finding common ground on bear hunting requires open dialogue, humility, scientific research, and a commitment to balancing the needs of wildlife, ecosystems, and local communities. While disagreements may persist, there are many benefits of bear hunting worth discussing for nature, society, and humans. Let’s begin.

Environmental Balance

Bear hunting helps preserve natural habitats and the livelihoods of other species. The overpopulation of bears can lead to:

Habitat degradation. Bears, for instance, are known to debark trees. After a few years, these trees can die, which affects nearby vegetation, other habitats, and species such as birds and squirrels. Damaged timber also affects logging organizations since they utilize wood to create paper products or lumber for homes. When a biologist reports an increase in bears debarking trees, the state will hire a trapper to help manage the local population—an additional resource that taxpayers now fund.

Decline in other species. While most of a bear’s diet consists of plant matter, bears consume food sources higher in protein, such as fawns, fish, ants, elk calves, and bees. Even though each species is vital, there are a few things worth considering regarding their impact. For example, fawns are a species that many people adore for their cuteness, innocence, and cultural significance. These qualities, combined, create a strong connection and support for these young deer among individuals from all areas of life. The dark side is that it is horrifying when a bear consumes a fawn, which is why bear hunters are certified fawn protectors.

By reducing tree death and lowering the strain on other species, bear hunting can contribute to balancing healthy ecosystems. The survival of several plant and animal species depends on this balance.

Sustainable Resource Utilization

Hunting offers another way to obtain higher-quality food for our family and our health. It also gives us many other unique ways to utilize the whole harvest—especially regarding bears. For example:

Bear meat. People in the United States agree that while many desire to consume animal products, they prefer them to come from ethical sources. Commercial livestock live in close quarters in less-than-ideal conditions, with little natural light, and are fed grains and highly processed ingredients, which can cause the livestock to experience stress and poor overall health. Since a bear’s diet is mostly plant matter from natural environments, the quality of the meat is incredibly nutrient-dense. Plants can extract vitamins and minerals from the soil through many processes. Once bears consume plant matter, the vitamins and minerals transfer to the meat—similar to grass-fed beef. Bear meat is an excellent source of high-quality protein for staying lean and strong.

Bear fat. Fat from bears contains vitamins, antioxidants, and Omega 3’s—much like grass-fed tallow. And since this premium animal fat contains components that boost the immune system, it benefits both physical and mental wellness. In pursuit of evidence regarding the effects of saturated fat and red meat on our well-being, a Stanford grad named Nina Teicholz examined 10,000 peer-reviewed study publications from various health organizations and the government over nine years. What she discovers in her book, The Big Fat Surprise, is influential in revealing why specific dietary claims resulted in misleading advice. Like I always say, “A stick of bear fat a day keeps the doctor away.”

Additional Options for Utilization. There are many ways to utilize a harvested bear. Use the hide as a rug or blanket during the chilly winter months to warm your children’s and pets’ toes. Use the claws as a necklace for your upcoming speech to give you strength, power, and confidence. Grind the organs with the meat to make burgers that provide you with steel muscles. When the power goes out on stormy nights, use the fat to make candle sticks. During a zombie apocalypse, use rendered fat stored in mason jars as a food supply. Add the rendered fat to your preferred pie recipe. Utilize the fat to soothe the agony of sunburns and moisturize your skin. Use the rendered fat for hair gel for your next date—you’re welcome. Make bone broth from the bones to strengthen your immune system and heal your gut. And teach the next generation about anatomy and physiology using the skull. Indeed, we can utilize a harvested bear in a few ways, I suppose.

“Utilizing a harvested bear to the best of our abilities aligns with the principles of responsible stewardship. Using animal resources effectively and responsibly shows respect for the environment and wildlife.”

Economic Boost

Bear hunting can help sustain communities and provide opportunities for growth in regions where alternative employment options may be limited. Think about:

Small Business Owners. Bear hunting can benefit small businesses and the economy. Think about the working-class people who operate small businesses—individuals and families. One thing that contributes to keeping these establishments open and successful is the traveling bear

hunter who stops in town on their way to or from their hunt. Bear hunters could indirectly assist a family in funding a child’s college education and providing additional support through their restaurant visits, grocery shop visits, and business transactions with any other local establishment.

Job Opportunities. Bear hunting helps broaden local job opportunities, for example, by establishing guiding services, taxidermy, or meat processing companies. In any case, a new job might help someone provide for their family, pay their expenses, or—above all—provide their children with academic, personal, and professional opportunities they did not have when they were younger. Bear hunting supports diverse job opportunities for working-class families in the U.S.

Bear hunting can provide financial assistance to many working-class Americans by supporting their livelihoods. Moreover, hunting licenses, fees, and related costs also fund habitat restoration and initiatives.

Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Human-bear conflicts pose significant challenges in areas where human development encroaches upon bear habitats. Bears can raid crops, damage property, cause vehicle accidents, and potentially pose risks to human safety. Controlled bear hunting can help mitigate these conflicts by reducing bear populations in areas with frequent or high interactions. Consider:

Less interaction with the public. Whether someone hunts bears or not, everyone gains from a bear population responsibly managed through conservation-based practices like hunting. When the bear population is not managed correctly, there is a greater chance of interactions when adults or children go biking, camping in parks, hiking on designated trails, etc. Encountering a bear in these circumstances could lead to danger, harm, or worse.

Property Owners. Imagine a bear showing up at your property and digging through your trash, destroying your chicken coop, attacking your dog, or breaking into your garage. Bears have an infinite capacity to cause intentional, accidental, and random harm. Bear hunting can help prevent these unfortunate situations by maintaining healthy bear populations.

This proactive approach to handling human-wildlife conflicts safeguards the welfare of the bears and the lives and property of those involved by keeping bear populations in balance and preventing encounters that could result in fatalities and other adverse outcomes.

Mental Health Enhancer

Engaging in the pastime of bear hunting has numerous positive effects on your mental health. Here’s how:

Mother Nature. Nature has the incredible power to elevate our mental state. What if I said there was a medication that would not only give us more inner peace, ease, and focus, make us feel less overwhelmed, increase our confidence, help us find our self-worth, and provide us with mental clarity, less stress, anxiety, and depression? Oh, and there are no negative consequences. Many would likely place an order immediately. Bear hunting offers all the advantages of being in nature, especially the longer we stay outside. Nature offers us an environment to enhance our mental health by being present in the moment, time to reconnect to our body and mind, and provides us with things like natural light, fresh air, natural noises, peace, and complete liberation.

Less Tech and Screen Time. It is highly beneficial for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to take a break and disconnect from a fast-paced society and everything it entails, including media and technology. Never-ending emails, mindless social media scrolling, comparing, and constant stimulation can put someone at risk of sinking into an unforgiving place. Getting out in nature and reducing technology and screen time may be the solution our body and mind have been waiting for.

Ultimately, spending time in nature is one of the most effective ways to develop clarity, foster internal peace, and improve mental health, and bear hunting allows us to do just that.

While bear hunting may stir debate, a different perspective shows that it has many positive effects on nature, society, and humans. Although it has positive effects, it is crucial to stress that these advantages depend on scientific research and regulations carried out by biologists and state wildlife agencies. When we consider these components, we can ensure the long-term health of ecosystems and wildlife populations through ethical and legal hunting management considerations. Together, let’s embrace the diverse benefits that bear hunting provides hunters and non-hunters.

-Linden Loren