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Preliminary Assessment of a Ballot Initiative Banning Two Methods of Bear Hunting in Oregon: Effects on Bear Harvest

Preliminary Assessment of a Ballot Initiative Banning Two Methods of Bear Hunting in Oregon: Effects on Bear Harvest

In 1994, Oregon voters passed Measure 18, a citizen-sponsored ballot initiative that banned the use of dogs or bait for hunting black bears (Ursus americanus). A minority of bear hunters used dogs, bait, or both prior to the passage of Measure 18; however, hunters who used these methods killed the majority of bears, especially in western Oregon. Although estimated harvest was lower after Measure 18, the elimination of these hunting techniques did not significantly decrease the statewide harvest. However, the annual estimated harvest in western Oregon was significantly lower following Measure 18. Because hound hunting and baiting can be selective hunting methods, we suspected that their elimination might alter the age- and sex-structure of the harvest. We analyzed voluntary tooth return data to determine the effects of Measure 18 on harvest composition. Before Measure 18, hunters using bait took younger bears than hunters using dogs (P = 0.05). There was no difference between the average age of bears killed by hunters using other methods and those killed by hunters using either dogs (P = 0.91) or bait (P = 0.19). Male bears accounted for a higher (P < 0.01) proportion (66%) of the harvest than did females during all years, 1991-97; however, the proportion of males in the harvest did not differ between hunting techniques (P = 0.21). There was no difference detected in harvested bears between the 2 periods (pre-Measure 18 [1991-94] and post-Measure 18 [1995-97]) for either mean age of both sexes combined (P = 0.84) or proportion of males in the harvest (P = 0.95). Although more time may be required under the new hunting regulations before any differences can be detected, we concluded that the method of take had little initial effect on the sex and age composition of the harvest. Due to the regional effects of Measure 18, the loss of hound hunting and baiting may not directly affect statewide bear harvest levels but may present challenges to management of bear population levels and human-bear conflicts in localized areas, particularly in western Oregon.

  • Author(s) Margaret C. Boulay and Dewaine H. Jackson and David A. Immell
  • Volume 11
  • Issue
  • Pages 179-184
  • Publication Date 1 January 1999
  • DOI
  • File Size 228.49 KB
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