Not impressed with griz shooter

Recent newspapers reported about Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioner Vic Workman’s close encounter with a grizzly while hunting. A number of things should trouble every ethical sportsman in the state.

First, as a wildlife and natural resource professional of 34 years, had I been in Workman’s position, I would have had two reactions: (a) remorse that I may have just wounded or killed Montana’s state animal and; (b) embarrassment that as a sportsman I had put myself and the bear in that position.

Yet Mr. Workman’s primary mission seems to be to grandstand and tell macho bear stories to the press saying, “He’s either lost or dead, or alive and wounded…” Ho hum, who cares?

Second, although FWP brochures strongly recommend that hunters carry bear spray, commissioner Workman sets out to publicly undermine that policy and trash bear spray to thousands of readers.

Workman should be aware of documented evidence from grizzly researcher/author Stephen Herrero (“Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance”) showing that bear spray successfully halted grizzly attacks 94 percent of the time.

Third, Workman tells us that the grizzly population is healthy; ready to remove from Endangered Species Act protection; and that the “restoration of a grizzly hunt would instill in bears a healthy sense of fear of humans…”

Yet neither FWP nor the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has any scientific documentation that Northwest Montana grizzlies are recovered — something a wildlife commissioner should know.

Furthermore, skillful hunting and accurate shooting doesn’t teach bears to be afraid — it teaches them to be dead.

As a representative of FWP, one would hope that Mr. Workman would be more careful, both in the field and when he decides to “shoot from the lip” to the press. Refusing to carry bear spray, possibly wounding the state animal, and dispensing inaccurate information to the media is not a badge of honor.

Brian Peck

Columbia Falls