Grizzly Hunt Proposal Gains Ground in Alberta Driven by Rural Municipalities

The Municipal District of Bighorn is not taking a position on a proposal to bring back a regulated grizzly bear hunt in Alberta, even as rural communities in other parts of the province push for stronger action to deal with increasing encounters between people and bears.

The proposal comes from the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, a group that represents small towns and rural areas across the province. At a meeting in March, members voted in favour of asking the Alberta government to consider reintroducing a controlled grizzly bear hunt. The proposal also calls for more funding for research, prevention programs and safety measures.

Leaders behind the proposal say it is needed because of rising reports of bears entering properties, damaging infrastructure and killing livestock in parts of southern Alberta. In some cases, workers have reported aggressive encounters while doing routine work outdoors.

Canmore and Banff are not part of the group, but the MD of Bighorn, which includes communities such as Exshaw, Dead Man’s Flats and Lac des Arcs, is a member. The municipality’s administration said it did not take part in the vote and has not adopted a position on the proposal.

“The MD of Bighorn recognizes that grizzly bear management is an important issue for many rural and foothills municipalities, particularly where people, livestock, and wildlife regularly share the landscape,” said Thomas Judek, communications and marketing co-ordinator for the district. “While the MD is a member of RMA, our council did not vote on this resolution. They were not part of the debate, so they do not have a position on this resolution.”

The proposal would represent a shift in how grizzly bears are managed in Alberta. Hunting the animals has been banned since 2006, and the species has been listed as threatened since 2010. Current policy focuses on protecting and rebuilding the population, while the proposed changes would move toward more active management.

So far, the types of problems described in southern Alberta do not appear to be happening in the Bow Valley.

The MD of Bighorn does not track detailed data on bear activity and says it is not aware of any recent incidents involving aggressive encounters or significant property damage.

“Not that we are aware of within the boundary of the MD,” Judek said.

He added that it is difficult to measure how concerned residents are about bears.

“Residents are bear aware, and understand the importance of coexisting with wildlife, but it is hard to capture the level of concern among residents,” he said.

The comments come as the province continues to deal with bear conflicts through a system that responds to specific situations. Conservation officers lead that work, along with a program known as the Wildlife Management Responder Network.

Under that system, trained responders can be called in when a bear poses a risk to public safety, such as repeated encounters near homes or people. In some cases, the province may authorize a trained hunter to kill a specific bear if it is considered a safety risk. These decisions are made one situation at a time, and the program is not considered a general hunting system.

“We are not very familiar with the Wildlife Management Responder Network. Provincial support for communication and coordination is important in regions like ours,” Judek said.

Beyond the idea of a hunt, the proposal from rural municipalities also calls for more investment in prevention.

In the Bow Valley, that work often focuses on education and reducing the chances of conflict in the first place.

“More provincial support for the WildSmart program would be useful. A lot of our residents have attended educational courses put on by WildSmart and they are extremely impactful,” Judek said.

WildSmart programs teach people how to live safely alongside wildlife by reducing attractants such as unsecured food and garbage, and by promoting safe behaviour in bear habitat. According to the Alberta government, the program reaches more than 13,000 residents and visitors in the Bow Valley each year. The province has also provided $25,000 annually in 2024 and 2025 to support the program.

This prevention-focused approach is similar to how Parks Canada manages wildlife in nearby national parks, where efforts are centred on avoiding conflict and lethal action is used only in rare cases involving serious injury or clear risks to public safety.

Outside national parks, Alberta Forestry and Parks manages wildlife across a wider range of landscapes, including rural and agricultural areas. In those areas, responses may escalate more quickly when there is a higher risk to people, livestock or infrastructure. In both systems, officials say human behaviour, including access to food and increasing activity in wildlife habitat, plays a major role in driving conflict.

Judek said decisions about broader changes, including any potential hunt, should be based on science and led by the province.

“Grizzly bear management is ultimately a provincial responsibility, and any decisions should be guided by current science, population data, and broader conservation objectives,” he said.

The MD of Bighorn is calling for a coordinated and evidence-based approach moving forward.

“The MD would like to see provincial leadership on grizzly bear management, including clear planning, evidence-based decision-making, and strong support for human-wildlife coexistence, and community safety,” Judek said.