Rules hamper hunt for bear blamed for damage in Rencēni

Hunters in Rencēni have struggled to kill a bear blamed for damaging beehives and chicken enclosures because their permit allows them to hunt it only near the damaged properties, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reports.

The damage was reported this summer at several farmsteads in Rencēni and Ēvele parishes in Valmiera municipality. After residents complained, the municipality asked the Nature Conservation Agency to authorize the bear’s removal. The agency issued a special permit to the Rencēni hunting club, but the bear has not been seen at the farmsteads recently.

Club representative Andris Ķibermanis said hunters could identify the bear, but the permit’s conditions made it difficult to hunt. They are allowed to shoot it on the property where damage occurred, but the bear visits only occasionally, often at night. Under the conditions, hunters must first film it and drive it away; they may hunt it only if it returns.

Hunters estimate that around seven bears live in the area, but say only one has caused damage in residential yards. Ķibermanis said some hunters were reluctant to take part because they feared legal consequences if they breached the permit conditions. He said bears that come into people’s yards should be removed and the rules eased.

The Latvian Hunters Association considers the current system good and does not believe the general ban on bear hunting should be lifted.