About the survey

Human dimensions researchers study the interactions between people and natural resources, including the ways people perceive, impact and benefit from resources they engage with, and their perspectives on how these resources should be managed.

Human dimensions surveys are one way the ministry collects information about traditional activities in Ontario – like hunting, fishing, and trapping. We ask people who participate in these activities about their experiences and perspectives.

The 2024 black bear hunter survey helped us learn about:

  • the perspectives and motivations of black bear hunters in Ontario
  • the experiences of hunters when hunting through licensed bear operators
  • how black bear hunting contributes to Ontario’s economy

Your feedback helps us manage bear populations and demonstrate the importance of black bear hunting to the people of Ontario.

We will report back on what we heard after we have processed and analyzed all responses.

Who can take the survey

Only hunters who received a survey invitation letter by mail were asked to complete this survey.

We randomly sampled hunters to participate in the survey. This helped ensure that we heard from a balanced sample that was representative of Ontario black bear hunters overall — from the novice to the expert and from the north to the south.

Next steps

The survey closed on April 30, 2025. We thank everyone who participated.

We are analyzing the results and will share a summary report once we complete our analysis.

Contact us

Dr. Len Hunt, Research Scientist 
Ministry of Natural Resources
Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research
103-421 James Street South
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7E 2V6

Natural Resources Information and Support Centre

Your privacy matters

This survey is considered a lawfully authorized activity under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.

Each survey included a code linked to your personal information (name, mailing address and licensing data) contained in a secure file held by the ministry.

We used these codes to send reminders during the survey.

At the end of the survey, we removed the link to your personal information to ensure all responses are anonymous.

Only the name of the city or community you live nearest to remains with your responses.

For more information about this survey, contact us.