. It was a day of mixed emotions when we heard that the new NDP-led government in British Columbia would ban trophy hunting of grizzly bears – but still allow them to be killed for the quote meat. This pack out provision led to a big debate in the media, in comments, and on chatrooms across the province and country. It stood to reason that a good way to find out what people really thought about the hunting of grizzly bears was to ask them. Enter Insights West. Funded by LUSH Cosmetics and the Commercial Bear Viewing Association, Insights polled a sample of BC residents to get their opinions on grizzly bear hunting. Seventy-four per cent of residents support a ban on all hunting of grizzlies, which is a positive stat, though not surprising. What left me slack jawed was that 58% of self-identified hunters also support a ban on the hunting of all grizzlies. Immediately, this survey made headlines across the province and spurred even more debate. Throw in a mixture of all the fake news/inaccurate polling/lack of trust in media that has underscored the last 12 months, and the scientifically-valid survey got called into question. That’s why Defender Radio connected with Mario Canseco, the VP of Insights West. Mario discusses what the grizzly bear poll shows, why professional surveys are a valuable tool, and why advocates should be looking to the numbers.

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