To the Editor:
This is in response to Mr. Kenneth Marden’s letter concerning the practices of bear hunting in Maine. Once I read the letter I was beyond angry! Everything he states just sounds so absurd to me.
Mr. Marden states that the bear population is growing and that this healthy population must be controlled. He goes on to say bears are naturally shy and wary of humans while in their deep woods habitat and that they are rarely seen, much less shot at by a walking hunter. So where is this healthy population when they are seldom seen? I would say they must be living their lives quietly in their deep woods habitat until man steps in with whatever means they can to lure them out.
Then there is the statement that more humans moving from urban to rural areas is increasing the chance of dangerous encounters between humans and bears. Let’s eliminate a problem before it is one.
Fact: no one has ever been killed or even seriously injured by a Maine bear. If you see one, chances are it’s hungry and only looking for an opportunity to find food. We need to learn to live with them, not kill them before it is necessary.
I wholeheartedly believe, as does the Humane Society of the United States, that the practices of hounding, baiting and trapping is absolutely cruel, where as Mr. Marden does not. He states it’s the only way, in his words, to “instantly dispatch” a bear. A bear being held by a trap or chased by dogs could hardly be considered instant. He says a hunter would otherwise be forced to shoot at a running bear.
Not being a hunter myself, common sense dictates you shoot only when you have a clear shot. I’m not talking about an animal held in a trap or up a tree.
Hunting is a way of life in Maine and should remain so. Let’s join the other states that have abolished the practices as stated above and not draw people to our beautiful state because we’re known to allow hunting in this cruel and unfair way. As far as the financial gains and or losses by abolishing these practices are concerned, historical data proves that restoring fair chase hunting is economically beneficial and the bear populations remain stable.
I for one, will be out there gathering as many signatures as possible to bring this to a vote. If you’d like to sign a petition, you can send an email to giguere@tidewater.net
