Only interested in a fair bear hunt
To the editor:
As a life-long outdoorsman and avid hunter, I urge The County to vote “Yes” on Question 1 to restore Maine’s reputation. It’s well past time to say “Yes” to a ban on the unfair shooting of treed, fed, and trapped bears.
Ask yourself: Is it fair to lure bears with food, then snap traps on them, leaving them wounded and suffering? Is it fair to set packs of dogs to chase terrified bears through the woods until they meet their end? Is it fair to spread piles of donuts and junk food through the woods, then shoot bears as they feed?
We’ve heard it all our lives. It’s just not smart to tame wild bears by feeding them until they associate the smell of humans with food. It’s illegal to feed them in neighborhoods and campgrounds; there’s no sense in allowing it for a lazy trophy kill. It has the same impact on bears, dangerously bringing them closer to people.
Bear hunting is a long tradition in Maine. I, for one, would be glad to join the bear hunt, but only a fair bear hunt.
John Burrows
Caribou
