The Bear Facts #62

Election Day is just around the corner, November 4 to be exact, and one of the biggest challenges facing Mainers freedoms is front and center on the ballot. Question 1 would ban the most effective manner in which we control our bear population and I felt that I should take a few moments to provide my final analysis on the matter. I am in no way an expert on this, but I have done some research to better educate myself and make an informed decision. It is true that I am a hunter and do believe in gun rights, however, I have always been taught that you only hunt for what you need and will eat, and not just for the sake of killing something needlessly. That being said, I also know that I have seen more signs of bear in the woods. They are almost like the Locke Ness Monster in that you know they are lurking out there, but you usually don’t get to see them. The fact that our wildlife biologists and the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department have calculated that there are more than 30,000 bears in the state causes me to be concerned, and going unchecked, the population is sure to grow and spread into more built up areas, which we are seeing signs of already. That will become an issue that will cause more bear, human encounters. Couple that with the fact that there will be more complaints that come in as a result, will only further tax the Maine Warden Service, who are already, in my estimation, under staffed. Why do I say that? From my seat, I seldom see a warden in the woods these days.

So, let’s take a look at some Bear facts.

Maine’s Bear population is estimated at over 30,000

Maine has one of the largest bear populations in the US

This referendum would effectively ban the most effective ways to control the population

93% of all bears harvested are done so using traps, hounds and bait

7% of all bears harvested are done by still hunting. (Walking in the woods and locating them)

Even though baiting, use of dogs and trapping account for 93% of the harvest, on average only 1 in 4 hunters are successful and hunters spend on average 15 days trying to harvest one bear.

All bear baiting sites must be cleaned up at the end of the hunt. Hunters are not allowed to leave food or anything else at their sites.

I hunt and fish and I know how hard it is to see a bear in the woods. Over the 46 years I have been hunting, I have never seen a bear while hunting. The only time I have seen them is when I am riding on the dirt roads and you only see them for a very short time because they tend to run as soon as they see something moving.

The other issue with this referendum is that the HSUS group is not from Maine and they have no idea what is best for our state, nor do they care. They have, at every crossing, tried to stifle the other side from giving you their perspective. As examples, I read that armed Maine Wardens were used to escort people who were scheduled to debate the yes on question one supporters. They did so, because they were receiving threats if they showed up to debate HSUS. They also determined that Mainers were listening to our biologists and Wardens about this election and as a result, filed a law suit to stop them from any further involvement in the debate. Thank goodness, the Maine Superior Court just ruled that their suit had no merit and sided in favor of the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Now, 

I also came across an article where they are criticizing the judge who ruled on the matter. Not cool.

We also need to look at the most recent acknowledgement by both the Portland Press Herald and the Morning Sentinel who have come out in favor of a NO vote on Question 1. This, they say, was done after a thorough analysis of the arguments on both sides.

The bottom line is that you have to weigh all the evidence and make the most informed decision you can. For me, I trust the people in our state to make decisions on these sorts of matters and I will be voting NO on November 4.

*** Information obtains from the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website