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Nobody needs to hunt bears. Bears aren't the problem, people are. People are encroaching on the bears territory not the other way around. Nowhere in the world is hunting necessary to maintain populations. That's just stupid. What needs to be done is restore the predator populations that we killed off (eg California grizzlies). Nature regulates itself, humans are what screw everything up. We are they most destructive invasive species.
Nature will take care of itself. That's true. If there are too many bears in an area nature will take care of itself. Sows will not go into hibernation in optimal health, will have fewer cubs (which is a good thing in a state with too many bears), and cubs will starve to death.
More bears means fewer deer because they prey on fawns as heavily as do coyotes each spring. Same for moose calves. This predator doesn't need its population restored, it's not in decline or in any way threatened. I can't think of a predator in Maine that has a declining population. I'm not saying there isn't one but if there is, I don't know about it. Even the Canada lynx pop is growing and its territory is expanding.
Nobody needs to contribute to the cruelty of factory farming but the majority of meat eaters do. Millions of animals are subjected to this cruelty every year but the masses aren't going to attack themselves. They're not going to inconvenience themselves. They will, however, go after hunting and a few thousand bears because it makes them feel like they're doing something good. A few years ago someone went into a tirade over a photo of a turkey shot during hunting season while over on the food forum he talked about the roast he had in the oven. He didn't want to SEE the dead turkey. The dead cow in his oven wasn't a cow, it was just a hunk of non-descript meat. I'll take the bear roast long before the faceless cow.
A little research on how widely hunting contributes to population (including helping threatened species grow in number) growth and conservation might be enlightening.
We Mainer's must fully understand the ramifications should this Bear Referendum in November pass. I want you to forget the petty back and forth bickering for a moment.
Forget that the real agenda of the Humane Society of the U.S. is to ban ALL hunting in America. Forget they are a non profit organization tucking millions away to the Cayman islands. Forget that of their 175 million dollar annual budget raised by good hearted Americans, who believe their donation is going to save dogs, cats, horses and other domestic animals when in reality less than 1% of their huge budget actually goes to save animal & shelters. Forget all that...
What people need to think about first and foremost are the bears! If you are truly an animal rights advocate don't let this thing pass and create a huge over population of our bears. Passage of this referendum will doom bears to a miserable existence. Our state and it's "best in the country" team of biologists need the management to stay the way it is in order to keep the population at a level that the habitat can sustain.
An over population of any species is a bad thing and Mother Natures way of dealing with it is incredibly crueler than hunting is.
A yes vote means you are for starvation, disease, major increase in road kills, chaos in neighborhoods, danger in your backyards, tax hikes to handle nuisance bears, millions of dollars of state revenue lost, loss of hundreds if not thousands of Maine jobs, increased Deer and Moose kills. Why would anyone vote for such a thing?
Don't turn the masters of the woods into the beggars of the streets!
This referendum is Bad for Bears, Bad for People, Bad for Maine...
That's a real shame that this person buried his bear; I've never heard of such a thing and don't know of any bear hunter that would do that. We only harvest what we eat. Regardless of how you feel about trapping, voters have to know that the referendum is not an either/or question. It's about banning ALL methods of bear hunting.
For all the years that I have hunted and fished in the Maine outdoors, I have never seen a bear in the wild and although my husband has been hunting bear much longer than me, the only bear he's ever seen have been the ones that come to the bait. Last year, the baiting season (which begins one month prior to opening day)was nearly over before any bear hit our bait because the natural food supply was abundant. It was a lot of work, a lot of money for bait, a lot of money for gasoline to drive an hour to our bait site and our personal time. Bear hunting is hard work; however in the end, I know I'll take a mature bear, preferably a male because I will be able to identify it both with my game cam and at the hunt. I think my bear has a far fairer chase than any meat bought in the grocery store...and it's organic too.
If this referendum passes, the likelihood of ever being able to harvest a bear will be gone...unless I want to go to the city and shoot a nuisance bear over a trash bin who's only looking for food because said human built another house in his habitat...but that too would never happen since you can't discharge a firearm in most communities. So instead of hunting bear to manage the population and so that they don't become a nuisance, our tax dollars (which will be less because there will be less bear licenses sold) will be used to remove bears from areas all in the name of children's safety. Bears live throughout our state; you can't simply relocate them to "the country" or "somewhere north" to manage their numbers. Maine's bear management system works, and if it works, then don't "fix" it.
[quote=downeastguide;35463710]We Mainer's must fully understand the ramifications should this Bear Referendum in November pass.
The problem is that many Mainers have no idea what this will mean, especially if they are not hunters or even bear hunters. The anti's have made this a cruelty to animals issue and how many people have they reached that don't know the difference?
I just found out the local humane society that I have helped raise supplies and food for dogs and cats is a supporter of this measure. It makes me sick; I will no longer support that organization regardless of how much I love my two dogs (who love to chase rabbits) and how many cats I've adopted from a shelter...and think of how many people they have access to...We can't take it for granted that "Mainers fully understand", because they don't. I find that out every time I get a chance to discuss it.
We need to keep talking and giving facts that support bear management as it is and never ever think the majority of Mainers know what this is all about...and we need to get those people to vote.
Interesting...I never wear orange when I bear hunt; I wear camo everything. I only wear orange during moose hunting and deer hunting.
So I checked the Maine regs: Bear and Bird Hunters
Hunter orange clothing is only required when hunting during the firearms hunting season on deer, the muzzleloading season on deer, or within an open moose hunting district during moose hunting season.
I just found out the local humane society that I have helped raise supplies and food for dogs and cats is a supporter of this measure. It makes me sick; I will no longer support that organization regardless of how much I love my two dogs (who love to chase rabbits) and how many cats I've adopted from a shelter...and think of how many people they have access to...
It's not the same humane society. The "Humane Society of the United States" is basically a front for an anti-hunting group. It does very little to help strays. Your local humane shelter has nothing to do with it.
I saw a list of supporters of the referendum...oh yes, the local human society is on it...I know who the HSUS is and this hasn't stopped them from recruiting animal shelters and "animal lovers"...straight from the Mainer's for Fair Bear hunt webpage...
I saw a list of supporters of the referendum...oh yes, the local human society is on it...I know who the HSUS is and this hasn't stopped them from recruiting animal shelters and "animal lovers"...straight from the Mainer's for Fair Bear hunt webpage...
Nobody needs to hunt bears. Bears aren't the problem, people are. People are encroaching on the bears territory not the other way around. Nowhere in the world is hunting necessary to maintain populations. That's just stupid. What needs to be done is restore the predator populations that we killed off (eg California grizzlies). Nature regulates itself, humans are what screw everything up. We are they most destructive invasive species.
Ahhh. I see, bring back the California Grizzlies and nature will regulate itself by killing off humans until everything reaches equilibrium. Brilliant. Er, that's WHY the California bears pretty much disappeared. Like the Eastern Timberwolf. Killing livestock and, occasionally, people. But, like HSUS and PETA, let's put wildlife ahead of people (leaving $$ out of the equation). Bring $$ in to the equation, and the board members and executive staff of HSUS and PETA are getting rich off their propaganda.
Three bear/human events in the last 3 weeks nearby. 1.) On phone with friend, he lives in the middle of Plymouth, bear runs down through his driveway, over the hill and across the stream. 9 and 12 year old kids in the yard. MIDDLE of Plymouth across from the store; 2.) One town out of Bangor, bear gets in bird feeder of friend rips it down and moves in for awhile under the back porch; 3.) Old lady through the woods from home having yard sale, she says bear took out her bird feeder.
Me? I'd let them go until they become complete pests. I remember my grandfather 50 years ago in his underwear with a frypan and a wooden spoon chasing a bear away from the camp. I have no qualms about dropping a bear on the spot if its a pest, and never looking back or reporting it. I'm resigned to Augusta making us all poachers anyway. Just take a look at the State fishing rules for an example of asinine bureacracy at work. Bunny huggers making fish and game laws? I become a poacher. After over 50 years of obeying wildlife laws with the strictest of adherance, no HSUS or PETA is going to dictate to me. There's venison in the freezer and there always will be. If I gave a rat's ass about these stinking turkeys, the freezer would be full.
If its cute and fuzzy they would rather see it starve than a hunter shoot it.
And thus the liberal way. No logic no facts zero common sense all misplaced "feelings". Bears are NOT cute and fuzzy they are predators at the top of the food chain and given the chance will will kill and eat you. I got bear on my land anytime you wanna come "pet" one the "cute fuzzy" things please come on over I will have my camera ready to document you're attempt.. That said For those of you whom have never hunted bear lets go to the facts. First Maine is ass backwards in the hunting season. Next baiting is the BEST way to ensure you take the animal you want and not the first one you see IE less cubs/ females are taken over bait. Trapping is another one we do not and have not used the big spiked jaw bear traps in a very long time. We use a piece is wire to hold their leg till we get there IF the animal caught is a sow or cub they can be cut free unharmed FYI this is the EXACT same method the IFW use to catch them. Last dogs as I am not a fan of dogs this is not a method I have used but it works and once again you can when the bear is treed NOT take it if it is a sow or cub. That all said as has been pointed out by the numbers if we removes these methods you will only be allowed to hunt bear seen in the open during deer season. This creates a few problems. First it removes a solid revenue stream that will be made up for by us hunters in higher fees that are already stupidly high. Next it will leave many more bears int he wild. As we ( humans) live more out where they are this will cause more interaction with them. This will cost more money to curtail and will put lives in danger. Last if you do not want to hunt then don't! Hunting is NEVER "fair" unless you go out in the woods neeked and take the animal with you're bare hands! I use a firearm to hunt no fair to it. If I can see the animal I am after then there is a pretty solid chance I can drop it where it stands. I grew up shooting NRA high power. Last like all things in life you have the right to not like a thing. That is America. But when you're dislike turns to where it removes my right to do it then we have problems. Remember this and think on it at some point a group will decide something YOU do is bad or wrong in their eyes and they will seek to take it from you. Will you have people to stand up and say no you have the right to do that or will that right be banned as well??
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