This is in response to Paul Wojciak of Merrimack, N.H. (letter, Oct. 2), in which he implicitly criticizes supporters of Question 1 for opposing bear baiting while not opposing setting out bird feeders to feed the birds. He also questions how many millions of pounds of birdseed are eaten by bears and whether or not that makes a difference in the number of number of bears that survive.
First of all, the amount of birdseed that Maine’s nuisance bears consume is minute compared to the millions of pounds of garbage fed to thousands of bears in what amounts to a state-endorsed bear-feeding program.
Second, public employees of the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) are now on television telling us that it will be “dangerous” to stop bear baiting. This is the same corrupt agency that tells us not to feed the bears. This is the same corrupt agency that told us 10 years ago that if bear baiting were to stop, Maine’s bear population would drastically increase. This is the same corrupt agency that is responsible for many of the nuisance bear complaints because of the drastic increase in the bear population, which has grown from 23,000 to 30,000 bears in just 10 years.
More food means more bears. It is as simple as that. The truth is that IFW wants to keep feeding the bears so that they can grow and train more bears to provide easy and abundant targets primarily for out-of-state hunters who bring in out-of-state dollars. Please vote Yes on 1 and put an end to IFW’s garbage science-based bear management.
John M. Glowa Sr.
South China
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