All professional wildlife managers discourage people from feeding bears, but Maine makes an exception for baiters who turn our woods into a dumpsite for tons of human foods every year.
A fed bear is a dead bear — we’ve known this for years. Plus, the last thing we want is for bears to associate humans with food. So I wonder why the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is so quick in its refusal to acknowledge that baiting is doing this very same thing?
If the managers were as concerned with human safety as they say they are, they would not be in favor of baiting. Also, I’ve noticed that they don’t like to talk about the fact that Question 1 actually allows baiting in cases where people and property are put at risk. In my book, voting yes on Question 1 is a win-win situation, not only for the bears and for the people, but for the IF&W too.
Cathleen O’Connor
Winslow
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