Maine's Bear Hunting Task Force Makes Recommendations

After the 2004 battle for bear hunting, in which millions of dollars were wasted on both sides of the aisle, Maine fish and game officials agreed after pressure from whacko, out of touch animal rights groups, to form a task force to talk about bear hunting and trapping issues. Why is beyond me.

The task force brought together members from the fish and game, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, Maine Trappers Association, Maine Guides Association. Maine Bowhunters, as well as groups like Maine Friends of Animals and Wildlife Alliance of Maine, a group that formed after the referendum to fight the hunting lobby in Augusta.

First let’s cover the recommendations. Eliminate steel-jawed foot traps. Bear trappers can use only one trap instead of two. DIFW will study baiting and its affects. DIFW to study trappers, their habits, equipment, etc.

The first two items are simply rule changes that can go through the normal process but the other two require funding of which the department isn’t sure where any money would come from to fund these studies.

The meetings most of the time were spent arguing and fighting over the same crap that was argued over during the referendum battle of 2004. The animal rights groups are still using the same tired talking points saying there are more people in Maine who are non-hunters than hunters, blah, blah, blah.

Robert Fisk Jr. who is head of the Maine Friends for animals, has resorted to threats because he has no basis for his lame arguments. He is threatening another referendum battle in 2007. He also thinks that DIFW and all the rest of us need to start working toward change – just for him. He just doesn’t get it. Maine doesn’t want his change.
It is true that there are far more Mainers who don’t hunt than do but the overwhelming majority of Maine residents, with the exception of the anti-“anything” groups, fully support hunting and fishing as a strong and welcomed heritage of Maine. There are more Mainers who have issues with some of the methods used for bear hunting and trapping but the overall practice of hunting is perceived and accepted far more readily than Fisk will admit.

Daryl DeJoy, executive director of Wildlife Alliance of Maine, says his group has tried to get reasonable changes made through the legislative process without success. Maybe Mr. DeJoy should step back and ask himself why that is. Again, Maine doesn’t want his changes either.

It is time for Maine residents, hunters and everyone who enjoys the outdoors and wildlife, to take a proactive approach to the continuous onslaught of out-of-touch animal rights groups and send them packing. We don’t want there foolishness brought to our state. Maine needs to speak up once and for all and pass a Constitutional Amendment that will tell these groups, Maine supports hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, camping, the wildlife management practices that utilize hunting and the longtime heritage that has made Maine what it is today.

Maybe it is time for those who think hunting is an inhumane activity, to go back to the city where they readily shoot human beings. (for you hyper-sensitive types, I don’t mean so you will be shot).
Tom Remington