Ken Allen: Can The Resource Withstand Targeted Game or Fish Populations?

It takes an entire article in the Portland Press Herald but outdoor writer Ken Allen puts well this comment in the very last two paragraphs:

Rules and regulations for hunting and fishing should address one issue: Can the resource withstand a certain technique without permanently decreasing the targeted game or fish populations?

Bear baiting in Maine offers a perfect example. Hunters here have baited bear big time for decades, and the herd continues to increase, while rural hamlets reap economic benefits from bear hunting over man-placed baits — a win-win situation — but naysayers still complain about baiting.