Let’s start with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s (MDIFW) new system of electronic tagging so that the Department can have essentially real-time harvest data. I mentioned in a previous post about this new system where MDIFW stated it would benefit hunters, etc., that it would remain a mystery as to whether MDIFW would be eager to share their new-found electronic toy with the general public. Evidently not.
Today I read where Maine has harvested 2,627 bears as of September 17th. The major bear hunt, with the use of baits, where the majority of bears are taken, ended on September 22nd and yet MDIFW has not shared with the public the harvest numbers. Hmmm! New system malfunctioning? MDIFW up to their usual power control tactics?
To get this bit of information came from a news media platform, which, evidently is privileged to access to this information (not beneficial to hunters) or they had to call MDIFW and beg and plead for the information.
There is nothing on the MDIFW website that shares harvest data. Perhaps we can now get it from them BEFORE the start of next season’s bear hunt and not sometime after.
In this same Internet article, it states that Maine’s bear hunt is “successful” but that the population is still growing. Is this MDIFW’s intent, to grow the population even more? If not, just what is MDIFW seriously doing to solve this problem?
If they wait long enough, a disease will take over and do the job management should be doing. But we know that MDIFW’s hands are tied because of the policies they employ of meeting the social demands of environmental groups. In addition, MDIFW is controlled by Maine’s guides and outfitters who tell the department what they want in order to maximize their profits, even at the expense of the scientific need to actually reduce the bear population.
