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.

Just last week I discovered that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has sent out a questionnaire to Maine bear hunters asking whether or not they would kill two bears if the bag limit for black bears was raised to two bears during the firearms season. At that time my comments were that MDIFW appeared to be finally getting around to doing something about an overgrown state bear population. However, I’m not holding my breath, even though many of you would like me to.

Regardless of what the Advisory Council may suggest and regardless of what the MDIFW Commissioner might propose to establish for a bear hunting season or bag limit, once the special interest groups (these include Maine Guides and outfitters, SAM, etc.) get involved with their favorite legislator, just about anything might be suggested and proposed by the Legislature as to how best to administer the need to kill more bears. (This doesn’t include the animals rights mentals who will spend millions of dollars to make sure no bear is inhumanely killed.)

Listed below, in no particular order, are a handful of what we might see from special interest groups and politicians if a Spring bear hunt or an increase in bag limits is suggested.

If a Spring Bear Hunt were proposed here’s what we might see. The MDIFW would have to come up with a calculated guess as to how many bears they would like to have taken in a Spring Bear Hunt. Let’s say the Commissioner decides 1,000 bears needed to be culled. It is determined, by science or magic, that the success rate might be 30%ish, as this is a number guessed at in the past. That means Maine will need around 3,000 eager licensed bear hunters, hoping to take 1,000 bears.

That means 3,000 Spring Bear Hunt Permits (money). If we administer this as has been done historically, Maine would offer a bear lottery. It would cost each applicant $10.00 (or why not $20.00?)to apply for one of the 3,000 permits. If successfully drawn, each winner would have to purchase a Spring Bear Hunting License. Because it now costs more to “manage” bears in Maine (and conduct a lottery), that “special” bear license is going to cost each hunter $45.00.

But don’t get your hopes too high, even if you don’t mind spending whatever sum of money the government thinks you should have to spend because all these special interests will get a certain number of permits to hand out for votes.

Permits for the Spring Bear Hunt will be divided accordingly among, seniors, juniors, Quakers, Shakers, Muslims, guides, outfitters, veterans, veterans with disabilities, landowners, retired cops, retired politicians (only one term will do), left-handed people, those with green eyes, and anyone who thought up all this foolishness. I’m sure I left many special interests off the list.

What is left are 50 bear permits and MDIFW will auction off 40 of those permits to raise money for feed the hungry, feed those who won’t work, feed those with privilege, etc. 10 of the permits will be set aside for the elite auction where all the cronies gather together to administer political favors and paybacks. Of course, the elites will get the first two weeks of a Spring Bear Hunt all to themselves and will be guided by those guides who yelled and screamed the loudest that they can’t afford a Spring hunt. Guides will be paid with Pittman-Robertson money claiming that money is going to responsible game management.

This is just a small sampling of how the politics of hunting easily overpowers the science.

So, you think you want a Spring Bear Hunt?

Gather ’round kids and keep me safe!