The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the state agency directly responsible for the conservation of Maine’s wildlife, has publicly announced its opposition to Question #1, the Maine Bear Hunting Initiative.
Maine’s bear research program and biologists are among the most respected in North America. In a recent release by the IF&W, they made it clear that if Question 1 passes, their ability to control Maine’s high bear population will be devastated and that this will lead to an increase in nuisance bear complaints and cause a threat to public safety.
Despite having one of the largest black bear populations in North America, Maine experiences a relatively low number of bear/human conflicts each year. The wildlife biologists with IF&W attribute this to the three most effective hunting methods: bait, dogs and traps.
To read the IF&W release, click here.
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