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Black Bear Task Force
Frequently Asked Questions Legislative History Links and Resources Multimedia Natural History Recent News July 24 Rally for the Bears 
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About Maryland Bears  Baltimore Sun It's shocking that The Sun's editorial page has reversed its position on Maryland's attempt to open a trophy hunt for black bears ("Maryland's bear season," editorial, Aug. 3), because not much has changed since the paper published its opposition to that same radical shift in our half-century-old wildlife policy ("Bearing the burden," editorial, Jan. 25, 2000). The bear population is still small, estimated at only a few hundred animals. There are still few conflicts between people and bears, mostly just bear sightings and minor nuisances related to trash cans and bird feeders - and these can be easily and humanely solved by teaching people to store food and trash properly. There has still never been a bear attack on a person in Maryland, while hunting accidents injure dozens and even kill some people each year in our state. There is still a relatively small amount of agricultural damage caused by bears, fluctuating between $10,000 and $50,000 each year. One thing that has changed, however, is that animal protection groups have offered $75,000 to the state if the bear hunt is called off. The money would be used to compensate Maryland farmers for every dime they lose because of bears and to augment the state's educational programs to resolve human-bear conflicts. Yet rather than accept this constructive solution, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and our cash-strapped wildlife agencies have decided that opening a trophy hunt is more important than putting money in the pockets of farmers. Michael Markarian Silver Spring The writer is president of the Fund for Animals.  The Department of Natural Resources' plan for the first bear hunt in Maryland in 50 years will not solve the problem of bears in our backyards. Conflicts with bears generally occur when individual bears become accustomed to food sources left outside. Poorly secured garbage cans, pet food and bird feeders are magnets for bears. By removing these food sources, homeowners can help make their properties uninviting to bears. The hunt will be nothing more than a recreational opportunity for a few, and should not be touted as an effective solution for resolving bear conflicts. The bears caught in this fall's crossfire aren't even likely to be the ones scavenging in garbage cans or damaging crops. They will be the ones deep in the woods not bothering anyone. Bette Stallman Washington The writer is a wildlife scientist for the Humane Society of the United States. © 2004 The Baltimore Sun |
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