The Associated Press
July 12, 2004

DNR says 65 percent of Marylanders favor bear hunting

By DAVID DISHNEAU, Associated Press Writer

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- A new survey found that 65 percent of Marylanders support regulated hunting as a way of controlling the state's growing black bear population, the Department of Natural Resources said Monday.

The Fund for Animals, which opposes plans for Maryland's first bear hunt in 51 years this fall, said the survey was biased. The group maintains that most Marylanders oppose bear hunting.

The DNR released the survey results on the last day of a public-comment period for proposed bear-hunt rules. The rules now must pass muster with a legislative panel, the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review.

Paul A. Peditto, director of the DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Service, said the survey results were gratifying.

"We were particularly pleased that the majority of individuals believe, as we do, that we should have black bears in Maryland; and a majority felt our agency is doing a good job of managing our native bear population," he said in a statement.

The state-funded survey by Responsive Management, of Harrisonburg, Va., was based on telephone interviews last month with 831 residents. The results had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

The key question was "Do you support or oppose regulated hunting as a way to control black bear populations in Maryland?"

Fund for Animals President Michael Markarian said the question was leading.

"You're forcing the listener to assume that hunting would control bear populations and that the bear populations are so large that they need to be controlled," Markarian said.

"If you had asked the question, 'The Maryland Department of Natural Resources estimates there are only 266 to 437 bears in the entire state of Maryland; do you support killing 30 of these bears for trophies or bearskin rugs?' I think you would have evoked a much different response."

The proposed hunt would target 30 bears in the mountains of Garrett and Allegany counties west of Cumberland. The DNR estimated the state's bear population at 266 to 437 in the summer of 2004; Peditto now estimates there are 500 black bears statewide.

On the Net:
Maryland Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.state.md.us.

The Fund for Animals: http://www.fund.org

© 2004 Associated Press