The Times Record ran an editorial on the bear referendum where they urged a yes vote to end three methods of bear hunting, which they described as cruel and inhumane.

Several weeks later, The Times Record ran an editorial on lobsters and Linda Bean’s problems with PETA. They gave several examples of ways to dispatch lobsters, most of which, they agreed, seemed cruel. They justified the cruelty in a paragraph at the end of the editorial. Funny thing is, that paragraph was an excellent argument for a no vote on Question 1.

The paragraph read as follows:

“But let’s be real here. Regardless of how food animals come to be on our plates, they meet an end they’d probably not wish to meet. We may choose to eat them anyway, but it seems absurd to single out one method of dispatching them as “cruel” when all methods result in the same end for the animal.”

Yes, bears are a food animal and justifying the dispatching of lobsters or other animals while condemning the methods for bear is hypocrisy at its worst.

The 3 methods in Question 1 are not exclusive to bears. Dogs can be used to hunt rabbits, raccoons, birds and more. Traps are allowed for beaver, otter, fox plus others. Bait can be used for coyotes, fishing, trapping and more. In some other states, baiting is allowed for deer.

Our biologists have a difficult task of managing so many game animals, but they do an excellent job. Their bear program is highly regarded by game departments across the country. They need the current methods to continue their good work. Still hunting accounts for only 7 percent of the annual harvest, or about 200 bears. That is far short of the 3,000-plus that is needed to control the population.

A no vote on Question 1 is a vote of confidence for our biologists and their highly respected bear program. When you vote, don’t forget how Maine’s iconic lobster found its way into the pot. It was baited into a trap.

Michael Coffey Sr.
Bowdoin