Bear baiting: yes or no? (Bangor: house, buyers, garage)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Driller1

I know the Indians baited.

So 'traditional' methods go back thousands of years and they include baiting.



So why do these anti-hunters hate Maine so much?

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Ecoterrorists and Islamo-terrorists want the same things for us. They want us dead or back in a 7th century existence. It isn't just Maine, it's everybody.

[Dport7674]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

Bear-baiting is sick and wrong and is not that much different from dog fighting as both involve animal cruelty. Anyone who participates in these sick spectacles needs to be thrown in jail. It's no different than Micheal Vick's actions.

You're confused.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by Clemencia53

I was in Maine last week and kept seeing those commercials about baiting the bears with donuts. Thought it was wild. The whole thing was pretty graphic - the dogs attacking it, the snapping of the trap - put me on the side of the bear. To me they seemed like they were asking for a fair hunt.

It seems like they're asking for a fair hunt, but they are not. HSUS is using the name Mainers For Fair Bear Hunting. It's HSUS. They want to end all hunting. Did you see the ad with the person walking up to a bear in a snare and gut shooting it point blank with a hand gun? That's staged. That's not how it happens. Someone tortured that bear to make it seem like that's what we do. They are heavy on lies and lack personal knowledge and hands on experience.

That trap you think you saw snap - didn't. Those snapping traps were outlawed a long time ago. Snares are used. They hold the bear by the paw. People tie their dogs out by the neck every day, sometimes all day for their entire lives, and that's socially acceptable. It's expected. A bear steps on the trigger and the snare catches the paw snugly at the wrist. If it's not a bear the hunter wants to shoot the snare is opened and the bear runs away.

Originally Posted by bigchuckie

The real arguement is to ban hunting plain and simple. If baiting was so succesful why does the population continue to grow?

Overall, approximately 25% of bear hunters are successful. It took me five years to shoot a bear. I didn't take a shot at one I saw the second year I hunted. I lacked the experience to make a quick call on a huge bear so I did nothing but watch it leave. I've seen sows with cubs and yearlings too small to shoot. It took five years to find a bear I'd consider shooting.

Originally Posted by bangorme

You actually eat bear steak? My grandmother used to make stew from bear and it was delicious.

Yes! We had chops last night. Fantastic! They have a similar texture to pastured pork. The butcher put four chops in a package so I have two uncooked in the fridge. I'll probably simmer them in homemade wild mushroom soup tomorrow.

[Maine Writer]

There's something important to keep in mind in this issue. Hunters are often called lazy because they come in to sit over bait that someone else set up and tended. Many see bears, most do not shoot one. Someone else feeds and takes care of the pig, the cow, the chicken, duck or turkey raised on a farm or in a factory before it hits the dinner table. Someone else does all of the work for that meat. We don't call grocery shoppers lazy.

Often, someone else is being paid to do the time consuming part of the work in baiting. Jobs are created. The hunter does the hardest part in making the kill. When you're shopping in a grocery store who's doing ALL of the work for you? Does that make you lazy?

[Mainer61]

What a bunch of crap. They don't want to end all hunting. Stop the cruelty. It's like shooting guys eating a Big Mac. What is wrong with people??

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by Mainer61

What a bunch of crap. They don't want to end all hunting. Stop the cruelty. It's like shooting guys eating a Big Mac. What is wrong with people??

Actually the HSUS does want to end all hunting. And all meat eating. And all keeping of pets. It's right on their website for anyone to see if they want.

Bear baiting is not cruelty. How do you define cruelty in the first place? If you eat store bought meat, and you define bear baiting as cruelty, then you're supporting worse "cruelty" by your definition.

[ByeByeLW]

I'm a vegan and I would not support HSUS- no way. You really have to research the director. He has admitted he has never had any kind of emotional attachment to animals.

They don't have animal shelters, although they make you think they do. An extremely tiny percentage of the donations go towards shelters. But oh this guy loves to travel.

The best thing is, do what you can on a personal level.

People who moan about hunters and then go out for chicken really crack me up. Do you know what a factory-farmed chicken's life is like? Is veal necessary to human existence?

I can, reluctantly, accept the idea of hunting if it protects the health of a species. What I can't accept is the joy
that is often behind it. Oh look, I killed this big beautiful buck. Why is killing something beautiful and healthy such a wonderful thing?

If the attitude was more like "oh crap, I really don't want to kill this animal but I gotta eat", I'd feel differently.

[DauntlessDan]

New to Maine, my wife and I. We are original northern New Englanders that have returned after careers took us all over. Have registered to vote BUT will not be voting this election. We are not familiar enough with the issues in this state. The ads on TV for both sides are deceiving and one sided I am sure so best to leave it to the folks that have been here a lifetime.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Ecoterrorists and Islamo-terrorists want the same things for us. They want us dead or back in a 7th century existence. It isn't just Maine, it's everybody.

Bull. Period. Anyone that has concern for the environment is pigeonholed by that thought process and the ridiculous politics surrounding it.