First came the problem of too many moose. Our game biologists suggested a moose lottery to select hunters that, for a fee, could hunt moose and reduce their number to a safe level. No, cried the heart voters, that would be cruel and unsportsmanlike. The moose are defenseless and they will be massacred.

The head voters won, and a very successful moose hunt followed. The heart voters staged an unsuccessful repeal vote. Then came a series of fatalities involving collisions between moose and motor vehicles. The heart voters fell silent.

Next came the issue of too many deer on islands and in southern communities where hunting with rifles was not allowed. Once again, our game biologists came to the rescue and proposed a solution using professional archers who would hunt the deer at night, take only the number necessary, and remove the entire carcass so that no one would see a dead deer. No, cried the heart voters; that would be cruel and unsportsmanlike. The deer are defenseless and they will be massacred.

Then it was determined that the overpopulated deer herd was eating valuable ornamental trees and shrubs from lawns and gardens. In addition, the deer were sprinkling deer ticks that could have carried Lyme disease. The heart voters fell silent once again.

Now, the black bear is under the vote. Forty years of successful bear management is not enough for the heart voters because these methods are cruel and unsportsmanlike.

What will be the unintended consequences if this referendum passes? Win or lose, how many millions of dollars will have been wasted trying to fix something that isn’t broken? So much waste in the face of so much need. Hopefully, “No on 1” wins big so that we won’t have to defend it again.

James B Nichols

Augusta