Growing up in Jackman in the 1950s, hunting and fishing for food was a way of life, not a sport. Dad taught me early to appreciate wildlife and respect their territory. I never knew anyone my age who ate bear meat more than once. It’s rubbery, greasy, tough and tastes wild.

Early one July morning quietly walking by moonlight on the railroad ties, I was startled by a bear that suddenly stood up besides me. It blew in my face. I smelled the blueberries it was eating and felt the warmth of its breath. It took several hops away, stood again and watched as I continued walking — a beautiful naturally genteel and elegant wild animal with no cause to harm. It’s extremely rare, practically never will a black bear attack a human.

Contrary to David Trahan’s balderdash article published Oct. 4, developed bears do not starve to death unless its extremely ill or critically injured. A bear’s diet is immense, from fish to rotting flesh, but mostly vegetation, berries and nuts. Maine has an abundance of food in the forest. With the arrival of snow, a bear will find or dig a den and hibernate for as long as necessary.

Females give birth while in hibernation and the newborns leave the den when mother does. Beginning life, cubs might starve and are subject to predators. That’s nature’s theology, the way it has been since the species evolved in Maine.

Baiting, trapping or using dogs is not hunting, it’s exploitation. The art of searching and pursuing is excluded. There are many animals in Maine’s forest, and traps can’t identify their prey.

There are honorable scientific methods to monitor and control bear populations. Inflicting pain and suffering is not an option. Foothold cables or deploying hounds is cruelty and primitive. Vote yes on Question 1.

Denis Mark Rioux

Winslow

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