“Let’s understand what they are after. They are after everyone of us and everything we enjoy about hunting, fishing and trapping in Maine. It’s all on the line, folks. This is is our defining moment.”

With these concluding remarks, George Smith, executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM), sounded the opening bell for a Battle Royal: Maine sportsmen versus HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). Smith was one of a number of speakers during SAM’s annual banquet. The banquet was held Sept. 6 at the Senator Inn in Augusta. The event, which was billed as a kickoff gathering to fight the upcoming state referendum ballot to outlaw Maine bear hunting, was well attended by sportsmen, SAM officials, Fish and Wildlife Department officials, hunting outfitters, guides and politicians.

The Humane Society of the United States (not to be confused with community animal shelters), has begun a statewide campaign to obtain enough signatures to initiate a referendum vote in November 2004 to ban bear hunting as we know it. A national organization with a multi-million dollar war chest and a potent track record, HSUS has led successful campaigns to ban bear hunting in a number of other states. A few years ago, HSUS spent $3 million in Massachusetts and was successful in convincing Bay State voters to ban bear hunting and trapping. Since then, according to Smith, Massachusetts residents have been plagued with nuisance beaver and black bears.

According to the banquet’s keynote speaker, John Monson, HSUS has bankrolled 128 court battles during the past 18 years in attempts to get hunting banned in numerous states. Monson, an attorney and avid hunter, is president-elect of Safari Club International (SCI), a highly regarded international wildlife conservation organization. “SCI is dedicated to wildlife conservation and safeguarding our freedom to hunt, a freedom that is as old as the human race,” said Monson.

Monson noted that HSUS is a formidable, sophisticated organization that is determined to stop all hunting, trapping and fishing in North America.

Other speakers at the SAM banquet were Maine Governor John Baldacci, Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Dan Martin, SAM President Edith Cronk, bear biologist Jennifer Vachon and Maine Congressman Mike Michaud. To the obvious delight of those in attendance, the governor promised that his office would do everything in its power to save bear hunting and defeat the HSUS referendum. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Dan Martin assured the audience that his Department would be working hard in the months ahead to educate Maine voters about the critical role that bear hunting plays in effectively managing Maine’s expanding black bear population estimated to be in excess of 25,000.

Smith said a recently completed public opinion poll of voter attitudes about bear hunting was “sobering.” Smith said, “Most people in Maine don’t even know that bears are hunted!” The pollster, Bowdoin professor Chris Potholm, told Smith that in the 30 years he had been conducting political polls “this was a very sobering portrait” that suggested a tough campaign fight in the days ahead.

Smith made it clear that the freedom to hunt bears will not survive without a lot of funding to conduct a “TV air war” against the well-heeled opposition, which has spent more than $50 million in anti-hunting campaigns around the country.

In closing Smith noted that a number of key sporting organizations had joined the umbrella coalition that will do battle with HSUS in the months ahead. “All of you have been generous with your contributions, but we will be asking you to give and give again. And then give some more,” Smith promised. Campaign donations to the Bear Referendum Coalition to date include: Maine Professional Guides Association, $20,000; U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, $10,000; Maine Trappers Association, $50,000; John Monson $1,000; Northwoods Sporting Journal, $150 ; and Presque Isle Fish and Game Club, $1,000. In presenting their club’s donation, Presque Isle Fish and Game Club members Nick Archer and Charles Beck pledged that their organization would work to raise an additional $10,000.

Smith said that his board of directors had voted to give him the green light to devote himself and his staff full-time to coordinating the critical campaign to defeat the Maine anti-hunting referendum. “In the weeks ahead, we will be asking everyone who hunts, traps or fishes in Maine to get on board and help us win this fight. If HSUS wins this first round in Maine, they will be back again and again to take away our freedom to hunt and to enjoy our precious heritage.”

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].