I am an avid hunter and a registered master Maine guide from Rumford. I’ll quote the comment: “Legally, as long as there’s no tree stand, you don’t need permission (to run bears with dogs across someone else’s land),” by Ed McPherson in the Sun Journal article on bear hunting (Aug. 28) as the very heart of the issue.

The mentality of many hunters, and unfortunately many guides, is they don’t need permission to hunt or run their dogs all over anybody’s land. This mentality is what rubs many hunting and non-hunting landowners the wrong way, and I predict will lead to the bear referendum vote being a victory for the anti-hunting groups.

All Maine licenses issued by Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife clearly state “this license does not give you the right to trespass or hunt on private land.” Ask permission first!

We failed to get hunter education established early enough in the younger generations to change this century-old assumption. I just find it almost unbelievable that a Maine guide would make such a politically and legally incorrect statement at such a crucial time in the bear referendum.

Tom Powell, Rumford

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