On Aug. 30, I shot a Maine black bear over bait. While my family will enjoy the meat that animal provided, I wanted to explain some of the pros of bear baiting that Sun Journal readers may not be familiar with.

Each year in Maine, hunting over bait accounts for about 78 percent of the total black bear harvest. On Nov. 2, Maine voters will vote on whether or not to make this type of hunting a crime. Hunting over a baited stand allows a sportsman to make a quick, humane kill on single, adult bears. Bait hunters have the gift of extra time to make sure that the animal that comes in is alone, and is not a female with cubs.

If baiting becomes a crime, more bears will be wounded, and more sows with cubs will be killed. My bear was taken by a single, well-placed shot and death occurred within 5 seconds. Anyone who thinks that by voting “yes” on Question 2 they will be doing Maine’s black bears a favor should ask himself or herself one question: Which is more humane, an over populated, disease-prone black bear population or continuing to allow hunters to make quick kills on these magnificent animals?

Let Maine’s wildlife biologists continue to do their job. They know far more about black bears than the out-of-state animal rights activists that started this referendum. A “no” vote on Question 2 is for safety and for science.

Mark Cushman,

master Maine guide, Poland