The proponents of referendum Question 2 have stated that the practice of hunting bear over bait, with dogs or the taking of bear by trapping is unsportsmanlike. They say that these methods are inhumane and should be banned.

While I have never hunted bear, I have hunted snowshoe hare and upland birds with dogs. You can also use dogs to hunt foxes and raccoons. Are these animals any less persecuted than the poor bear?

There are 14 species of animals that can be legally trapped in Maine. The lowly Muskrat must be on the list of inhumanely treated animals somewhere.

Turkeys and ducks are lured in with decoys and calls, deer and moose with scent lures and calls. Is this unethical too?

When the lakes freeze, my family and I are going to go ice fishing. We’re going to lure the fish with bait to traps. Are we unethical because we use such inhumane methods of fooling the fish to bite?

This question isn’t about the ethical treatment of bears. It’s about preserving the hunting heritage of our great state. Bears are only the beginning. These people won’t stop with the bear. I believe it’s their goal to stop hunting altogether. Do you believe they will feel differently about a dog chasing rabbits than they do one chasing a bear? I don’t.

If voters care for their freedom to continue to hunt and fish in Maine, they should join me and vote to defeat this absurd referendum question.

Michael E. Maberry,

Mechanic Falls