I’m gravely disappointed that the gubernatorial candidates oppose fair chase bear hunting (“Candidates for governor say Maine should keep bear hunting law as is,” Aug. 11).

Hunting is a time-honored tradition in Maine, but cruelty is not.

Maine is the only state in the country to still allow all three cruel and unsporting practices of bear hounding, baiting, and trapping. Basic protections for our bears and the return to fair chase bear hunting are long overdue.

Bears are majestic, iconic animals in our state, and deserve to be shown the same dignity and respect in hunting that we provide to our deer and moose populations.

Let’s give the bears a chance and prohibit unspeakably cruel practices.

In an election year, although it’s politically savvy to support the status quo — it’s important to ask the question: “at what cost to our wildlife?!”

Other major bear hunting states have prohibited these practices and seen increased bear hunting participation and increased bear hunting revenue. They’ve also seen stable bear population levels and stable bear nuisance complaints. Can we afford not to ban these practices?

In the 10 years since voters last considered this issue, IF&W has told us they need these practices to manage the population. Their plan has failed dramatically — the bear population has grown by 30 percent in that time and nuisance complaints have increased from an average of 400 annually to over 600 already this year.

Ethically and economically, we can’t afford not to vote “yes” in November.

Gina Stoll, Portland