State to start bear hunts in October

Maryland officials are moving ahead with plans for the state’s first bear hunt in 50 years despite opposition from animal rights groups.

The bear hunt is scheduled to be held Oct. 25 to 30 in Garrett County and the section of Allegany County west of Evitt’s Creek. If 30 black bears are not bagged during that period, a second hunt will be held Dec. 6 to 11.

Residents in rural, western Maryland have complained for years about encounters with the area’s increasing black bear population — including property damage, livestock losses and traffic accidents. But the state government banned hunting the once-scarce animals until Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s administration lifted the ban this year.

“Wildlife biologists had studied [bear hunting] for years,” said National Rifle Association lobbyist Chris Cox, referring to a multiyear study conducted by the Black Bear Task Force. “We hope it will reduce the conflicts between Marylanders and wildlife.”

The task force determined that the hunt would control the black bear population, increase the safety for Marylanders and benefit the economy, especially for farmers, Mr. Cox said.

Black bear hunts were canceled in 1953. Three years later, only 12 bears were counted in Maryland. The bear population is estimated between 266 and 437.

Last year, Maryland motorists hit 38 bears. The state Department of Natural Resources received about 150 complaints of bear problems, most from farmers and owners of sheep herds.

Animal rights advocates have said the proposed hunt is unnecessary and have marshaled opposition to it.

On July 24, a group of animal rights protesters will demonstrate outside the Governor’s Mansion in Annapolis to “send a strong and clear message to Governor Ehrlich to stop the bear hunt,” according to the national campaign office of the Fund for Animals, which is based in Silver Spring.

“There is no reason to hunt these animals except for hunters who want trophies,” said Mike Markarian, president of the Fund for Animals.

Other groups objecting to the hunt include the Humane Society of the United States, which is based in the District; In Defense of Animals, which is based in Mill Valley, Calif.; and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which is based in Norfolk.

“We don’t believe there is a need for a black bear hunt in the state of Maryland,” said PETA wildlife biologist Stephanie Boyles, adding that electric fences, trash protectors and other nonlethal measures can minimize bear problems.