Here are some things you might like to know:
First, here is the link to a 5 minute video that shows people coexisting with wild bears that come
down from the surrounding mountains into the famous village of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
See for yourself that the bears do no harm, and actually avoid coming close to the people;
Click on this link: http://humaneheart.org/bears/bears_video.html
1. The administration in Baton Rouge wants to start allowing killing of our Louisiana Black Bears
for "sport". The trophy hunting association: Safari Club International wants the Louisiana Wildlife
and Fisheries Commission to re-establish bear hunting on OUR Louisiana Black Bears. These
bears
have had protected status since the 1980s, when they (a subspecies, that once roamed Louisiana,
with overflow into neighboring states) were on the verge of becoming extinct. To it's credit,
Louisiana established a recovery program for the bears which has been, and is being, carried out
by
the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. There are several selected areas of
appropriate
bear habitat. Naturally, some areas have more bears than others. The planed hunt is to take in the
Tensas area in the northeast. Any claim that there are too many bears there is bogus. Even if there
were, bears could be relocated to other bear recovery areas. The governor is on record as wanting
to invite hunters from other state to come and kill our wildlife. He has appointed a Republican
Party official from South Dakota, to head our Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. She is "an avid
hunter". The commission is set to vote on the hunt proposal at its April 3rd meeting.
2. Hunting bears for "sport" is a cowardly act of wanton and destructive cruelty; it is hardly a
challenge. Bears [they are not aggressive] are attracted with "goodies" they like: smelly fish, sugary
doughnuts, etc. Then when in range of a "hunter" hiding in cover, they are shot. Even shooting a
bear with bow-and-arrow, from which a wounded bear may run away to die a lingering and painful
death from infection, is allowed for the proposed hunt which is to take place in December of this
year (2024).
3. There is no legitimate reason for killing OUR bears. A lot of people really want the bears around,
and left alone to raise their cubs, and do all of the other things that are necessary to live out their
lives in peaceful harmony with nature.
4. Bears are not a threat to people. Of course, a bear may react defensively if it is being threatened;
and even then they are likely to just run away. [See the pictures below, and go to the video at:
http://humaneheart.org/bears/bears_video.html to see
bears among people in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where coexistence with bears is commonplace.]
5. Bears come into areas where people are, simply to find food. Tourists in Gatlinburg give them
hand-outs (which is against the law). And, bears go after left-overs in dumpsters and garbage cans.
If people put food out for pets or other animals, naturally bears will take advantage of it.
6. There are about 1,500 bears in the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. That is more than the
estimated 1,200 bears in the entire state of Louisiana. Note: the "town" of Gatlinburg includes an
estimated 30 square miles of inhabited mountainsides besides the village itself.
7. Instead of offering OUR bears to "hunters" to get their jollies from offing a bear; all our
government needs to do is let people (those who don't want bears around them) know the few
simple things they need to do to avoid bear visitations, which is mainly: no accessible food or
garbage outside.
8. It is sad irony that the interests of "sport hunters" carry much more weight than the desires of
those who want wildlife protected in the interests of the wildlife. This is an ironic consequence of
the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937. The rapaciousness and folly that led to the
decimation of wildlife, even to this day, was so critical by the early 1900s, that something had to be
done. The "Robertson Act" was well-intended. It put a tax on the purchase of guns and ammunition
to benefit state wildlife agencies, and thus avoided expenditure of general government revenues.
However, along with "campaign contributions" to government leaders from gun manufacturers, a
situation was created where wildlife agencies favor the interests of "sport hunters" over the desires
of those who want wildlife preserved for the sake of letting the animals live out their lives naturally
and unmolested. The administration of the newly elected governor has exacerbated this situation
with regard to the Louisiana Black Bear.