I don't really like it, but you've got to look at it this way-

The bear population gets too big, and they start going near populated areas for food. The worst happens, and some kid is mauled to death. Now, instead of a few bears being killed, you've basically got open season on the 'bloodthirsty monsters'. Not only that, but one for more innocent humans get seriously injured/killed. I put human life above an animal's.

This isn't a case of kill or be killed! The bears may never have attacked a single person, they are only allowed to kill 30 out of the 500. It will reduce the poplulation, but not eliminate it! If a bear wants to go into a populated area this won't change anything! I put human life above animals too, but there is no legitimate reason for this!

Well you do need to think of over population of wild life as a "nuisance". When they start looking for food neighborhoods that were never part of their habitat in the first place, its a problem. The only reason they part ways with the forest is because they are starving due to overpopulation.

This is especially true with white tail deer. They are so overpopulated that they are eating everything in sight, running rampant and causing A LOT of car accidents by moving where they normaly would not go. There are more white tail in Virginia now than there were when Jamestown opened for business. At our farm in Missouri the season opened to does, get em, bag em tag em as fast as you can. They have litteraly become a giant rat. Digging in trash, gardens, flowers etc. Not to mention people get really hurt when one decides he want to become a hood ornament for a car. Then of course chronic wasting disease becomes a problem.

Now will 30 bear kills help? I don't think so. Kind of silly if you ask me. But when I do hit George Washington Natl Forest. I ALWAYS carry my pistol.

JB

OLD
There have always been bears within Maryland, and the problem isn't as widespread as everyone expects to believe, besides I live in Maryland; I should know.

Well I live in McLean Virginia and I HAVE seen bears in Sterling and Manassas. What's your point anyway?

I don't like the idea of killing the bears...
Why don't they start a relocation program? Capture and transport bears to other locations in the country that aren't so populace with bears? Or take them to a national park maybe.
It would cost too much? It's shame. I think bears are magnificent animals and I never approve of trophy hunting.

Let the population go till its overlflowing, then when people start hitting the bears on roads or having their precious manicured poodles eaten then maybe they will realize that population control is necessary.

I don't think a relocation system would be that hot of an idea for many reasons. Every time you handle wild animals you put yourself at risk, especially large one such as bear. Then theres the cost of tranq'ing the bear, loading it into a container, driving it to whatever place to release it, etc. I hate to say it but shooting the bear, processing the meat and putting it to use feeding homeless or low-income families is a far more acceptable solution IMHO. Controlled hunts have proven effective in the past, I don't see why they wont work now.

This thread reminds me of a trip I made a few weeks ago to the Cherokee Indian reservation in North carolina.
One place we stopped at had a couple of grizzlies and some black bears in in captivity. The areas they were held in were kind've small and they looked so miserable. Almost like they'd rather be dead than trapped in those cages. I felt very sorry for them. I'm not like the other tourists who throw the bears food and laugh at their antics. There was something about the bear's eyes that struck me as being sad.
I WILL agree that perhaps it is better to "thin" the population than to subject such a large wild animal to captivity like what I saw. I just wish there was an alternative.

Originally posted by elaine
I don't like the idea of killing the bears...
Why don't they start a relocation program? Capture and transport bears to other locations in the country that aren't so populace with bears? Or take them to a national park maybe.
It would cost too much? It's shame. I think bears are magnificent animals and I never approve of trophy hunting.

Where do you think they are coming from? Does the Shenandoah National Park or George Washington National Forest ring a bell? The bears habitat is not shrinking. There are just to many of them. 30 Bears may not sound like a lot, but a bears territory is huge.