Bear-baiting is unfair

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bill Graves for enlightening my small “Maine brain” on the skill and hard work that goes into bear baiting (BDN, Aug. 9).

The IQ of the Maine sporting camp owners and Maine guides must be off the chart! Who would have ever thought that a hungry animal would come to an area of their best-loved foods.

Thankfully, we Mainers have non-residents come and protect us from all the black bear that are in our back yards. Wouldn’t that be a job for a game warden?

The millions of dollars bear hunters bring to the state, Mr. Graves, is that the reason property taxes, state taxes and every living expense in Maine is as low?

The few Mainers that see the majority of that money are sporting camp owners. If a sporting camp owner sneezes, it is declared a tax write-off!

Comparing the Phish concert goers to bear hunters, Mr. Graves is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh.

Until the bear has a gun let’s call bear-baiting for what it is, a “bloody joke.”

Maria Martin

Sherman Station

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