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Bears: Round 3
Dear Bay Weekly:
In his Commentary on the Maryland bear hunt [Vol. XII, No 39: Sept. 23], Mr. E. Joseph Lamp asks us, ‘Will killing 30 bears keep other bears from raiding trash cans and being a nuisance?”
Yes, say I.
A similar bear hunt held in late 2003 in New Jersey (after a 34-year hiatus) has reduced the number of bear complaints from 1,028 in 2003 to 710 in 2004 over the same six-month time period. The bears in Western Maryland have lost their fear of man. A hunt will reinstitute this fear, and I predict the number of bear complaints will decline just as it did in New Jersey. Mission accomplished.
Still, Mr. Lamp asks for scientific proof. Let’s go back to those 1,782 bear complaints reported in Western Maryland. Can you imagine having 1,782 dog complaints in Annapolis and not believing there is a problem — worse, doing nothing about it? Think about how many citizens didn’t bother to call in a bear complaint. Would you re-elect a legislator who didn’t address this problem. Isn’t 1,782 proof enough?
Mr. Lamp performs his own “I think-ism,” misinforming us that the bear hunt is just for trophy hunters. Where’s your scientific proof, Joe? In the 2003 Field & Stream Hunter Survey, readers were asked “Do you consider yourself a trophy hunter?” No, said 87 percent, while 13 percent said yes. In another response, 83 percent reported they plan to go hunting with their children. That doesn’t sound like some macho activity to me. That’s family bonding.
—John Marcinik, Deale
Rave Reviews
Dear Bay Weekly:
A friend just handed me the review Sara E. Leeland wrote for Bay Weekly [Vol. XII, No 38: Sept. 16] for my mystery novel In Death’s Shadow. Just wanted to thank you for it! What a pleasure to read a well-written, thoughtful review by someone who actually read the book, thought about it and wrote an article that didn’t borrow everything from my web page. Sara is a gem.
—Marcia Talley, Edgewater
Shaping Chesapeake Country Audiences
Dear Bay Weekly:
Thanks again for Carrie Steele’s article “Climate Changes Are Reshaping Chesapeake Country” about our film, We Are all Smith Islanders, and global warming [Dock of the Bay: Vol. XII, No 38: Sept. 16]. The event was well attended as a result.
—Mike Tidwell, Takoma Park: Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Department of Corrections
In the September 23 issue [Vol. XII, No 39], Way Downstream incorrectly identified David Bancroft as executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Mr. Bancroft is executive director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, an independent, non-profit organization based in Baltimore.
