With 97% of precincts reporting, here are the results from the Maine bear referendum:

Question 2:

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE IT A CRIME TO HUNT BEARS WITH BAIT, TRAPS, OR DOGS, EXCEPT TO PROTECT PROPERTY, PUBLIC SAFETY OR FOR RESEARCH?

YES             330,365 (47%)

NO              372,783 (53%)

Thank you and God bless.

Super Raffle Winners

ATV - John York, Mars Hill ME

Boat - Walter Purda, Yarmouth ME

African Safari - Roger Beaulieu, Manchester NH

Log Cabin - Clifford Edgerley, Westbrook ME

Thank you to all who participated in the raffle!

Maine’s Bear Hunting Referendum

The Maine Bear Campaign

Click HERE to read outdoor writer and artist Tom Hennessey’s three part series from the Bangor Daily News. 

These are informative, thoughtful and factual articles on the ballot initiative, and a must-read for all Maine voters.

Factual Letters to the Editor.  Click HERE to read Letters to the Editor from Mainers who are using facts, not fiction or emotion, to educate Maine voters on the truth behind this referendum.  We encourage you to write similar letters to your local papers!

Information on S.W.I.M. - Join Today!

The Initiative

National animal rights groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States, have organized and funded a ballot initiative in Maine that would ban the three traditional methods of bear hunting – baiting, hunting with dogs, and trapping.  It will be on the November 2, 2004 ballot.

HSUS and Its Allies

 The Humane Society of the United States is the most aggressive and best-funded national anti-hunting organization, with revenue of $67 million in 2002.  HSUS is “strongly opposed to the hunting of any living creature” according to its mission statement. It uses lawsuits, legislation, and ballot measures to ban hunting and trapping, and has been successful in many states.  This is the group’s first Maine initiative.  HSUS and the Fund for Animals, another radical animal rights group, have provided nearly all of the initial funding for this campaign.

The Defense

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, Maine Professional Guides Association, and Maine Trappers Association are leading and organizing the campaign to defend bear hunting and trapping.  They have built a strong statewide coalition called Maine’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Council to conduct the campaign.  Information about the campaign can be found on SAM’s website (samcef.org) in the section called “bear referendum information.”

The Governor and Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Governor John Baldacci and Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have taken a strong stand against the HSUS initiative.  DIF&W has issued a briefing paper on bear management and the HSUS initiative that can be found on the department’s website (state.me.us/ifw).

Contributions and Support

You can join the coalition and contribute to the campaign by contacting Maine’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Council, 205 Church Hill Road, Augusta, ME 04330, telephone 1-888-837-4426, email eleary@eatonpeabody.com