Maryland Holds First Bear Hunt in 51 Years

Maryland Holds First Bear Hunt in 51 Years

Sorry to seem insensative to all the anti-hunting people out there, but this really is a necessary event in Western Maryland. With about 500 Black Bears wandering around you have to do something. The Black Bears have been making a huge comeback in that area for years. When I was a little boy, there were about 30 Black Bears in the area... hardly worth worrying about. Now there are 500 or so... twice the number we have here in Kentucky surprisingly. Kentucky is about 40,000 square miles to Maryland's 12,000 square miles.

The main thing people have to remember about black bears is that they are not shy. A grizzly bear will avoid humans and keep to itself mostly. In Wyoming a few years back a simple bell tied to your belt would prevent an accidental encounter with a Grizzly effectively. A black bear, while smaller than a grizzly, won't keep to itself... which is why baiting is so effective.

They'll stroll right into town and go through your garbage. In some cases, they'll break into a house and root through your fridge. In an ecosystem this is a classic struggle for resources. The artificial protection afforded the bears by a lack of hunting has given them a huge advantage in population growth, There isn't enough for them to eat in their natural environment, so they are encroaching on human's... and brazenly I might add.

I've seen several Black Bear sites which claim that the Black Bear is less aggressive than other bears... though no mention of which other bears it's supposedly less aggressive than... A quick survey finds that several bears get the "most aggressive" monicker. From the tiny Sun Bear to the Grizzly and the Polar Bears. The Grizzly can be aggressive if it's with it's young... and more brazen in the fall while fattening up for hibernation. But unless startled, or threatened, it will stay away from humans.

In Maryland, Black Bears don't have any natural enemies, except humans and starvation, so there is nothing to keep them in check unless they have a hunt every now and then. All things considered the bear would much rather go out fighting than starving. The bear is tremendous force in nature, warriors attribute their strength and valor to bear energy. Starving a bear population into acceptable numbers seems inhumane... and spiritually vacant to me. Since Maryland has forbidden baiting and traps, unlike Maine, this is even more of a classic struggle between equals. This time of year also happens to coincide with most bears most aggressive season... hunters beware! and be respectful.