Bear Baiting - Sample Letter to the Editor #2

(Remember to edit this letter and make it your own. Letters are more likely to be printed if they are not identical to others.)

[Date]

To the Editor,

Bear baiting is a cruel and unsporting practice that ought to be banned in our state. This practice involves “hunters” who drag piles of food into the woods – pounds of garbage, pizza, jelly donuts and grease. They set the food out to attract bears and lie in wait for the unsuspecting animal to amble along in search of treats, then shoot him for a trophy. Hardly “fair chase.”

Though wildlife agencies warn the public to not feed bears, cautioning that “a fed bear is a dead bear,” there seems to be a double standard for bear baiters. While some bears are killed as soon as they begin taking the bait, others, perhaps smaller bears the hunter is uninterested in turning into a rug, are allowed to feed throughout the hunting season. Having learned to look for food around humans, these animals often become nuisance bears who come into backyards, turn over garbage cans, and pose a threat to companion animals.  

Although hunters claim to adhere to the principle of “fair chase,” bear baiting is an ambush, not a chase, and there is nothing fair about it. It ought to be halted immediately.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Title]
[Local group]