The HSUS Calls on Gov. O’Malley to Protect Black Bears From Trophy Hunters

October 15, 2007

Full-Page Baltimore Sun Ads Urge O’Malley to Cancel the Trophy Hunting of Black Bears in Maryland 

WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) today placed a full-page ad in The Baltimore Sun calling on Governor Martin O'Malley to cancel the trophy hunt of Maryland's black bears which is scheduled to begin next week on Monday, October 22.

Black bear trophy hunting halted in 1953 when it was discovered that indiscriminate killing had reduced the number of bears in the state to only twelve. After 51 years of protection from hunting, the bear population slowly recovered and now numbers an estimated 300 to 400 bears in western Maryland.  The state ended that protection and opened a trophy hunting season in 2004, and recreational hunters have killed 101 bears since that time.  The quota for this year's hunt is 50 to 70 bears.

"There is no good reason to shoot bears for their heads and hides, but there are many good reasons for Governor O'Malley to set things right and restore Maryland's half-century tradition of bear protection," said Michael Markarian, HSUS executive vice president. "Maryland citizens want humane and effective bear management policies, not the random trophy shooting of these majestic creatures in a head-hunting exercise."

The HSUS' ad can be viewed online at:

http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/marylandbear_ad_101207.pdf

Facts

·  101 bears have been killed in the state's three bear hunts.

·  In 2004, Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies conducted a poll for the Fund for Animals and found that 57% of respondents in Maryland opposed a bear hunt, with 36% of them strongly opposing the hunt.

·  No one has suggested that bears in the state are exceeding their carrying capacity. In fact, the Department of Natural Resources estimates the number of bears in the western part of the state at under 400 animals.

·  Bear hunting proponents argue that a trophy hunt is needed to reduce human-bear conflicts; however, data suggests that hunting actually increases the number of bear-human conflicts.

·  It is unknown what impact trophy hunting will have on the state's still small population of bears who only recently recovered from over-hunting.

·  Human population growth and media attention have created greater influx of wildlife complaints and perceived conflicts.

·  Bear attacks are very rare. No person has been killed by a bear in Maryland in the history of the state.

·  The only methods shown to alleviate human-bear conflicts are non-lethal techniques carried out by officials that condition bears to avoid humans, such as systematic use of pyrotechnics, rubber bullets, trained dogs to frighten bears from human-inhabited areas, and control of garbage.

Timeline

·  October 22, 2007 – The Maryland bear hunt is scheduled to begin. A quota of 50 to 70 bears has been set by the Department of Natural Resources.

·  2006 – The quota was raised from the previous year and 41 bears were killed on the first day of the hunt.

·  2005 – The quota was raised from the previous year and 40 bears were killed on the first day of the hunt.

·  2004 – Then-Governor Robert Ehrlich initiated Maryland's first bear hunt in 51 years. 20 bears were killed on the first day of the hunt. The first bear killed was an 84-pound, ten-month-old female cub.

·  2004 – Prior to the hunt, The HSUS and The Fund for Animals offered the state $75,000 to compensate landowners for any damage caused by bears if plans for the hunt were cancelled. The offer was rejected.

·  2004 – Estimates placed the number of bears in western Maryland, where most bears live in the state, between 266 and 437 animals.

·  1972 – The black bear was declared an "endangered species" in Maryland.

·  1953 – Black bear hunting was halted after population estimates found that, due to over hunting, there were only 12 bears remaining in the entire state. Black bears were protected for 51 years.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty.  On the web at  humanesociety.org .