| Atlanta, Georgia. Animal rights activist are using | | | | attractive hides for rugs and other uses, such as |
| the term "bear baiting" that refers to a | | | | hats for the Queen's Guard in England. Like wild |
| once-popular sport of pitting bears against other | | | | pork, the meat has to be handled carefully with |
| animals in pits or cages until one killed the other, | | | | gloved hands and very well cooked to prevent |
| to sully the practice of putting out baits to attract | | | | the transmission of diseases. Because of the lack |
| bears for hunters which is legal in a number of | | | | of fat on a Spring bear, just out of hibernation, |
| U.S. states and Canadian provinces. One reminder | | | | and a Fall bear that has fed all summer, different |
| of this now-outlawed sport is the designation of | | | | cooking techniques should be employed for best |
| "Bull" and "Bear" cycles of the stock market. | | | | results. |
| Black bear are becoming increasingly common in | | | | In the United States and Canada, hunting |
| the U.S. Some of the same wildlife conservation | | | | regulations are passed by the states and |
| steps that have been taken to improve the | | | | provinces with varying inputs from other |
| habitats for deer and other game have also | | | | organizations such as agencies of the national |
| helped bears. Because they breed more slowly | | | | governments, hunting organizations as well as |
| than deer, they have not as commonly reached | | | | anti-hunting groups. Before each hinting season |
| the same problem-population levels. However | | | | hearings are held during which all sides have the |
| excessive bear numbers do cause problems in | | | | opportunity to support their positions. Public opinion |
| states as seemingly unlikely as New Jersey, North | | | | matters as these regulations must be passed by |
| Carolina, Minnesota and even in up-state New | | | | elected officials who consider the regulation |
| York. Bear seasons are held in about half of the | | | | proposals presented by state wildlife officials and |
| U.S. states and in all of the Canadian provinces. In | | | | vote them up or down. Sometimes legal |
| some states hunting is done over pre-establish | | | | challenges are filed after regulations are passed. |
| baits as one of several hunting techniques that | | | | Often, these challenges are based on the |
| may be employed. | | | | presumption that some rather vague |
| Oftentimes, baits are limited to licensed hunters or | | | | environmental impact studies were not done, |
| guides who may be limited to the number and | | | | incompletely done or a significant interest was not |
| locations of baits they may establish. These baits | | | | represented in the deliberations. |
| are typically set in 55-gallon steel barrels which are | | | | Hunting is used as a game-management tool to |
| filled with a variety of food scraps, dog food, fish | | | | prevent the overpopulation of wildlife with the |
| or other items designed to attract bear. Bear will | | | | objectives of fostering a healthier wildlife |
| find the baits and raid them. Then the guides | | | | population of wildlife, preventing damage to the |
| must pack in food refills to maintain their baits. | | | | environment and limiting the amount of damage |
| When hunting season arrives one or more bear | | | | inflicted by wildlife on crops, private property and |
| may be visiting the baits. | | | | individual citizens. |
| Hunting over bait is sometimes considered "too | | | | Hunts are purposefully designed to reduce |
| easy" by those who have never done it. Just | | | | numbers of bear, deer, geese, alligators, wolves |
| because a bear is using a bait, does not mean | | | | and other species in human-wildlife conflict areas, |
| that it is a legal bear or that it visits the bait | | | | to keep game populations from exceeding |
| during legal shooting hours. Often larger bear learn | | | | available food supplies and to help protect wildlife |
| that they can come after dark and feed without | | | | nesting areas. Significant secondary advantages |
| fear of attracting humans. Animals shot over bait | | | | are that hunting provides an important contribution |
| are often one-to-two-year-old bears which serve | | | | to many families' food budgets, recreational |
| to reduce population numbers and provide the | | | | opportunities, the chance for outdoor physical |
| best eating. Hunters may sit for days in | | | | exercise and safe training on the use of firearms |
| extremely cold, windy or buggy weather waiting | | | | and other hunting tools. |
| for a legal bear. | | | | Income derived from license sales, from taxes on |
| Baiting is appropriately used in areas where the | | | | hunting equipment and membership in |
| vegetation is too thick to hunt bear by the typical | | | | organizations such as The Rocky Mountain Elk |
| "spot and stalk" technique that most consider "real | | | | Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited and |
| hunting." Weeks of work may have gone into | | | | others provides significant amount of money for |
| establishing the bait and maintaining it before a | | | | habitat restoration, wildlife studies, wildlife disease |
| bear is taken. Many guides and their assistants | | | | prevention and restocking of wildlife. The National |
| spend countless hours packing materials into their | | | | Wild Turkey Federation, for example, was a vital |
| bait stations. Such work is valued by visiting | | | | partner with state agencies for the restoration of |
| sportsmen who employ the guides during hunting | | | | the wild turkey throughout North America using |
| season and provide significant incomes to rural, | | | | funds derived from millions of contributing |
| and often struggling, economies. | | | | members. |
| Bears provides meat, fat used for cooking and | | | | |