PORTLAND — A coalition that wants another statewide vote aimed at banning the use of bait, traps and dogs to hunt bears says it’s launching a petition drive in Maine.
Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting announced Tuesday that it plans to gather 80,000 signatures of Maine voters, exceeding the 57,277 signatures needed to qualify for the November 2014 ballot, which would be exactly 10 years after Mainers rejected a similar referendum.
The coalition includes the Human Society and the Wildlife Alliance of Maine.
Daryl DeJoy from the Wildlife Alliance says the referendum aims to “bring the concepts of fair chase and ethics back to the time-honored tradition of hunting in Maine.”
Thirty-two states allow bear hunting but referendum supporters say none of them allow all three techniques: Dogs, baiting and trapping.
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