Maine Bear Hunting Referendum

Welcome to the Maine Professional Guides Association (MPGA) website about the Bear hunting Referendum. We offer this information and downloadable handouts so our members and the public at large may become better informed about this anti-hunting initiative, and about bear hunting in Maine

We Won!
"Vote NO on 2" wins 53% of the vote

The Maine Professional Guides Association opposes this referendum, and urges all Maine voters to Vote NO on Question 2 of the November 2004 ballot. We trust that the Maine voters will consider the facts about bear hunting, wildlife management, our rural economies, and Maine's hunting traditions. We believe the voters will overwhelmingly reject the agenda of the radical animal rights activists by Voting NO on Question 2 in November.

The Maine Professional Guides Association considers the black bear to be one of Maine's most important game species. We recommend that the current hunting methods be continued - including hunting over bait, hunting with hounds and trapping.

The black bear is a magnificent game animal that attracts hunters from Maine, and all over the world, for what many consider to be the ultimate hunting challenge. This provides many economic opportunities in the Maine's most economically depressed regions - opportunities for both guides and the local businesses that provide services to hunters like food, lodging, gas and equipment.

MPGA recommends that the State's black bear management plan, developed by knowledgeable wildlife biologists at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, should be used for making informed hunting and wildlife decisions.

MPGA is dedicated to working hand in hand with Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, landowners, and other concerned groups to maintain and improve black bear numbers and the opportunities that a healthy bear population provides.

Information Articles

Please use the navigation menu on the left to visit articles and information that we have collected for you about this referendum and about bear hunting and wildlife management. Much of this has been prepared by professional wildlife biologists.

These articles are also available as printable files for downloading. Please feel free to download , print and hand to your friends so they may become more informed too. The downloads are listed below, and they may also be obtained on the webpage for each article.

Handout Downloads (requires Adobe Reader):

- Click image for a free update.