March 29, 2024
Letter

Manage state’s wildlife

I noted with interest the article (BDN, Sept. 14) about Roxanne Quimby’s potential plan to put 23,000 more acres of land off-limits to hunters and trappers. This amount of land, to go along with the land she has already purchased, is a stag-gering amount to be off-limits.

An article of the same date mentioned that rabies is still prevalent. It said that a woman had to deal with a rabid skunk attacking her dog. She called for help but the nearest warden was in Enfield, 50 miles away. The article reported that in 2005, 26 people were recommended for rabies treatment. It also stated that rabies is a potential health threat.

In a recent article in The Maine Sportsman, the chief warden of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stated that he wanted his wardens to clamp down on trappers. Maine is one of the most restricted states in the nation in regard to trapping. We are just one step from banning trapping entirely if the anti’s have their way. The trapping rules within organized territory are almost impossible to follow.

We can’t have it both ways. If we don’t manage our wildlife, Mother Nature will do it for us. Rabies distemper mange and starvation, to mention a few, would be the result. These circumstances will first affect our pets and then the people. This can and will cause serious problems for us. Do you want your toddler crawling around on the lawn or in their playpen, in an area infested with rabies?

With the land being purchased and taken away from hunters and trappers, and Fisheries and Wildlife making it almost impossible for trappers to legally trap in organized territory, we are creating a life-threatening situation.

Ron Nickerson

Monson


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