To the editor:

Kentucky's recent attempt at its first bear hunt in decades was a total bust, as a devastating winter storm drove the bears to their dens before a shot could be fired. The two day hunt in Harlan, Letcher and Pike counties was scheduled after the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife caved in to the relentless whining of the Kentucky League of Sportsmen. The group contends that a bear hunt is necessary to re-instill a fear of humans in bears, particularly those bears that have become addicted to man-made food sources. Would someone please explain to me how you instill a fear of humans in a dead bear?

Now that a first attempt has fizzled, the Kentucky Legislature is considering a bill that will create a year-round back yard bear season. The proposed legislation will allow residents to kill a bear within 30 yards of their home if they feel reasonably threatened. The bill sounds "reasonable" except for one significant flaw. Most folks in east Kentucky haven't learned how to act "reasonably" when it comes to bears. Many are caught up in stereotypes of red-eyed, maneating demons with slavering jaws sneaking down from their mountain lairs to rob infants from cradles or to snatch toddlers from swing sets or to hold us hostage in our homes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bears come to eat our garbage and our pet's food, nothing more.

As far as I know, there has never been a bear attack in Kentucky since black bears began to migrate into our state in the 1980's. However, I am not naïve enough to suggest that a bear attack won't occur. The most likely victim is the guy poking around in the deep woods, who unintentionally corners a sow with cubs, but it could be anyone who gets between a bear and its meal.

The right to protect ourselves from a dangerous animal, whether it walks on two legs, four legs or crawls on the ground, is long established in the law. We don't need a new law that creates a death zone for scrounging bears when other options are available.

If Kentucky is determined to have a bear season Bell Co. should be added to the list. That will eliminate a few bears. State and local governments could come up with a plan to make bear proof trash containers available to residents. The Department of Fish and Wildlife could spend more time educating people in handling bear encounters and quickly responding to complaints when a bear becomes too bold.

Bears are here to stay unless the legislature decrees their extermination. The proposed legislation is a step in that direction. But, if the Legislature insists on following the public protection logic of the proposed bear law, then the bill should be amended to protect us from an even greater and far more common danger. An 800 pound bull elk through a windshield. If we are to have a back-yard bear season we might as well allow drive-by shootings of elk along our roadways. Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it?

Jim Bowling

Middlesboro, Ky.