VERNON Six animal rights activists arrested during a bear hunt protest went on trial Tuesday, but a judge reserved a decision on their fate after hearing two hours of testimony. Municipal Court Judge C. William Bowkley Jr., heard testimony from two wildlife officials and a bystander but put off a ruling until March 28. The six were arrested Dec. 10 at Wawayanda State Park and charged with disorderly persons offenses after straying outside the bounds of a predetermined area set by authorities for the protest, which came on the last day of the hunt. Among them was Lynda Smith, director of the Bear Education and Resource Group, which unsuccessfully sued to halt the six-day hunt before it started. Their attorney contends that the permit issued for the protest was invalid and that the six cannot be convicted of violating it as a result. “The state did not introduce sufficient evidence to establish the validity of the permit. That’s the foundation of all the arrests,” said lawyer Gina Calogero, in an interview after the trial. The hunt was necessary because of increasing incidences of bear-human interactions, according to state officials. Opponents called it unnecessary and cruel, but their legal challenge to it failed.