First of all, to the writer of the “debunking bear facts” letter, I appreciate your enthusiasm to believe in something strongly. However, I felt inclined to write because some people might actually believe what you said about Larry Herrighty. But first - what you said about bears smelling evil is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Can you point us in the direction to the scientific study that shows a bear can smell evil? Or was that your opinion? I thought you were debunking facts not providing absurd opinions.
One of the most important things to do when writing to a public forum is to never ever put words in other peoples mouths. Now lets get to your story about debunking. You did not debunk anything. To debunk something, you need to explain what you are debunking. You also have to provide hard facts and sources for those facts if it is not common knowledge. You did not make it clear; you just ranted and raved about bear cans, education, farting around in the yard and how your neighbors put out garbage in regular garbage bags (they can use a lesson in conservation). You said that Larry Herrighty explains that garbage must be stored in bear proof cans - once again, not true - I could not find where he ever made that statement.
However, I will give you some facts that you can take to the bank.
It is a great idea to keep the bears from eating human garbage. Bear cans do work, and bears, if they eat human food, have more young than the natural environment can support. This leads to a domino effect of more and more bears searching for easy to get human food scraps - (garbage not in bear cans). These are facts and they are not debatable.
I live in bear country too. I have seen many this year so far, and many more on the trail cameras. Also where did you read that sightings and reports of complaints are down? I searched for that on Passaic County and could not find anything. Did you ever consider however, if what you said is true, that people are simply learning to deal with the bears more and more instead of complaining about them? People are smart animals you know, when they do something that has no result they do not continue to do the same thing. Perhaps people are tired of complaining about the bears?
Next, it seems you are against the bear hunt. You have the right to be, but I think your beef should be with the people who cause the bear population to be out of control not the ones providing the service/means to keep it in check. What do I mean by this? Since the bear hunt is a population culling mechanism, which is all it is, I suggest that you go and explain to your neighbors who do not use bear cans that they are responsible for the hunt even taking place (I am sure the bears get in their garbage, and when they do they get calorie rich foods which give the bear a false sense of energy fulfillment.).
All of you bear activists blame the hunter. The hunter did not create the bear problem. Hunters I know use bear cans. People who want to see the bears do well will use bear cans; people who only want a hunt when it is necessary use bear cans. These people - the hunters and those who may not hunt but can understand the need (I fall in this group) - know how to treat wilderness. Hunters and gatherers are the original environmental and animal conservationists. There were some bumpy roads and before regulations (Division of Fish and Wildlife) some species almost made it to extinction. But since the beginning of time, hunters and gathers took care of the land because the land took care of them. That is a fact; check history.
Every time there is a debate online or a question of facts, the hunters/conservationists always provide facts and it's the bear activists that say things like the bears are cute, people who hunt are murderers, give the bears guns too. All of these statements do not justify anything. I sure would like to see the activists come up with some hard facts on a better way to cull a population, other then spending townspeople's money on bear birth control. Until that time, if the population is found to be too high, good luck hunters.
Kenneth J. Gallo Jr.
Hewitt