PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 17, 2020
A petition that would have eliminated bear baiting in Maine by 2029 was unanimously voted down on Thursday by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council. The council, which establishes fishing and hunting rules, voted 7-0 that the proposed rule ought not to pass. No one from the public commented on the failed petition – and few commented on two other petitions. One that proposed restricting coyote hunting, such as with a bag limit and a shorter season, and eliminating predator-hunting contests will be heard by DIF&W biologists in a virtual public hearing on Oct. 6. A second petition that would end the trapping of coyotes will be heard by the department in a virtual public hearing on Oct. 7.