Help Stop a Bear Hunt in Connecticut!!!

There will be a public hearing this Friday at the State Capitol on two fast moving yet dangerous bills. One would legalize a lottery to hunt black bears in Connecticut. The other removes restrictions on Sunday hunting, allowing it on both public and private property – and on all huntable species using any kind of weaponry.

If you do not want either bill to succeed, then you need to step up and act now. So far, the vast majority of voices have been from the hunters (even those not in our state).

What you can do:

1. Submit your opinion to the Legislature’s Environment Committee before this Friday by going to this link: https://www.cga.ct.gov/aspx/CGATestimonySub/CGAtestimonysubmission.aspx?comm_code=ENV

State your OPPPOSITION to Senate bills 1148 (bear hunting) and OPPOSITION to 1149 (expansion of Sunday hunting). Select the bill number, and choose “OPPOSE” on the right. You can submit a short or long comment, or even none at all – but be sure to select “OPPOSE”.

2. Contact your State Representative and State Senator and let  them know that you vote – and that you don’t support bear hunting or the expansion of Sunday hunting!  You can find your legislator by going to this link: https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp

Talking points:

SB 1148 (bear hunting bill)

• Allowing the recreational killing of bears will not reduce conflicts with people – bears killed in the woods are not the same ones being enticed by poorly contained trash in suburban neighborhoods.
• Resolving bear problems means reducing food attractants – which “Bearsmart” communities all over the country are doing to resolve “nuisance” bear issues. Human behavior is what creates the problem!
• More bear cubs will be tragically orphaned by this recreational hunting bill

SB 1149 (expansion of Sunday hunting)

• This bill is dangerous – it will open up all of Connecticut to the hunting of all species using any form of weaponry.
• It puts people at risk hiking in the woods on their main day of leisure
• There is no need for this bill – it’s being pushed by a minority of hunters who want more days to shoot animals