Greetings all

I have been following black bear hunting practices and bear sting operations in Virginia since 1988. I am very concerned about the proposed baiting ban in Alaska. Our General Assembly approved a baiting ban here in Virginia in January 2004 against a ground swell of opposition from hunters. Some Virginia bear hunters were appeased by the addition of the condition of intentionality into the reg. That, I now find is also included in the proposed ban in Alaska. Having watched the illicit partnership between State and Federal law enforcement in this state, I can assure you that if hunters are targetted, the law will find a way to prove intentionality. Furthermore, the feds have a nasty habit of deputizing state wardens so they can testify in federal courts. Once the federal law comes into the equation, hunting violations get very serious. Asset forfeiture issues arise and property can get seized.

I'll come to the point. If your state passed a baiting ban, disallowing feeding bear on private property, and law enforcement wants to take you out anyway, you could conceiveably have a bird feeder that could inevitably lead to the seizure of your property. Granted it is a hypothetical, but it is worth your attention. Furthermore, first, government seems to think that wildlife belongs to them, which is legally questionable. Second, when government begins to tell you what you can and cannot do on your private property, then everyone - not just hunters - is affected by the regulation. Please pass this on and give it a lot of thought.