This report summarizes key elements of what bear baiting and hunting with hounds entails; reviews the status of the practices in various portions of the United States; provides a situation analysis within states recently confronting similar referendums. This report does not offer arguments supporting or rejecting the merit of either side of the debate. The report is available in

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News articles, editorials, and opinion pieces. Check newspaper's archives if links are no longer valid.

Constitutional amendment would prohibit ballot initiatives on wildlife management issues (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 11/5/04)

Activist: Hunting abuses exposed (Associated Press, 11/4/04)

Bear hunting debate headed to Legislature (Portland Press Herald, 11/4/04)

Defeat of bear-baiting ban comes with price (Maine Public Radio, 11/3/04)

Bear-bait measure narrowly rejected (Bangor Daily News, 11/3/04)

Bear-baiting ban falls in close vote (Portland Press Herald, 11/3/04)

Campaign to alter bear hunting practices is stirring an equal swell of emotion (Associated Press, 10/31/04)

Bear-hunt pros and cons lost amid finger-pointing (Portland Press Herald, 10/30/04)

AD WATCH: Biologists defend current methods (Portland Press Herald, 10/30/04)

AD WATCH: Bear hunting cast as 'cruel, inhumane' (Portland Press Herald, 10/30/04)

AD WATCH: 'Facts' highlights other states' bans on bear baiting (Portland Press Herald, 10/29/04)

TV stations bar anti-bait ads (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/29/04)

Opinion: Bear vote critics use scare tactic (Portland Press Herald, 10/29/04)

Opinion: The great bear debate (Bangor Daily News, 10/28/04)

National groups aid foes of bear-baiting (Portland Press Herald, 10/28/04)

Editorial: The Portland Phoenix endorses a yes vote on Question 2 (Portland Phoenix, 10/28/04)

Editorial: Ideology behind Question 2 (Brunswick Times Record, 10/27/04)

Supporters of Question 2 dispute figures on nuisance bears (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/26/04)

Opinion: Bear hunt's future hangs by a slender thread (Bangor Daily News, 10/26/04)

Opinion: End bear baiting, hounding, trapping (Bangor Daily News, 10/26/04)

Maine unique when it comes to bears (Portland Press Herald, 10/24/04)

Opinion: Bait ban or no, one thing's sure: More bear encounters inevitable (Portland Press Herald, 10/24/04)

Opinion: Rural Maine couldn't bear economic impact of Question 2 (Portland Press Herald, 10/24/04)

Bear-vote rallies due in Portland (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/23/04)

Bear-hunt ethics vs. population debated (Portland Press Herald, 10/23/04)

Opinion: Trust bear biologists and vote no on 2 (Bangor Daily News, 10/23/04)

Opinion: Referendum on bear hunting (Bangor Daily News, 10/22/04)

Opinion: Bear referendum foes distort facts with scare tactics (Bangor Daily News, 10/20/04)

Editorial: Regulation of bear hunt best left to biologists (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/18/04)

Maine bear hunting questions answered (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/17/04)

Group: An economic impact study by opponents of proposed new bear hunting regulations is flawed. (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/15/04)

Bear question likely to get voters out (Portland Press Herald, 10/17/04)

Editorial: Let’s Not Criminalize Bear-baiting (Ellsworth American, 10/14/04)

Funds favor foes of bear hunt restriction (Portland Press Herald, 10/13/04)

Maine bear count proves elusive (Portland Press Herald, 10/10/04)

Debaters split on ethics of bear hunt (Portland Press Herald, 10/8/04)

New study on bear baiting ban challenged (Portland Press Herald, 10/1/04)

Would bear bait ban pay? (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 10/1/04)

Adwatch: Television ad against the referendum to ban bear hunting with bait (Portland Press Herald, 9/30/04)

Another bear referendum ad in dispute (Maine Public Radio, 9/28/04)

Editorial: Bear baiting should be outlawed in Maine (Portland Press Herald, 9/26/04)

Television ad seeks to convince voters on the use of bear bait (Portland Press Herald, 9/25/04)

State biologist's statements on bear-bait ban criticized (Portland Press Herald, 9/22/04)

IF&W accused of political involvement in bear referendum (Maine Public Radio, 9/20/04)

State rejects critics of bear-baiting ad (Portland Press Herald, 9/16/04)

BEP to meet in Orono to hear landfill appeals (Bangor Daily News, 9/16/04)

Opinion: Bear expert should not be muzzled (Bangor Daily News, 9/16/04)

Editorial: State biologist's TV commercial breaks no rules (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 9/16/04)

Group: Bear ad should be pulled (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 9/15/04)

Bear-baiting ad riles ban backers (Bangor Daily News, 9/15/04)

Opinion: Considerable skill needed to hunt bears with bait (Bangor Daily News, 9/13/04)

Activists surprised by views on bear hunt (Portland Press Herald, 9/12/04)

Animal rights volunteer turns 'Fair Bear' backer (Portland Press Herald, 9/10/04)

Would A Baiting Ban Boost The Bear Population? (Maine Public Radio, 9/8/04)

Opinion: Bear-hunting referendum is about preserving and respecting the wild (Bangor Daily News, 9/7/04)

Opinion: Maine's bear experts do know their topic (Portland Press Herald, 9/7/04)

Debate swirls about bear baiting proposal (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 9/6/04)

Opinion: Bear hunt more than just the hunt (Bangor Daily News, 9/4/04)

Bear bait debate heats up at Brewer forum (Bangor Daily News, 9/3/04)

Bear Baiting proponent: Past not a liability (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, 9/2/04)

Bear-baiting foe's legal record raised as issue (Bangor Daily News, 9/1/04)

Bear hunt may be baiting end (Portland Press Herald, 8/28/04)

Bear hunt season begins, as referendum looms (Bangor Daily News, 8/28/04)