Dear Editor,If you’re a black bear in Vermont, September means one thing: it’s time to work on your figure by bulking up for winter hibernation. Beechnuts, acorns and berries are in season and ripe for harvesting, providing the critical calories needed to survive a long winter slumber (known as “torpor.”)Unfortunately, bears themselves have also come into season — hunting season, that is. Vermont’s black bear hunting season began this year on Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 24, putting these animals at risk just when they need protection the most.As if that weren’t bad enough, bear hunting also leads to the deaths of mother bears and their cubs. While the Fish & Wildlife Department asks hunters to avoid shooting mother bears with cubs, we think it is still happening. Data from Fish & Wildlife shows that female bears and cubs are both still being killed. And a petition to prohibit killing mother bears with cubs was denied by the Fish & Wildlife Board and Department last year.Black bears play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, mostly by being nature’s very own gardeners. In their quest to bulk up for winter, bears spread more seeds than birds do — talk about multitasking! Unfortunately, bear hunting and hounding disrupt these natural behaviors, leading to some serious side effects. According to some studies, hunting might actually increase the chances of bear-human conflicts.Another study concluded that bears being chased during hunting season will sometimes avoid hunters by wandering onto roads, upping the risk of bear-vehicle collisions. And exhausted bears might turn to easier food sources, like your garbage or bird feeders, which would further escalate conflicts. It sounds like we should just let them fatten up in peace.Katie NolanRichmondKatie Nolan is on the advisory board of Protect Our Wildlife and works with In Defense of Animals.Read the story on VTDigger here: Katie Nolan: Let bears fatten up in peace.