This commentary is by Dan Diaz of Weston, a hunter, angler, hiker, general wildlife lover, outdoor enthusiast and ski lift mechanic. In response to Katie Nolan’s letter, “Let bears fatten up in peace”:I think it’s important to note that hunting is a wholesome outdoor activity, enjoyed by hunters who are outdoor enthusiasts, conservationists and appreciators of wildlife.Like it or not, human civilization has irrevocably changed the North American ecosystem. Habitat is being lost everyday. How much of the land you live on has been cleared for lawn? There is not enough habitat left to support the growing number of black bears.We all know what happens when animals overpopulate. Human-animal conflict increases, and disease and starvation take hold when the habitat can not support the number of animals on the land. There is a finite amount of food in the available habitat that bears have to share with deer, moose and all the other wildlife here in Vermont.Black bears are known to kill and eat white-tailed deer fawns in the springtime. Does this make them vile creatures? No, it’s just the reality of life in the wild. The human predator has been a part of that life in North America since before 9500 BCE, when the Clovis people began to create their famous stone spear points.Much has been learned since the days of market hunting in the 1800s, and the North American model of conservation is the best in the world. If Vermont’s black bear population is growing, I don’t believe hunting is having a negative impact. If you look at the 2023 harvest report from Vermont Fish & Wildlife, you’ll see in most towns only 1-5 bears have been harvested.If you dive deeper you’ll see that many of the bears harvested were taken by opportunity from hunters targeting deer as the seasons overlap. Hunting provides meat that is cage-free, 100% organic and locally sourced. Plus the satisfaction of providing for yourself. Do you know where your meat comes from?  Hunting and fishing men and women provide much of the funds for conservation through license fees and the Pittman-Robertson Act, a special tax placed on hunting equipment. I myself spend a little extra when buying my license to buy a habitat stamp. I’m also a member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a conservation group dedicated to protecting public wild areas, such as national forests.My point being — hunters are not the enemy, and hunting is not inherently bad. Hunting is part of the conservation model. In my opinion, the state biologists are doing a fine job managing our wildlife, using fact-based science. Emotion-based management of our forests and wildlife would be a disaster.Just because I hunt and you don’t doesn’t mean we need to be enemies. At the end of the day, don’t all outdoor enthusiasts want the same thing? To have responsible fact-based management and conservation, healthy wildlife populations and access to public lands?  Read the story on VTDigger here: Dan Diaz: Hunters are not the enemy.