Dear Editor, A recent article in VTDigger provided good information about human encounters with bears. Mostly, though, it focused on comments by staff at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department complaining that people do not call them when they encounter bears. In the article, it seems no on e understands why people do not call the department when a bear gets into their garbage. Ironically, a letter published in VTDigger in May has already explained why, with supporting data. Walter Medwid provided data from an America’s Wildlife Values study, supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and led by Colorado State University, that surveyed Vermonters, with a separate survey of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department staff. These surveys showed the department and many Vermonters appear to be on opposite sides of core values. They think the department supports special interests like hunters more than it supports ordinary Vermonters. The department bemoans the fact that people do not call them whenever a bear takes a birdfeeder. They ask people to report complaints. But when people do, the department uses those complaints to say that there are growing problems with bears, which it then uses to loosen the rules for killing them. Some neighbors say they have regular encounters with bears taking garbage or birdfeeders, and they do not see it as a problem. They are not going to report it to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department because they think the department is not on their side. READ MORE The article said that 99% of the time when someone calls the department, killing the bear is not the first response. Sure. But it is an option chosen far too quickly, meaning bears are suffering because of human behavior. That is why people don’t want to call the department to report what are effectively non-issues with bears. The killing of bears for simply acting like bears when people do irresponsible things, like not securing food, houses, cars and garbage, shows why Vermonters are right not to trust the system. Mike Fry Montpelier, Vt. Read the story on VTDigger here: Why Vermonters won’t call Fish and Wildlife about bears. ...read more read less