I see the uncaring "hunters" (probably youngsters looking for some misplaced and unearned notoriety) are at it again. Originally the owner of the Lily "Bear With a Bounty" page on facebook told me it was all a joke (when I pressed him on the issue). But, someone posted that a be-ribboned bear is visiting a hunter's bait-pile, and he may shoot the bear this week. He must not be much of a hunter if he can only get one bear to come to his bait station .

I know that I would certainly pass up a bear with ribbons attached to its collar, if I knew I had the chance of winning $5000, especially if I also knew the scorn and ridicule the mature bear hunters of this state will look down on them with, the total dislike of those people wishing to protect the bears for the invaluable research they provide us with and the enjoyment the bears provide to people, especially children around the word.

It makes you wonder about the intelligence of some of these people. The only reason I can think of for someone killing one of the research bears, especially after all of the publicity they have received, is that there must be a few immature, uncaring, uneducated people out there, who call themselves "hunters", who either think it will be some great feat to kill one of these bear (that may be somewhat accustomed to eating at feeding stations) – or they feel it will escalate them to the plateau of "super stardom" with their friends, who may be as immature as they are. I doubt they have even thought about the poor image and the bad name they are giving to hunting and all of the ethical hunters in Minnesota.

If you want to try and stop this madness, by getting these few "hunters" to realize what they are doing, you can log on to the "Lily; Bear with Bounty " page on Facebook, and voice your opinion (without getting nasty, please use a common sense approach). Unfortunately, I think you have to "like" the page before you can comment. Try it and see what happens. If I post - they will just delete it. If it does notwork ther you canpost your thought on the "Protect Minnesota's Research Bears" page. You should probably copy it to the "Protect" page anyhow, so more people get involved.

To those hunters who have signed up for a chance at the $5000 Jackpot, thank you from me, from Dr. Lynn Rogers and his research crew at the Wildlife Research Institute, from all of the people on the "Lily the Black Bear" and the "Protect Minnesota's Research Bears" pages" on Facebook, and especially from Lily, her clan and all of the other research bears around Ely. Please look carefully before you shoot, be careful, wear a safety harness and an orange vest, and good luck hunting.

God bless,

T.R.