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If the Governor signs MD HB177, beekeepers in Maryland will be granted legal permission to shoot black bears if they threaten honey bee colonies, but only if they have contacted the state's Department of Natural Resources to receive an electric fence:
It's a cliché that happens to be true: Bears love honey. And in Maryland, lawmakers have passed a bill making it legal to shoot a black bear if it threatens a beekeeper's hive.
In February, state Del. Mike McKay testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee on behalf of the bill. He wore a vest festooned with the image of Winnie the Pooh. Del. Herb McMillan noted McKay's attire didn't seem to square with his arguments. "I know you came in here talking about Winnie the Pooh, but the gist of the bill is that you can shoot him," McMillan said, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Existing Maryland law requires a person to have a hunting license and a black bear hunting permit in order to hunt black bears in the state. Exempted is "a person who kills or wounds a black bear in defense of his/her own life, the lives of other individuals, or the lives of animals on the individual's property." This week, Maryland's General Assembly passed McKay's bill. So, if the measure is signed by the governor, as of June, the exemption on hunting bears will extend to the owners of honeybee colonies, if the owner has contacted the state's Department of Natural Resources and installed an electric fence to protect the hive. The measure also provides funds to provide electric fences to beekeepers.
(Score: 1) by Goghit on Friday April 14 2017, @03:48AM
Well, speaking as a bear-keeper in bee, err, that is, a bee-keeper in bear country, electric fences are pretty damn effective, subject to a few conditions:
1) Properly installed. This includes using an effective ground around the perimeter wires. Usually chicken wire laid flat on the soil connected to grounding rods driven into the dirt does the job.
2) Proper maintenance. Keep the weeds cut and the battery charged.
3) Train the bears. Seriously, you need to teach the bears to respect the fence. After installing it, wire some freshly emptied sardine tins to the fence hot wires. A couple of 10 kilovolt zaps to the nose does wonders for attitude adjustment.
Every case I've seen of bear damage has followed on #2, and far too often those cases were the results of someone stealing the fence charger's battery. I fully support the use of firearms in these cases.