Hunters and animal welfare activists are preparing for a spat in the Maine Statehouse this year over a pair of bills that could potentially expand the state's bear hunt.
Black bear hunting has a long tradition in Maine, which has the largest population of the animals on the East Coast. That population's also growing, and includes about 35,000 animals.
State lawmakers are set to consider a law change authored by the pro-hunting Sportsman's Alliance of Maine that would give state biologists the ability to adjust the length of the bear hunting season and the number of animals a hunter can kill. The group's president says that could result in more hunting opportunities.
A different bill would bring back the state's spring bear hunt, which animal advocates have long opposed.