When it comes to Connecticut’s increasingly troublesome relationship with black bears, both candidates in this year’s governor’s race are in agreement on a somewhat controversial solution.
Gov. Ned Lamont, the Democratic incumbent, and his opponent, Republican Sen. Ryan Fazio, have both supported measures in recent years to allow the hunting of black bears. Those efforts have been repeatedly defeated by opponents of hunting who argue that non-lethal means can be effective at reducing conflicts with people.
Connecticut is home to between 1,000 and 1,200 black bears, with the population concentrated largely in the state’s northwest corner. Encounters with people — including home break-ins and attacks on livestock — have risen in recent years, according to wildlife officials.
However, Connecticut is one of only two states in the Northeast that does not allow bear hunting. The other, Rhode Island, has fewer than a dozen bears.
“The governor supports a limited and carefully regulated bear hunt because Connecticut’s bear population is continuing to grow and we’re seeing more and more conflicts between bears and people every year,” Lamont campaign spokesperson Lauren Gray said in a statement.
