Dear Editor:
A summer bear hunt in the La Sal Mountains above Moab will be a danger to the thousands of tourists bicycling, hiking and camping on the mountains. A summer bear hunt will have conflicts with grazing on the mountain.
The primary danger will be on the roads, the trails and in the dispersed camping areas. The tourist will be driving or bicycling at very slow speeds on the many roads in the mountains. The bear hunter will be driving at high speeds either going to a new area or trying to get to his dogs before the bear escapes from a tree.
The normal weekend will have hundreds of families camping in dispersed camp areas on the mountain. A bear being chased through these camping areas is a danger to the campers and their children.
The dogs and a running bear on a hiking or bicycle trail can result in injury or death. A frightened bear will push a bicycle or hiker off a trail. A frightened bear will just run over a child.
The dogs are large and excited in a bear chase. They will not stop for a bicycle or a hiker. Most hikers become very nervous when ten 60- or 70-pound dogs charge pass them on a narrow trail.
There are very few areas on the mountain in the summer where you can point a gun and not have someone along the line of sight.
Dogs and a frightened bear will push livestock out of an area with possible broken legs.
The La Sal Mountains above Moab do not have room for another activity. We already have bikers’ conflicts with jeepers, with hikers and with campers. We do not need an angry bear and a fast driving, drinking hunter in the mix.
