On Saturday, August 9th, sportsmen from across New England gathered in Augusta to raise money to defeat an anti-bear hunting initiative set for the November ballot. In all, 1,100 people packed the Augusta Civic Center to raise money to defeat Question 1, which would ban bear hunting using bait, dogs, and traps.
Nick Pinizzotto, president and CEO of U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), knew the night was going to be special when he saw the size of the crowd waiting for the doors to open. Scheduled to be a featured speaker at the Save Maine’s Bear Hunt Super Banquet, Pinizzotto saw hundreds of men and women eager to get inside the hall to save their right to hunt.
“There was just a mob of people standing in the hot sun,” said Pinizzotto. “There were men, women, kids and even a busload of trappers that drove nearly five hours from Vermont! I just had to go out and shake their hands.”
Tasked with motivating the crowd before the live auction, Pinizzotto did not disappoint, capping off his fiery speech with a $60,000 check presentation, bringing USSA’s total contribution to the Maine campaign to $150,000.
“That’s a huge amount for an organization of our size and clearly demonstrates just how important this issue is to Maine, the northeast and the country as a whole,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA’s vice president of government affairs. “We have to do everything in our power to help Maine sportsmen defend their heritage, and there’s no way they can do that without everyone pitching in.”
“The Super Banquet was a great success, raising lots of money; but the most exciting thing to me was the turnout and energy in the room,” said Don Kleiner, executive director of the Maine Professional Guides Association. “This was the largest gathering of sportsmen and women in Maine’s history and everyone was delighted to be there.”
If successful, the hunting ban would eliminate the way the state of Maine controls its black bear population. In fact, 93 percent of bears are killed using the three methods that are at risk of being banned.
“This is a David and Goliath story if there ever was one,” observed Heusinkveld. “A room full of regular folks, working people, farmers, game wardens, moms and dads, all emptying their wallets one after another to fight off this attack from a Washington DC special interest group. We are honored to stand with them and fight for what’s right.”