The black bear population in Connecticut has gotten so large and aggressive, particularly in Litchfield and northwest Hartford counties, that one state legislator has proposed a bear-hunting lottery system.
State Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes, R-Woodbury, has introduced the lottery bill, which would be overseen by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Other proposals have been made in past sessions to allow bear hunting, but have not been successful.
“As far as the limiting of numbers, this is not to eradicate black bears or to throw them into extinction,” she said of the lottery bill. “This is a public safety issue.”
