Chocolate used to attract bears during hunting season.

     In New Hampshire bear hunters had their say on Wednesday April  8, 2015 concerning a proposal to ban the use of chocolate to lure bears. Last fall of four Bears  were found to have died as a result of being poisoned by cocoa-based sweets, (chocolate).

The hunters, delivered the message that the proposed ban was not needed to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission in Concord
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  If approved, the measure would prohibit the use of all "chocolate and cocoa derivatives" as bait for black bears starting in September 2015 and runs through November2015.

The ban was proposed is a result of the fatal poisoning of two female bears and two cubs in September 2014. They were found dead a short distance from  a baiting site that had been stocked with nearly a hundred pounds of baking chocolate.

State lab tests determined the bears died from an overdose of theobromine, a  compound in chocolate that is also poisonous to dogs and other animals.

Most of the hunters who attended  Wednesday's hearing, were convinced that last fall's incident was not the norm and very rare.

 Many if not most of the hunters at the hearing said they would support banning chocolate as bear bait, or at least some restrictions on its use.

Animal rights supporters on the other hand condemned chocolate baiting as cruel and said it violated all principles for ethical hunting.

  The state's dissection is expected in about a month.
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