AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   A bill that would have established a spring bear hunt in Maine has failed to generate support from legislators.

The joint standing committee on inland fisheries and wildlife voted 9-0 that the bill “ought not to pass” on Monday. The Bangor Daily News reports LD 337 would have allowed spring bear hunting across Maine for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife also testified against a spring hunt, saying alternatives should be considered to stabilize the state’s growing bear population.

Opponents of the measure say Maine already has a 13-week hunting season in the fall and bears are providing for their young in the spring, which may lead to the death of cubs if a hunt was allowed.