As we go through the worst year ever of black bear problems in New Jersey with (56) direct house break-ins and over (1372) nuisance complaints, pets and domestic livestock killed we have to have highlighted by a Verona, N.J. resident an accident in the state of Washington wherein a (14) year old bear hunter shot and killed a hiker.

This tragic hunting accident although rare should result in this person never being able to hunt again, and being punished accordingly by law, as this type of incident should carry “no-second-chances”.

The (14) and (16) year old hunters were dropped off by their grandfather and left to hunt alone another mistake in judgment by the adult grandparent and parents that may have trusted his judgment.

Some talk has been made at the type of clothing worn by the hiker while using trails during the hunting season. This should not even be a consideration, although the bright orange safety clothes color is a plus no one human should be shot in the head being mistaken for a bear.

That being said, this is no reason to make a comparison to our black bear problem in N.J. nor to jump on the “hunters just want to kill something” rhetoric, nor to quote, “feel pity for the families of these two-legged creatures.”

Here we go again, take a rare occurrence and yes tragedy and use that to justify (56) house break-ins, over (1372) nuisance complaints, domestic and livestock killings and the increased dangers of the overpopulated N.J. black bear. 

Pity belongs to two legged people like this Verona resident far removed from the N.J. problem black bear areas, far removed from the daily dangers faced by people living in the heart of black bear country; pity to a person so quickly willing to put down all hunters for the act of one.

The black bear problems in N.J. are not just one; they are numerous as verified by factual reports of incidents by victims and newspapers. The fact that we have humans attacked but not killed to date is not an excuse for allowing the black bear to continue multiplying until that inevitable day happens.

In this country, especially after 911, we have learned to read warning signs and to take action to “avoid” tragedies’ “before” they occur. The black bear dangers are a boiling pot waiting to flow over and if citizens like this Verona resident are allowed to “read the signs” and then dismiss them, we are in trouble.

Lastly from this Verona residents letter the anti’s misleading statement; “In the 2005 N.J. bear hunt a woman with a camera was documenting a blood trail and a gutted bear while shotgun bearing hunters angrily told her she was intimidating them as they couldn’t get to their trophies”.

The woman was Angie Metler, known anti hunter who was actually caught with this camera on a sting operation that resulted in jail time and fines for deliberately attempting to disrupt a legal hunt. 
 
 
 

As for the hunters trying to get to their trophies, black bears are not trophies, they are nuisance criminals that break into houses and garages, kill domestic pets and livestock, destroy food crops and infringe on New Jersey taxpayers rights to use tax paid for private and public property. They are an increasing threat to human safety; they are defended by animal-right and anti-hunter fruitcakes that somehow believe that animal rights come before human rights, that until a human in N.J. is actually killed by a black bear we should ignore everything else they do and more importantly ignore the warning signs given by none other than the BLACK BEARS themselves. 

Just imagine, wait for a tragedy before we take action, how tragic is that? 

This is especially true of the Bear Education and Resource Group (B.E.A.R.) ONCE HEADED BY Lynda Smith and now taken over by well know anti-hunter Janet Piszar.

This is the most misleading group of individuals in the state that even went as far as bringing in a “so-called” bear expert, Steven Searles from California then duped the local papers into covering his story and recommendations several years ago warning N.J. against a black bear hunt. Searles it was found, was a once hunter, trapper, carpenter that assisted the local authorities in Lake Mammoth, CA (10) square mile resort of houses and condos’ to chase out roaming bears from the resort areas where hunting was impossible. In fact, CA holds two plus month black bear hunts to cull approximately (1700) bears annually.

B.E.A.R. also uses comments from Doctor Lynn Rodgers, bear expert and “entrepreneur”, that runs a bear retreat of a (4) day bed and breakfast and walk with the bears (food conditioned pets) for approximately $1000.00 a pop.

Lynda Smith did a good deed with revisiting garbage education, but the NJDF&W had similar information available on their website for years. Problem here is “garbage” security will not lower the black bear population to a “safe co-existing number”

Lynda Smith however had real compassion for the black bear and within that passion could not bring herself to cope with legal hunting as the only proven management tool. Janet Piszar on the other hand is a well know anti-hunter whatever the species and using the black bear to further her anti-hunting platform. 

Ironically, hunters are the true animal rights people, as they along with the criticized NJDF&W were responsible for working together to give us the healthy black bear population of the 1990’s and it was the anti’s that thwarted, in part through politics, the continuing management required in the 2000 to 2008 era to maintain that healthy balance. 

The black bear problem in New Jersey will not go away until a hunt is held as part of wildlife management population control and watch out Verona resident the expansion of the black bear could reach you soon then we will see how much love of wildlife you have. See how you feel about letting your children go outside, how it feels to give up the freedom of your tax-paid for backyards, how it feels to look over your shoulder while simply planting flowers or taking a walk down the streets of bear invested areas. 

You won’t and you may never know because people like you are selfish and concerned only about issues that do not affect you. For those like you living in bear country with this attitude, human life just doesn’t measure up to wildlife, how sad is that? 

Mike D  

 

The Daily Record published a letter from Susan Kehoe promoting the use of bear-proof garbage cans and not feeding pets outside as you can never totally clean up after them. Kehoe a Highlands Lake Resident is actually scheduled to appear in Vernon court next month for guess what? Feeding bears.

 In her article she states; “The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is trying to escalate bear complaints in efforts to promote another tragic bear hunt in New Jersey. How? By misleading people who live in bear country with the wrong information on how to keep bears away from their property.

She further states; I came across a hunter’s website where they were telling each other to keep calling the division to complain about bears to escalate bear incidents.

 

This is exactly the kind of non-sense that the animal-rights/anti-hunters use to gather support for their lame cause.

 

First of all there is no such product as a “bear-proof” garbage can, it is at best “bear-resistant” and easily dragged away and gnawed at when a bear wishes to take the time.

 

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife did not make up the following as was directly reported by newspapers and confirmed by the victims:

 

July 22, 2008: Black Bear enters tents at Johnsonburg Presbyterian Children’s Camp in Frelinghuysen Township.

July 23, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Frankford Township, Sussex County.

July 23, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Fredon Township, Sussex County

July 24, 2008: Black Bear breaks into chicken coop in West Milford Township, Passic County.

July 24, 2008: Black Bear damages corn silage bag in Allamuchy Township, Warren County.

July 24, 2008: Black Bear kills chickens and ducks in Jefferson Township, Morris County.

July 28, 2008: Black Bear kills pet rabbit in Clinton Township, Hunterdon County.

July 29, 2008: Black Bear destroys famers’ corn crop in Blairstown.

July 29, 2008: Black Bear approaches resident within 5 feet in Vernon, Sussex County.

July 29, 2008: Black Bear approaches resident within 5 feet in West Milford, Passaic County.

July 31, 2008: Black Bear destroys another farmer’s corn in Blairstown.

July 31, 2008: Black Bear destroys fruit trees in Andover, Sussex County.

August 1, 2008: Black Bear kills two goats in Sparta Township, Sussex County.

August 1, 2008: Black Bear approaches family during picnic, West Milford, Passaic County.

August 3, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Jefferson, Morris County.

August 3, 2008: Black Bear destroys bee hives in Gladstone, Somerset, County.

August 4, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Vernon, Sussex, County by lifting garage door.

August 4, 2008: Black Bear breaks through window enters Vernon, home Sussex, County.

August 4, 2008: Black Bear destroys fruit trees in Harmony, Warren, County.

August 4, 2008: Black Bear charges police officers in Sparta Township, Sussex County.

August 5, 2008: Black Bear enters home by pushing in screen, West Milford, Passaic County.

August 6, 2008: Black Bear destroys sweet corn Fredon, Sussex County.

August 6, 2008: Black Bear enters home breaking out panel in garage door, Vernon, Sussex County.

August 6, 2008: Black Bear follows resident to pool house while cleaning pool, Sparta, Sussex County.

August 8, 2008: Black Bear damages Christmas trees, West Milford, Passaic County.

August 8, 2008: Black Bear destroys farmer’s corn crop, Fredon, Sussex County.

August 10, 2008: Black Bear destroys corn crop in Knowlton, Warren County.

August 11, 2008: Black Bear enters home through a window, West Milford, Passaic County.

August 11, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Vernon, Sussex County.

August 11, 2008: Black Bear charges officers in Jefferson, Morris County.

August 11, 2008: Black Bear destroys bee hives in Bloomingdale, Passaic County.

August 19, 2008: Black Bear destroys orchard trees in Andover, Sussex County.

August 18, 2008: Black Bear enters home in West Milford, Passaic County.

August 19, 2008: Black Bear enters home tearing off screen and climbing through window, West Milford Passaic County.

 

Keep in mind this is a sampling and not all of the complaints or damage done by the overpopulated Black Bear; in addition many residents do not bother to call in. The only accurate conclusions you can draw from Kehoe’s statements are they are synonymous with garbage.

 

First the anti’s advised to place garbage in garages or sheds, then when this not only failed but encouraged black bear home and garage break-ins’ , they are back to garbage cans outside. Next was closing windows when cooking, during backyard barbecues’ keep serving food in sealed containers.

 

Look at these complaints do you see garbage cans as eliminating them? What are farmers supposed to do with crops, people with fruit trees? How about bee hives for honey producers, how about baking and cooking right in your house?

 

We have a Black Bear “over-population” problem for which garbage security will not solve. Look at these issues you can clearly see a tragedy in the making. This is like an old western, the bad guys outnumber the good guys, (10) to (2), the leader of the bad guys says; “you got no chance we are 10 to 2. The good guys say; but we two will be sure to get you first. The leader thinks about that then calls it off.

 

 

 

We humans outnumber the bears but they keep coming around, they do not scare off anymore, they having nothing to fear since the animal-right/anti-hunters have created a sacred boundary around them. The black bear gets braver, more intrusive, and more dangerous. The outcome in inevitable, some human will get mauled, maybe killed just like the goats, horses, rabbits, chickens, dogs. Never forget at this time the black bear in New Jersey is at the top of the food chain, NO FEAR.

 

The only proven way to prevent a tragedy is to hold a hunt, this year and every year until we reduce the black bear population to a number that allows them to go back to the privacy and security of the forests for which they came. Like the old west analogy, who wants to be the first victim?

 

A hunt will work, it provides real adverse conditioning, as the black bear will quickly learn to place a human being as a threat to them, as we reduce the population and the bears learn to FEAR HUMANS, they will drift back to the safety of the forests where they will now have ample room to live.

 

No one; Fish and Game, biologists, non-hunters or hunters will allow the black bear to be hunted to extinction. We will be the same as the (26) other states that hunt black bears every, every, year and manage their population to a safe co-existing number.

Remember, these other (26) states have held hunting seasons for decades and they maintain a healthy black bear population.

 

Let’s stop dancing around the hunting issue; we need an extended season that takes place when the bears are out, not when they are going into hibernation. We need hunting with bow/arrow, shotgun and muzzleloader as they are all lethal weapons. We need to charge for permits both resident and non-resident. This is what the (26) others states do successfully because they do not allow politics to put a symphony spin on wild game management. Do not let the anti’s use this as a tactic to delay the bear hunt, this is a normal, legal, proven strategy for wild game population control, it is not wrong, those that do not hunt don’t have to this is not a hunting issue.

 

Lastly, how dare Susan Kehoe accuse hunters of inflating complaints; that is a direct practice of the animal-right/anti-hunting groups, The Bear Resource Group and others actually provide pre-typed letters wherein members can simply sign off and forward to politicians’? Need proof; just look at the “short-list” above of actual citizen complaints.

 

Mike D

 

 

 

 

 

"Human Rights, Yea Right"

 

The animal-rights/anti-hunters have tried throughout this year, as in years past, to inundate Governor Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson with e-mails and phone calls to keep this issue a “political-matter” rather than a “wildlife management” issue.

 

Unfortunately, both Governor Corzine and Lisa Jackson have absolutely no experience in this matter and have picked up the “Whitman Baton” of yielding to the “non-lethal” approach of wildlife population control. Non-lethal, is a “Non-Solution”, it is a diversion created by animal-rights/anti-hunting groups in New Jersey in order to prolong the inevitable; a black bear hunt.

 

This is what it comes down to; we have a Governor and DEP Commissioner that have no idea of what it is like to live in black bear country, to lose the freedom of your tax paid for property, to have children and each day worry about those children becoming the victim of the roaming, overpopulated black bear, they don’t see domestic pets and livestock lost, nor do they feel for the owners.

 

 

What they know is that the well organized, but actual minority, of animal-right/anti-hunters have made more noise than the majority of citizens that really support hunting as a proven method of wildlife population control. Animal rights activists that have managed to portray a wild black bear as some sort of abused animal that should have the right to conduct criminal activities and threaten human safety. Animal rights activists that have a platform of anti-hunting under the guise of protecting the black bear. Animal rights activists that have played a minor, if any, role in wildlife management as compared to the professional Fish and Wildlife and biologists that successfully brought about the resurgence of black bears in New Jersey and throughout the country in all species of wildlife. This is not about just hunters you see, as the anti’s quickly point to approximately 130,000 hunters as a rather small group whose rights should be quickly dismissed, but millions, yes millions, of non-hunting citizens that have no issues with legal hunting and are sick and tired of the infringement on human life and safety created by black bears.

 

So how do we get this message to the Governor and DEP Commissioner? Follow the lead of the anti’s; inundate their offices with your support of a hunt based on the following:

 

Black bear complaints have drastically risen this year and house break-ins in particular, have risen and it is this activity that demonstrates the failure of garbage security and adverse conditioning. It is also these break-ins that pose a major threat to human safety.

 

Garbage security and adverse conditioning have absolutely no effect on maintaining a safe, co-existing number of black bears to human density. No; garbage control will not lead to a reduction in the black bear population, nor will adverse conditioning, nor will failed sterilization; wrong, incorrect antis’ rhetoric.

 

Twenty-six (26) out of twenty-seven (27) states with large black bear population, all, yes all, yes all, include hunting as the primary and proven, successful method of black bear population control.

 

Twenty-six (26) out of twenty-seven (27) states with large black bear population, all, yes all, yes all, allow their Fish and Wildlife, professionals and biologists to determine how to control wildlife populations through regulated hunting to cull the numbers and bring about a safe co-existing level.

 

The only state in the United States that interferes in the wildlife management process; you got it, New Jersey.

 

Listen, you know who you are; mothers running about taking care of children, coaching team sports, participating in other community projects, girl scouts, working, etc. Fathers working and trying to pitch in with child rearing and community issues, maybe coaching a little league team, cub and boy scouts, etc. Just plain and simple citizens with responsibilities that do not allow you to dream up false remedies to protect a wild black bear that has become overpopulated, intrusive, aggressive and disrupted human rights, nor the time to constantly write politicians’.

 

It is however, up to all of you, all of us to combat the anti’s because just plain common sense, coupled with the increases in black bear problems, tell the truth; we are in trouble and it will get worse unless the black bear population is culled through hunting as was successfully accomplished in 2003 and 2005.This is not a scare tactic; this is not misleading information because the truth has been clearly presented by the black bear and its antic, it is fact.Contact : note the last page herein after addresses

Governor Corzine DEP Commissioners’ Office

Office of The Governor Lisa P. Jackson

P.O. Box 001 401 E. State Street

Trenton, New Jersey 08625 P.O. Box 402

(609) 292-6000 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0402

Phone: 609-292-2885

Fax: 609-292-7695

Simply advise both the Governor and DEP Commissioner, that the non-lethal approach is a failure and the longer they delay a black bear hunt to satisfy the anti’s the worst it will become. Hunting is the only proven method of population control as out of the past eight (8) years in New Jersey only the two years of hunting reduced complaints. In addition, (26) other states that have large black bear populations have successfully used hunting as the primary method of black bear population control for decades and they maintain healthy black bear populations and reduced human interaction.

If you feel like it also mention the unfair charges placed against Jefferson resident Teri Daubner, whose Rottweiler dog killed a trespassing small black bear on her own property a few weeks ago. The NJSPCA has filed charges “on behalf of the bear” along with the state that could lead to six (6) months in jail.

This non-sense has to be stopped immediately, taxpayers money and court time will be wasted and imagine a human being put in jail, perhaps with hardened criminals, for a dog killing a trespassing “wild black bear”.

Let them get away with this and it could be you, your family or friends next. Don’t kid yourself, this could happen to you.

Write, fax, call do all three, get to your family and friends let them be aware and if they agree have them do the same. We are out of time if the hunt does not go through this year we are in trouble, if a human is put in jail because her domestic pet killed an overpopulated, trespassing wild black bear, we are in deeper trouble.

Mike D

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently Pennsylvania and New York are prepared to issue arrest warrants for black bears that are crossing over to New Jersey because of “food-attractants”. Problem is they are sneaking back and forth without paying road tolls at Dingmans’ Ferry, Delaware Water Gap and New York Thruway. (A joke of course as is the statement below being taken seriously unfortunately)

Do you believe this; apparently Governor Corzine made a statement on NJ Network, a known biased news station that “bears were coming from PA. and N.Y. because of N.J.’S “food-attractants”.

 

So you see as the animal-rights/anti-hunters see every excuse they give to postpone a black bear hunt fall short of truth and fact, they dream up yet another bogus explanation. Unfortunately, Governor Corzine buys into this non-sense in an attempt to refrain from admitting that the decision to postpone or outright ban a black bear hunt was “wrong”.

 

Both PA. and NY have successfully held black bear hunting for decades harvesting anywhere from 2000 to 4000 black bears annually. If it were true that black bears were abandoning those states, other than in isolated cases as New Jersey bears have also visited both PA and NY to no real numbers, then we definitely have a need to reduce our population by hunting.

Why? Because without hunting in these two bordering states can you imagine how many black bears may in fact enter New Jersey.

It is PA that believes New Jersey black bears are crossing over into PA forcing them to increase their own hunting seasons.

 

Janet Piszar, known anti-hunter, was at it again at last Tuesdays’ Fish and Game Council meeting when she showed pictures of dumpsters around Branchville, saying that was the reason we had bear problems, why productive rates are high, because they attract bears.

 

All of this non-sense will continue until the silent-majority floods Governor Corzine’s and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson with complaints and demands for a hunt.

 

Here it is in a “nutshell”; the problem came into the limelight in 2000 when the overpopulated black bear showed itself to be intrusive, destructive and dangerous. Governor Whitman yielded to animal-right/anti-hunting pressure and stopped the planned hunt; this inflated the political football now being tossed about.

Conditions worsened until 2003 when it became so obvious that citizens were in danger and a hunt was held. In the following year, 2004, the complaints went down. Yet the anti’s succeeded in keeping this a political issue and the 2004 hunt was cancelled again. In 2005 as complaints rose once more a hunt was passed. In 2006 complaints went down again.

 

 

The New Jersey State Supreme Court ruling in favor of a (5) year black bear management plan to include hunting was challenged in the courts by the anti’s and with the support of a new regime, Governor Corzine and his new DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson the decision was once again cancelled.

 

We have eight (8) years of history when beginning in 2000 the same emphasis was placed on garbage control, adverse conditioning and sterilization studies were considered. It is over, nothing will solve this problem unless we follow the lead of less political involved states, (26) of them, that allow the qualified experts, Fish and Game and biologists to perform their job assignments.

 

Read this a few times; only in the (2) two years in which we had a hunt did the black bear problems stabilize. Two (2) out of eight (8) years we got it right, proven right. That is all the proof we should need.

 

This is the worst year ever, if we do not hold a hunt this year, next year will be a disaster.

 

Contact the Governor’s office, contact the DEP Commissioner, and do not let the anti-s continue to feed opened armed politicians, these non-sense excuses to delay the only proven method to gain control of this very dangerous threat to human safety.

Mike D

 

 

 

 

 

Since 2000 the New Jersey Black Bears have made their presence know through disrupting the “safety-zone of balance” required for co-existence with the human population.

At the same time animal-rights and anti-hunting groups saw an opportunity to prey on the weak political system in New Jersey through Governor Whitman. These groups created some illusion that “pardons” for intrusive black bear behavior should replace the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists, professional conclusion that black bear hunts should take place in order to reduce the overpopulation and maintain a “safe co-existing” level. Keep in mind these are the same professionals that successfully brought the black bear population to an acceptable number from the lows of the 1970’s.

It is interesting to note that many of these animal-right/anti-hunting groups do not even reside in New Jersey or at least live near black bear country.

In addition to attacking the F&W, these groups obviously set out against hunting and hunters. The first line of attacks came in the form of “Hunters are simply looking to put Trophy’s on their walls”. By alluding to trophy hunting they hoped and in fact did solicit support from animal lovers. The black bear was portrayed as this helpless animal (mammal actually) that was being targeted by blood thirsty hunters and being offered for slaughter by money hungry Fish&Game members and biologists.

Within this “blame-base” the anti’s offered garbage (you can take that comment both ways) as another pardon excuse.

Well garbage was a problem but this became a problem when the black bear population exceeded its natural carrying habitant and the overflow began to roam into previously unexplored territories.

For added “pardon-symphony” the anti’s cited “land development”. Here again, we should pardon the black bear and put the blame on human population growth, both new families and senior citizens with a need for housing. Of course, we have those “transferred-rural-tree hugging homeys” that believe once they move to the country everyone else should stay away. Why, if you don’t want the black bear killing your pets, domestic animals, breaking into your garages and houses, attacking and threatening humans, disrupting human rights and freedom, “get-out-of-town”. Sound familiar? It is like the old Westerns, “howdy partner why this town isn’t big enough for the both of us move out or draw.”

 

Well just look at these latest statistics:

July 21, 2008 to August 20, 2008 the state black bear unit received (437) bear calls compared to (185) for the same period in 2007

 

Fifty (50) calls were Category 1, (247) calls were Category 11, (140) calls were Category 111 in the time period 2008 as noted above

 

Twelve (12) calls were Category 1, (101) calls were Category 11, (72) calls were Category 111 in the time period 2007 as noted above.

 

From January 1, 2008 through August 20, 2008 a total of (1821) bear calls were received as compared to (1037) for the same time period in 2007.

 

The black bear unit in total received from January 1, 2008 through August 20, 2008; (169) Category 1 calls, (1015) Category 11 calls, and (637) Category 11 calls

For the same time period 2007 the calls were; (75) Category 1 calls, (543) Category 11 calls, (419) Category 111 calls.

 

Eighteen (18) bears were euthanized in 2008 as compared to (13) in 2007.

·        Category 1: Behavior includes; human attacks, home entries, attempted home entries, agricultural crop damage and killing livestock or pets.

·        Category 11: Behavior includes; nuisance bears are  habitual visitors’ to dumpsters or birdfeeders and property damage less than $500.00

·        Category 111 : Behavior includes; wandering into populated areas, passing through rural and suburban neighborhoods, bears observed by hikers, hunters, campers and others using facilities in black bear habitant

 

All of this activity, basically “criminal-activity” and last week we have the NJSPCA filing charges against a Jefferson woman, on behalf of the black bear no-less, because her dog chased, caught and killed a small black bear that trespassed on her property. Just imagine and think real hard about this, they want to put a human being, a woman, in jail because her dog killed a “wild-trespassing” animal that is destroying domestic pets, livestock and property.

Look at it this way if this non-sense does not stop, if the court does not throw this ridicules case out of court, anyone, your own family and/or friends that own a dog could end up with fines and jail if that dog happens to defend it’s property and attacks a trespassing, “wild-bear”.

On the other hand, if the black bear succeeds in killing your domestic pet there is no legal recourse for you (0), nothing.

We have wasted time and taxpayers money on this issue since 2000; New Jersey State Supreme hearings, Governor’s, DEP Commissioners,  Judges of local courts everyone involved in a decision making process that belongs to the professional F&G and biologists that are experienced and  paid to make these decisions.

This is totally out of control, non-experienced people, politicians or others should not be allowed to interfere with professionals. No, we do not need inexperienced people on the Fish & Game Council; we do not need animal-rights/anti-hunters determining the process for managing wild game.

 

Lastly, hunter or not we do not need to question the legal right a citizen has to harvest and process and consume their own food. It is the balance of hunting and game management that brings about a safe co-existence with wild animals all through America, except New Jersey, “Pardon Us but no more Black Bear Pardons.” Governor Corzine inherited this problem write him and tell him it is OK to pass the buck to Fish&Game.

Mike D