Well, it took (5) long years; millions of non-hunting citizens that understand and support hunting, a Governor that does not put politics ahead of human safety, nor allows emotional rhetoric to overrule professional biologists and Fish & Game experts but finally; the long overdue hunt is now scheduled for this year.
Plain common-sense has trumped the anti-hunting/animal-right charade-parade that has caused the New Jersey black bear population to grow out-of-control. Bottom-line; No wild-animal/mammal can be simply left to propagate to whatever numbers they can reach, especially one that poses a serious threat to human safety; they are at the top of the food chain, do not fear humans and are overpopulated.
Now be prepared for a final onslaught of misleading lies and information from the various anti-hunting/animal-right groups. They are losing their final foothold on the “only” state in the nation with a large black bear population that allowed emotional outcry and politics to interfere with professional wildlife managers and biologists that determined hunting was required for black bear population control.
(1) Let’s start with the “Bear Group” who preys on the emotions of many honest people that have a problem dealing with the killing of any animal and sucking emotional money out of them through promoting the illusion that “garbage-control” will somehow solve the problem of overpopulation.
The New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife has made the public aware of the need for garbage control long ago, but let’s give some credit to the Bear Group; they did help F&W by getting this message more attention. Garbage control is important not only for black bears, but raccoons and rats and general health; not overpopulation.
But now they are wasting donation money on? The purchase of (6) billboards, in (6) different locations in northwest N.J. to protest the bear hunt. Janet Pizar, queen of illusion was quoted as saying; “the billboards are generating enormous opposition from the public”. Sure Pizar, right “in your dreams”. Not the citizens of N.J., not the people living in bear country, not even the people in some (21) counties that now realize that overpopulated black bears are relocating to places they never were in before.
There is no better way to “protect” the black bear than reducing their population to a number that allows them to thrive in their own natural environment. Protect them? Yes because if they are allowed to continue to propagate, to break into garages, houses, attack humans, domestic pets and livestock they will soon be labeled vermin.
(2) This then leads us to the next group; Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club who was quoted as saying; “The bears that will ultimately pay the price of a hunt will be those living in the forests that do not venture into neighborhoods and communities”
Jeff, have you travelled throughout New Jersey black bear country at all? Nearly every community that has black bear problems is surrounded by either State Hunting Land or private lands leased by hunting clubs. These are the lands that will be hunted.
Jeff, the problem is land development and overpopulation do you know what happens when land is developed? Wildlife moves, they have no room so they move Jeff. Reduce the black bear population and you open up the forests so they “gain” room, so the PAPA bears don’t chase out the youngsters and they can drift back to the privacy of the open forests that remain.
Now here you go; Tittel states; “his groups’ position that if a bear hunt is held in the state it should be a management hunt, not a recreational hunt”.
Why is that? Labeling a hunt as recreational is a copout of some sort. Every state includes recreational hunting as part of? “Wildlife Management”. Every hunt is a management hunt and when the experts foresee a problem with hunting a specific species what do they do? Control the process through establishing limits or removing the species from the hunting schedule as they did when? “1970” when both the NJDF&W with the full cooperation of hunters stopped black bear hunting. Guess what, in 1970 citizens didn’t give a hoot about black bears or what their numbers were, it was only NJDF&W and hunters that were concerned.
The last myths to dispel; only hunters want the hunt, this is a Trophy Hunt and they plan to waste the meat and opt for rugs and mounts.
NOT; Millions of non-hunting N.J. citizens support hunting and especially hunting of black bears to bring the numbers to a safe coexisting level.
Sure there are certainly large black bears in N.J., but just like any other species the older, larger animals are the smartest and have the best survival instincts. Hunters are being asked by landowners and the public to use hunting to “reduce” the black bear population and that is the plan.
Black bear meat is edible; butchers throughout the state are ready to prepare the meat for consumption which includes the usual “beef like” cuts of steaks, chops, roasts, stew and chop meat. Many years ago black bears were the only bear species hunted for meat which was considered savory, rather delicious and tastes not unlike pork.
What can be done to protect the black bear? Identify the real problems and work on ways to control it;
Population and Land Development: (Information available to the public from various sources)
Population:
New Jersey’s population is balanced by the migration of our citizens to other states and the influx of international immigrants to take their place. As immigrants move into such counties as Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex and Union citizens move out of state or further to other counties like; Ocean, Somerset, Burlington, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Warren Monmouth and Sussex.
New Jersey between 1990 and 1999 had its natural rate of population growth (births and deaths) nullified by the number of our citizens that moved out-of-state replenished by the influx of international immigrants that contributed to our reported growth.
People are willing to move within the state in spite of increased travel time as the average commute time for Sussex residents is approximately (40) minutes. This movement into previously less developed areas will contribute to the building of new homes further chipping away at farm and forest lands.
Can then anything be done to solve this problem? Does the Federal Government have the power to better control the influx of immigrants? Do our citizens want to stem the flow of immigrants?
If we do nothing then the internal migration from county-to-county will continue and the development of farm and forest will further reduce the natural habitant of our wildlife.
Development of Land:
Statistics indicate that from 1986 – 1995, statewide the rate of newly developed acres per new resident was 0.362 acres per person. A 2000 study indicated that the rate of development 1995-2000 was approximately (50) acres per day or 18,000 acres a year. If that rate of development were to continue, combined with land preservation, New Jersey could have developed all of its buildable land within the next 25 to 30 years.
If we do not stop the development of land through more incentives for farmland preservation, support of state land purchases then the future of not only the black bear but all wildlife is in jeopardy.
So here it is all anti-hunter/animal right people, if you really are concerned about the future of our New Jersey wildlife then get involved in these two last issues.
We need to better understand the problems concerning an uncontrolled influx of immigrants into New Jersey.
We need to support farmland preservation and state land purchases that prevent the development of what farm and forest we have left in New Jersey.
We need to get involved in selecting the right leaders.
We need to put emotions aside and let common-sense lead us and allow professionals with proven track records to develop programs involving wildlife population control.
Well, we all complain at one time or another about this state, the problems are taxes and the high income required to live here, dirty politics and foolish politicians with “vote getting agendas” outweighing what is right for the needs of the people. Most people agree that at this time only the very rich can retire in New Jersey.
It doesn’t have to be this way we need to get involved and select the right leaders, we need to support programs that will help us clean up the problems. We should be concentrating our efforts toward these goals, worrying about a black bear hunt itself is not going to help the black bear as I hope you can better understand the bigger problems that will ultimately do them in.
All of the other (27) states that hold black bear hunts have no issues because through hunting they have been able to maintain thriving, healthy black bear populations year after year, decade after decade.
Hunting itself is our heritage, our legal right to pursue wildlife as a sport or as a food source. It allows many of us to become a part of a past we never new, a time when the world was less complicated, where hard work for most was not measured in dollars but in tilled land, good crops and game on the table. Family time was not centered around computers, television, soap operas or reality shows because life in those days was surreal as it was.
Hunting to the majority is not about “killing” because of the millions of hunters that take to wood and field small percentages come back with game; but it is not the game that makes the hunt it is the time spent with family and friend in a place so far removed from the hectic pace of today as to make every minute special and worthwhile. Many hunting stories at the end of a day are about wildlife, some chipmunk spending hours gathering food, some bird building a nest, a fox pursuing some rabbit, a coyote sneaking about, a rock formation resembling some animal, water rolling over a bed of rocks. You see when you go hunting it isn’t just walking into the woods blasting away and killing something, it is spending time, hours, sometimes dawn to dusk without ever “killing” anything. Good hunters spend that time to enjoy the outdoors and if along the way they “harvest” game this is a bonus and for most healthy food for the table. What it comes down to is this, we all need to eat and meat is the number one choice of the vast majority, whether you buy it in the supermarket neatly packaged from a slaughter house or harvest it yourself and have it packaged on your own is a personal decision. Slaughtered or harvested the end result was the same. Well, not quite actually hunted animals have a chance to escape as the smartest usually do; slaughter houses give no chance.
When you ride around the various areas like, Northern New Jersey, where rolling farmland meet pine forests, lakes and streams crossing about here and there, small log cabins located on hidden ponds, to South Jersey and the shore where sprawling homes sit ocean front or cozy shore houses dot the side streets. While the board’walks provide entertainment for adults and children alike, a simple shore house is the backdrop for retired couples to enjoy the sound of the waves the songs of the sea gulls while the young too gather about for sun, fun and summer recreation.
New Jersey is just 30 to 40 minutes from one culture to another, from the bright lights of Broadway to the Casinos in Atlantic City, to the farms and forests of Sussex. From placing coins in slot machines to putting coins in some farmers, “leave money here box” as we purchase the most delicious, home grown, New Jersey corn and tomatos.
From macadam and concrete, malls and stores to farms, dirt roads, cows, horses and wildlife, deer always, bears occasionally (lately more occassional than should be) , birds of every kind.
What a beautiful state; lets hope we can keep it this way and that somehow it can go back in time some before greedy developers and selfish politicians put us on a course where many have to leave our roots and move away.
Hey! Just like the black bear, over-population and land development it will get us all.
Well, here they go again! The Bear Education and Resource Group, fresh off one of the most devastating loses of their “Stop the Bear Hunt” cause (when they failed to rally enough people to vote against Governor Christi for his outright support of a black bear hunt, prior to and after the election) have now filed some “bogus” lawsuit against the NJDF&W.
This law that they dug up is called “The (OPMA) Open Public Meetings Law Act”.
The Game Committee Chairman however, stated that all of the Council’s regular meetings are open, but subcommittee meetings, including the Game Council Committee, do not have to be.
So “check this out”:
The Bear Management Policy, under a 2007 state appeals court ruling, must first be publicly vetted much as an environmental regulation change. It will have been published in the April 19, 2010 New Jersey Register, which will start a (60) day public comment period, including a May 11, 2010 public hearing, to be held at 6:00 PM, at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. How much more open can it get?
Pay close attention here all of you New Jersey citizens that are, “overtaxed”, “out-of-work”, “retired trying to make ends meet”, “government workers” and “teachers” looking at job layoffs and pay reductions; The Bear Education & Resource Group, with a base of inexperienced, emotional, anti-hunters are just looking to “waste” what money you have already paid in taxes and spend what little money the state has, on bringing frivolous lawsuits to our courts against professional, experienced biologists and wildlife management experts.
OK, so now we have a public comment period, but why? Because of past politics; what good is “emotional” public comment we have heard it all. The anti-hunting/animal-right groups will be there preaching “GARBAGE”, yes we agree, but we need to reduce the black bear “over-population” then they will have more room in their own natural environment and less interest in our garbage.
Here I go again, (27) states have large black bear populations, (26) of these states respect and support their Fish & Wildlife Professionals, who all include hunting as the primary means of maintaining a black bear population that is consistent with human safety.
Through this culling process, which has taken place for decades, the black bear continues to thrive and remain a natural resource. In this day, in any of these states has the black bear faced extinction. Remember, it was way “back-in-the-day”, (1970) when the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife made the decision to close hunting as they saw the black bear population dwindling to a dangerous low level. Back in (1970) there were no cries from the public and quite frankly, very few people cared about black bears.
So remember this; it was the NJDF&W, not anti-hunters or animal-rights groups that stepped in to save the black bears; NJDF&W DID IT.
Now we need to trust The NJDF&W again, we need to step back and use some common sense; No wildlife, animal or mammal can be simply left to propagate to “whatever” number they can reach, especially a carnivorous black bear that is at the top of the wildlife (and when they feel like it human) food chain.
It was just reported March 30th, in Vernon, New Jersey a man got a summons for killing a black bear in his backyard. All through my blog I have attempted to discourage anyone from doing this because the state has no options other than to fine you, unless you can clearly prove that the bear was a direct threat to you or family members. This remains to be seen in this case. But now fear and frustration appears to be setting in and this demonstrates that people are getting worn out by the threat to their families, domestic pets and livestock and with the invasion of property by the “overpopulated” black bear.
So once again, I encourage you to let your “voices” be heard in support of the black bear hunt and please refrain from any actions that can be construed as illegal. Our Governor knows the problem, the DEP understands and now supports the F&G Council bear management plan which includes hunting, help by supporting them.
Yesterday a black bear climbed over my daughters fenced in yard, crushed the fence on the way in then crushed the other side on the way out. My two grandchildren play in that yard with their friends and pet dog, luckily they were on the deck and not in the yard.
So is it “let the debates begin”? No, it is let the threats to human safety begin, lets put our children and families in harms way because some emotional, inexperienced, misleading people are still trying to convince the Governor and the public “those black bears can multiply to WHATEVER and they will not bother anyone”just control your garbage and the black bear will magically disappear into some unknown, uninhabited space. RIGHT!
The black bear hunt must take place this year; actually it should take place in September, not December but we need something to get started. The DEP passed the F&G black bear management plan; (45) extensive pages of scientific research just logon to:
Well, it is official; the black bear has succeeded in taking control of New Jersey. What a success story, once near extinction in 1970, the black bear was given a new lease on life by; Wildlife Professional Biologists under the F&G and Hunters that established and respected a ban on hunting.
By 2000 the trend was completely reversed and the black bear went from near extinction to overpopulation, with an attitude change from timid and fearful to belligerent and destructive.
In 2000, former Governor Christine Todd Whitman yielded to pressure from the animal-right/anti-hunting groups paving the way for politics to enter the arena of wildlife management.
Oh, there were moments of sanity when hunts were held in 2003 and 2005 but then entered Governor Corzine who flatly stated he was against any bear hunting. The new DEP Commissioner, appointed by Governor Corzine, Lisa Jackson quickly got her marching orders and followed the Governors beat.
Together they came up with a plan to overrule the 2005 agenda of black bear hunts and opted for a “research into non-lethal methods” of black bear population control. A stall tactic at best, because there were already numerous studies conducted around the country proving this to be ineffective.
So today a New Jersey black bear “rules”, they can break into garages and houses, attack and kill domestic pets and livestock, even attack and injure humans and they receive a pardon. Black bears are allowed to interfere with our recreation at state parks and yes even our “highest in the nation, tax paid for personal property and backyards”. Now not only do they travel in previous know “black-bear counties” they are seen in every county of New Jersey and cities including Trenton itself.
Although, there are “millions” of citizens, besides hunters, that support hunting as the most proven, effective method of wild game management, many politicians continue to listen to a minority of special interest animal-right/anti-hunting groups; Why? Because these groups are backed by people from other states who realize that New Jersey is their last battleground in which they can mix politics and wildlife management. By a well established network of communications they flood the Governor and others with misleading information and the threat of lost votes for anyone supporting black bear hunting. They continually, throw out the “blood thirsty trophy hunters” or the Fish&Games’ need to generate revenue for their salaries as the primary excuse for a hunt. To make matters worse they get support from news publications that are staffed with anti-hunting journalists that put the “anti-hunting-spin” on every black bear incident reported.
So what should we believe? Well to start with twenty-seven (27) states have large black bear populations that require population control. Many of these states, by the way, have less black bears and less complaints than N.J., but twenty-six (26) of those states, with both Democratic and Republican Governors, allow their Fish&Game, professionals to establish and maintain wildlife management programs.
All (26) of these states have successfully controlled their black bear populations for decades through hunting seasons. They are able to maintain a healthy black bear population and reduce the level of dangerous black bear activities. Just to be perfectly clear here, yes even in these states a black bear may occasionally roam into a populated area or attempt to break into a garage or house, but, the big but, is that without years of hunting for population control these problems would be multiplied to a much higher and more dangerous level; like? You guessed it N.J. today.
What else can we believe? Our own eyes, ears and common-sense. We see drastic increases, 20% or greater, in overall black bear complaints, we see black bears in places they never travelled before and where they were seen we see them more often and in greater numbers. We hear the stories from the people, neighbors, family and friends that have been victims of intrusive and aggressive black bears, we hear of domestic pets attacked and killed, farmer’s livestock and crops damaged. Common-sense clearly tells us that “no wild game animal” can be left to just multiply beyond their natural range carrying capacity to whatever size population they can reach.
I started this blog on my own after researching the New Jersey black bear problem since 2000 and when my daughter and grandchildren became prisoners’ in their own house as the black bears invaded their backyard and threatened their safety. If you review the other OPEDS in my blog you will find that this extensive research has enabled me to publish accurate and fair information about the “modern black bear”. Development of land and increasing human population has led to an attitude change in black bear behavior and that change is a danger to humans.
Many people not in favor of hunting are not necessarily all on a political agenda but simply do not like to think of an animal being culled through hunting. These people must be respected and understood. But in return these same individuals must also understand that the most precious life is human life, the good human goes out of their way to save each other and then animals as well, but their priorities are in order, human rights before animal rights.
Hunting is a legal right in our country; it is the right of humans to “harvest” their own game for food. A black bear or a deer is food for those that wish to pursue historical traditions. A cow, pig, calf etc, raised for consumption by humans, is no less “cute” than the wild game a hunter harvests. In the end game they all become food. Domestic livestock populations are controlled according to consumption needs and the method of controlling domestic livestock? Slaughterhouses that kill and prepare the meat for human consumption.
Wild game animals need to have the same controlled populations in order to avoid disease, starvation through lack of available food, wasted death through vehicle collisions and even overhunting that can damage the balance. The method is not much different than domestic livestock with one exception; wild game is given a chance to survive through their own cunning senses and ability to escape. The strong and healthy do so and that strengthens the health of their overall population while the weaker are culled to maintain the population to acceptable numbers.
This is Wildlife Management and to remain successful it requires professionals, biologists not politicians, nor animal-right/anti-hunting groups misleading and false intervention. It doesn’t need newspapers’ putting personal spins on factual stories. We don’t need inexperienced people and/or animal-right or anti-hunters on Fish & Game commissions. Why; well without them New Jersey F&G and hunters were able to develop a very healthy black bear population and in this year 2009 there is no F&G or hunter that would not revert to non-hunting of any species if it was required for their continued existence. Hunters are historical and proven conservationists.
We now have an emergency situation in New Jersey, each day those that understand black bear overpopulation and their now “no-fear” attitude wait each day for the bad news; a human severely mauled or killed by a black bear. Just think of this; if you had the opportunity today to be a “Good Samaritan” would you not do anything to help a fellow human being, to save someone from injury or death? If your answer is yes then start supporting a black bear hunt in New Jersey, write the Governor, DEP and your local politicians and let them know. Don’t listen to the animal-righty/anti-hunters, we have run out of time, we need a hunt immediately.
Governor Corzine may not like hunting, but he surely is not looking to have someone mauled and killed by an overpopulated black bear. Since Governor Whitman, her successors have inherited that incorrect decision she made in 2000. Now like the others the Governor is caught in the web. Let’s give him the opportunity to put this back where it belongs, with the F&G and state biologists, where science will rule, not black bears and politics. Put politics back in the corner of human safety, the safety of the citizens of New Jersey.
A warm spring evening in rural New Jersey and night gently pushes out the daylight, chirping birds quite now as they retreat to their hideaways. On cue tree-frogs having rested all day, begin their hunt for food, small insects and bugs. As the night progresses the males will begin to croak and call out for the females in choruses, first a group from the left, then the right, then in front, back and forth their sound traveling for long-distances.
From a nearby pond the tree-frogs are joined by relatives as their much larger cousins, the bull-frogs sing out with deep, loud croaks of their own. While helping the tree-frogs to keep down the mosquito and insect populations their much larger appetite may include fellow frogs. Bull-frogs are free from natural predators and can use their toxic secretions to disable their prey.
Used to be;further back in the woods unseen and unheard roamed the Black Bear, looking for wild fruit trees, nuts and juicy, moist greens and a nice meal of fawn or other meat. With no natural predators to worry about the mighty bears ruled the dark wilderness without fear. In the daylight hours they had learned to avoid their only predator, humans as they rightly associated them with danger. For centuries they became familiar with the human smell, the sound of a gun, the twang of a bow string and they knew too well that their mighty strength was no match for the thunder sticks.
Used to be; a lot more forest for the bears but as development of land began to chip away at their natural habitant they began to drift closer to humans. In many states where hunting takes place the bears knew their limits. Sure every now and then they wound up in someone’s backyard, maybe found a garbage pail, a low birdfeeder or some other scrap. But they still resisted bold interaction with humans.
Used to be; less black bears, not only in New Jersey, but around the United States now they are on the increase in every state but still under control through hunting. In New Jersey however, we have a black bear “epidemic” created by a political “epidemic” of interference with the state’s Fish & Wildlife by the Governor’s office. Fueling this controversy are anti-hunting/animal-rights groups and a DEP that refuses to support the professional, experienced wildlife biologists and Fish&Game Council. These groups continue to misinform and mislead a very busy Governor who is struggling with the financial woes of N.J. If the Governor were given the correct information he would quickly understand the danger to humans, the success of hunting in (26) other states with large black bear populations, the money he could save by stopping all of these taxpayer, funded court battles and the money he could earn by adding black bear hunting to the hunting licenses and permit revenue stream. The Fish&Game, hunters and citizens would never allow the black bear population to shrink to extinction; we need a balanced population for safe coexistence with humans.
Used to be; that everyday common-sense played a supporting role in decision making. Common-sense clearly tells us that the black bear simply cannot be left to multiply beyond the states natural carrying capacity. Even in states with hunting land development has influenced the black bears behavior. Those that lack common-sense indicate that proves hunting does not work. Common-sense rebuts with statistics showing that without centuries of hunting these same states would now be overrun with black bears further inflating serious intrusive complaints and attacks on domestic livestock and humans. In New Jersey, complaints went down after hunts in 2003 and 2005 (the last hunt in N.J.) and up in 2007, 2008 and again in 2009 with more aggressive black bear behavior being reported.
Used to be; humans could sit out in the privacy of their backyards to enjoy the “tax-paid-for” property they escape to after a working day. A place for the children to meet and play or perhaps it is supposed to be a relaxing day in someone’s retired life. Now we have to contend with “overpopulated” non-human-fearing, black bears. Day or night they roam taking away the peace and security of our homes.
Many so-called bear experts continue to ignore the warning signs, by writing again and again on how to tolerate black bears, how to co-exist, while the black bear counters with increased aggressiveness towards humans. The black bears of New Jersey have “NO-FEAR” and studies show that their once shy behavior has steadily been changing to an unpredictable aggressive behavior. Wild animals are “unpredictable” and when they are large and strong they are dangerous.
The peaceful chorus of frogs; chirping are the tree-frogs, croaking deeply are the bull-frog, they give us free entertainment and hunt pesky bugs and mosquito’s and as the dusk of another day greets us we can close our eyes and live in the beauty of our own backyard wilderness; SNAP, POP, BANG what the heck? Yup now we have the sound of a black bear like a drunk at a ballgame spoiling the day. Silencing the frogs and sending us scrambling quickly to safety, hope we all get there in time. From a safe place we watch a big beautiful male moving with a certain poetic gate; stopping now and then his nose to the sky as he wind-scents then standing on hind legs for a better view, gracefully he comes back down on all fours and moves forward. He looks out of place, this majestic bear now on display in a large development akin to a zoo. Oh, he knows we are watching and the look on his face somehow expresses the disgust of leaving the beauty of once hidden forest land to be a part of fast paced human habitant. Perhaps he can steal a leftover meal from some unsecured garbage pail or maybe find a rabbit cage or a kitchen door leading to some freshly baked pies. Maybe today he won’t be in such a good mood and find some human to threaten, maybe swipe, maybe worse. A child would be easier prey. Well he doesn’t particularly like to pick on humans but time has taught him that he is bigger, stronger and humans!! They don’t fight back so maybe today he will be your typical bully.
Maybe that look on his face tells us of better times, times when there were less brothers, sisters and cousins occupying the hidden forests, times when he didn’t have to cope with camera crazy humans, times when a human would be lucky to see him. Now humans are his “paparazzi” they follow him for candid shots, they are intrusive and annoying. Hunters; they kill but he has a chance to use his skills against theirs, he is good and when the population is reduced to the proper numbers he will be difficult to find, he will go back to the forest where he relaxed and enjoyed his clandestine lifestyle. The strong will survive, the weak will fall and the balance will be good for both him and humans.
Frogs give us peace when we hear them; black bears give us peace when we don’t see them.
So stop the non-sense; use common-sense just how long does anyone really believe that New Jersey can allow the black bear population to continue growing? There just is not enough room and contrary to what the anti’s suggest it is not a matter of “move-out” if you do not like living with bears because human-rights before animal-rights. We need hunting, whether you are a hunter or not, this is the only proven method of wildlife management. Twenty-six (26) out of Twenty-seven (27) states successfully use hunting to control their black bear population.
Contact your state Senators, the Governors office and DEP let them know you support controlled black bear hunting, value human safety and need to know you can enjoy your own “tax-paid-for-property” without fear of wild animals. Let them know that you support black bear rights to exist in their own natural habitant, to survive using their own skills and not be forced to leave their homeland due to black bear overpopulation. New Jersey is preserving forest and farm land through preservation this will help the black bear if there are not too many.
I am an “omnivore” and my diet includes plants, meat, insects, bee’s wasps, yellow jackets and honey. I also like skunk cabbage, horsetail, tree bark and acorns. If I want I will dine on, small mammals, like rodents, Whitetail fawns, Elk or Moose calves, I vary my diet with salmon, suckers, crayfish and trout. For desert, apples, cherries, pears, peaches and plums will do.
I am the “APEX” predator in North America and with the exception of Grizzly (Brown Bear) no other animal/mammal can touch me.
I prefer to “live” in forested and shrubby areas but I often like ridge tops, tidelands, burned areas, riparian areas, agricultural field’s hardwood and conifer swamps.
I usually, “hibernate” in the winter in hollowed-out dens, tree cavities’, under logs or rocks, caves, culverts and shallow depressions. Since my body temperature does not significantly drop during the winter, here’s a little secret; I never really totally sleep and remain somewhat alert and in fact active. I am some what exhausted from an active breeding summer and following food frenzy to prepare for the winter.
In the spring I come fully out of this “hibernated-state” and begin feeding all over again, feeding and getting ready for another “breeding-run” of course in New Jersey, where we have some sort of reproduction madness, competition is not like it used to be, all of those Ma Ma bears running around, 3-5 cubs to look after and still every two years, here we go again. Love it as once those female cubs reach 3-4 years old, “watch-out”.
I enjoy breeding or act thereof; in this area I guess I most resemble the Human Species’. In fact, those humans got the “rabbit-habit” and are spreading out all over my natural habitant.
Now I have a real problem here, at one time I feared the poachers, and then Fish &Wildlife stepped in to set traps and catch them. I was also worried about hunters but for the most part the Fish & Wildlife stepped in again and stopped hunting until we caught back up with a population that allowed us to remain where we wanted to be, back in the forests out of sight, out of mind.
But those humans, here in New Jersey, why they just kept it up, if you know what I mean. They reproduced more than us, and then started to move into my country, OH, many of them lived here for years, generations of them, but they had farms and large plots of property and we were less, they were less so, well, we “safely-co-existed”. Live and let live.
To make matters worst some of us bears started getting a little nosey and ventured into these new developments, at first it was scary because we knew that the human was the “APEX” when it came to us, but for some reason as we encountered them something strange happened, they moved away from us, heck they looked plain scared.
So we started to roam around a little more and on certain nights the raccoons told us you could find a good “leftover” meal in some large pail that the humans put outside. Now I would admit that this certainly wasn’t better than a good old fashioned, home grown skunk cabbage patch, bee hive or small fresh animal/mammal, but with many of us now crowded out of those food sources’, well it is better than starving.
Some of us even realized that domestic livestock, was no longer protected and that pets were an easy prey as well. So we moved in on them too.
In some areas it was pretty cool, why people, some tribes called, “anti-hunting/animal-right, tree huggers” even snuck us food in their backyards and all we had to do was look cute and let them snap a few pictures. We even got creative and sat on their children’s swing sets, laid in their hammocks; we used their swimming pools.
As Murphy’s’ law would have it just when we were bragging about our new found life some wise ass decided they had enough. The humans actually got mad because they had to pick-up their garbage from all over the place, so they put it in some silly looking yellow pails with large handles on top. Let me tell you, we could drag these away and irrigate them with tooth holes, but why bother? We just watched those houses with the silly yellow pails and found where they stored garbage before the “out-night”. Most put it in sheds or garages. Well, they didn’t realize that in addition to our jaws and teeth we have some “guns” in our legs, enough to rip open any shed or garage and that we did.
Others’ of us decided that domestic livestock and pets were in large supply and easier than some garbage to get. So we went heavy there as well.
Some humans decided to get in our way, maybe on purpose, maybe by accident, no matter we swiped a few, bit a few and some of our more rogue members well, they went further.
Back in 2003 we were surprised that when we encountered humans, during the month of December, we were being shot at and taken. They weren’t scared of us and their “smoke-sticks” carried powerful medicine, man we made way back to the forests a few less but actually we had more room now. In 2004, we were a little timid again but for some reason the humans were passive again, so we went back to our old ways trying to make up for those lost opportunities. I guess we went a little too far, because in December of 2005, the “smoke-sticks” were out again and again we retreated. Thankfully, those dumb humans came after us in December, in the cold and snow where many of us were already in partial hibernation.
We were a little wary in the beginning of 2006 but we soon realized that we were OK again, in 2007 we stepped it up a little more and so far in 2008 we are going bonkers. Heck; we are multiplying to numbers where nothing will stop us and any human getting in our way, we will take out. That goes for adults any age and especially kids, because unlike us two, three year young humans don’t have the smarts to cope with us. Maybe we were timid and shy once but for now our attitude is aggressive and dangerous.
One of our seniors picked out some oil soaked newspaper from the garbage, a relative of “ Smokey Bear” was he, who was able to read the news that our allies, the anti-hunting/animal-right party had somehow succeeded in convincing the “vote-minded” liberal politicians in New Jersey that we should be left alone, not to worry about us hurting anybody. That a few domestic animals, breaking into garages and houses and roughing up or worse on a few humans was no big deal. Listen to this; these groups even convinced the Governor’s office and DEP that we could just be left alone to multiply year after year and here’s the kicker; we can “safely-co-exist”. OK
The only thing humans have to be made to do is give up:
·freedom of their own, tax paid for, backyards and private property
·take your kids to the bus stops, without peanut butter and jelly lunches
·consider your domestic livestock and pets as expendable
·dig up fruit and nut trees
·pray every night that you do not get in our way
·learn that a wild bears’ life, is more important than human life
As Ray’s father the late actor Peter Boyle would say; “Holy Crap is that All”
Some mention was made of bringing back the hunting season and our allies countered with “sterilization”, to tell you the truth, they will never catch enough of us to sterilize and doubt if any chemical they use will work, we have a pretty strong constitution on breeding; we love it, DON’T MESS WITH THAT OR YOU MIGHT REALLY FIND SOME ANGRY BEARS.
We would go as far as saying when it comes to sterilization versus hunting, we bears “Support Hunting”. It’s a win, win for us. First you have to catch us, oh, it might be easy at first because dang-it, there are a few too many of us right now. But once we get thinned out a little and can get back to our own natural habitant, you will see how our shy and timid personality of the past takes over and makes us quite elusive.
Frankly speaking, we are tired of being relegated to the human “open-zoo” environment.
The human population triggered off this problem, developers made it worse, then the anti-hunter/animal-right, tree hugging photographers added to the problem.
All species have predators’, disease, accidents whatever this is life it will never change, Support, your wildlife biologists, Fish and Game and Black Bear hunting, it is part of life. Contact Governor Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson let them see that the “real-majority” supports a controlled hunt.
Please Tree-Huggers no more help your lies are killing us more than the smoke sticks will.
Well, it took (5) long years; millions of non-hunting citizens that understand and support hunting, a Governor that does not put politics ahead of human safety, nor allows emotional rhetoric to overrule professional biologists and Fish & Game experts but finally; the long overdue hunt is now scheduled for this year. 
out the daylight, chirping birds quite now as they retreat to their hideaways. On cue tree-frogs having rested all day, begin their hunt for food, small insects and bugs. As the night progresses the males will begin to croak and call out for the females in choruses, first a group from the left, then the right, then in front, back and forth their sound traveling for long-distances. 
NJ Bear Hunt 