The black bears in New Jersey had been successfully preserved through the years as a result of efforts from the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife/Fish & Game Commission and the professional state biologists. Supporting and upholding these laws were the sportsmen of N.J., the very same “hunters” now accused by the anti’s of wanting to annihilate the black bear.

 

Since 2000 however, the efforts of NJF&W/F&G have been thwarted by animal-right/anti-hunting groups that have managed to turn black bear overpopulation into a political issue. This all started through the weakness of former Governor Whitman, whose last minute decision to stop the 2000 hunt laid the groundwork for the issues we are facing today.

 

On a national level, animal-right/anti-hunting organizations lost the majority of battles wherein they attempted to shift the responsibility of wildlife management from F&G professionals to politicians. Therefore, the anti’s honed in on New Jersey as a last battleground. They picked the right state where vote hungry politicians were always ready to jump into any arena that might lead to more votes.

 

It is an actual, documented fact that out of (27) states with large enough black bear populations to require “population-control” only New Jersey politicians have allowed inexperienced, emotional driven, animal-right/anti-hunting groups to interfere with the long-standing and successful population management of black bears made possible through “HUNTING”.

 

Now we have a new no-nothing group opening up shop under:

“Northern New Jersey Bear Alliance”

Their goal in a “nutshell” to dispel the myth of black bears being predatory or dangerous creatures. So this new organization starts off with lies and misleading information; same ole, same ole anti’s nonsense. 

Here are some examples from their web information site:

 

The Controversy Continues: They, NNJBA, cite 1970 when the game authorities suspended bear hunting due to a diminished population Then just listen to this non-sense; For the next (33) years residents coexisted peacefully with what bears existed. In 2003 under pressure from hunting lobbyist organizations a hunt was approved.

“Well, of course people existed peacefully; you hardly saw a bear because they were growing in numbers but still had enough “then-undeveloped-land” to roam in peace.”

Hunters, hunters mind you, not the millions of non-hunting citizens from Wayne, Totowa, Morristown, Passaic, Bergen and now all of the counties in New Jersey, only hunters want you to believe that the current overpopulation is a “point-of-concern”. Another misconception, as currently millions of N.J. citizens understand “overpopulation dangers” and support a black bear hunt.

NNJBA states; the state (N.J.) has contracted a state university in PA. to conduct a population study, Well want to know why? Because the politicians and anti’s in New Jersey have so put down our own F&W professionals that any numbers NJF&G reports is quickly challenged by these groups and taken to court.

 

NNJBA states that regulated hunts has no effect in reducing incidents or encounters. This is a major outright, anti-hunting lie. Contact any of the (26) states with large black bear populations and find out what problems they would be facing today if they had allowed their black bear populations to grow to whatever number they could reach through the years.

 

Sport-Trophy- Recreational Hunting:

NNJBA, claims that modern weaponry has taken the actual “thrill” of the hunt out of the equation. “High-powered- recurve bows”; (no such weapon exists as a high-powered- recurve bow) in fact, the same poundage’s have existed since the recurve bows introduction), Compound bows, shotguns with scopes, crossbows give the hunter an advantage?

I believe there is some confusion on the author’s behalf here; so the NNJBA would rather see the old weapons used, that were less effective in many hands, rather than a modern weapon that enables culling of the animal quickly and cleanly, with the animal suffering as little as possible.

NNJBA further states that they have no opposition against an individual enjoying his sport of shooting, but its opposition is centered on the reasons why an animal’s life (bear-deer-turkey, etc (etc???) must be taken for “bragging rights”

So if I read through this confusion then; NNJBA is not against hunting as long as traditional hunting equipment is used and only small bears, deer and turkeys are harvested and they are carried out of the woods rather than being transported by an ATV or pick-up???

Well, let’s see that would pertain to about 10% of the hunters in N.J.  as the majority hunt any size game, don’t use ATC’S or trucks in the woods and in fact these vehicles are not even allowed on the state lands.

 

A Changing Perception

NNJBA wants to convince the public that fear of a black bear is unfounded. The fact that a black bear has not killed a human in 110 years refutes this contention by proponents of a hunt, “they say.”

 

Well here we go again, 110 years, it was only 1970 when we had hardly any bears in N.J. and 110 years ago this was a state with vast forests and fewer people travelling about on horseback and  horse drawn wagons, Wyatt Earp was still alive, come on; we all know that a 110 year history has absolutely no bearing on black bear activities taking place from 2000 to 2009 when overpopulation came into play.

 

In America we have learned to prepare for and avoid tragedies, not to ignore warnings like looking past the numerous black bear to human dangerous encounters, the documented and proven increases in all overall, intrusive, black bear behavior and instead consider only “meaningless statistics” from non-professional tree-huggers, that will result in some unsuspecting, mislead human to be seriously mauled or killed by a “2009” overpopulated black bear.

 

Look, this is no longer an issue of; No Feeding Bans, Trash Control, property bear-proofing and adverse-conditioning techniques through educational literature and leaflet handouts.

Almost everyone knows this now and in fact the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife has had this information posted on their website for years along with leaflet handouts as well.

 

Game over; none of this will reduce the current, black bear overpopulation problem, nor contain that population through the coming years.

 

The ignorance of these groups should be quite clear to even the simplest mind as they attempt to have people ignore the numbers; the continual rise in domestic and livestock attacks and killing, attacks on humans, human to black bear dangerous encounters, house break-ins and the overall increase in black bear complaints in general. 

 

Twenty-six other states have successfully used hunting, many for decades, as the most effective method of black bear population control, it works, and they maintain a healthy number of black bears and reduce the dangers to humans to the lowest possible levels.

 

It is these animal-right/anti-hunting groups that pose the greatest danger for the New Jersey Black Bear; if they are not hunted to an acceptable population that allows the majority of black bears to enjoy the seclusion of forests that can support their existence, they will soon be regarded as “vermin” and this will have greater negative consequences for the black bear that hunting ever could.

 

Remember, no one, F&G, hunters or non-hunters supporting a black bear hunt would ever let the black bear be hunted to extinction, after all this is “2009” , it won’t happen.

 Support a N.J. black bear hunt, we cannot allow another year of population growth without a tragedy to some human, now this is the plain and simple truth as supported by; “ABBA” Actual Black Bear Activity.

 

Mike D

 

 

 

Bear Over Population In NJ

Since the last allowed hunt in 2005 and beginning in 2007 through this year 2009, the lack of hunting to reduce and maintain a safe black bear population has led to a “red-alert” level of dangerous black bear activity. 

The problem is animal-right and anti-hunting groups that have basically lost battles to stop hunting throughout the country. In (27) other states with large enough black bear populations to cause a safety issue for the human population, the Governors, Republican and Democratic alike have not allowed these groups to interfere and stepped aside to allow their professional, experienced wildlife commissions and biologists to control the problem. 

With major losses in other states these groups focused on New Jersey where starting with Governor Whitman in 2000 they have been able to use a fragmented government to their benefit. They have spent enormous sums of money enabling them to keep this in the political arena through the lure of votes.   

The Governors office and DEP have fallen prey to misleading information and lies buying into the call for bear hunting as nothing more than blood thirsty hunters looking for trophies and a Fish&Wildlife wanting to sell more hunting licenses in order to save their jobs.

While millions of non-hunting New Jersey citizens support hunting as well as Senators from bear problem areas, the animal-right/anti-hunting groups, of much less support, continue to flood the Governors’ office and DEP with protests.

These animal-right/anti-hunting groups never come up with any suggestion on how to handle this problem other than GARBAGE, GARBAGE, and GARBAGE. Yes, their whole solution to black bear population control is to secure all garbage. 

Well let’s set the record straight; the majority of us that support a hunt also support GARBAGE control, no question here. But, but, we also know that secured garbage alone, will not solve the current black bear overpopulation issue and will not reduce the growing black bear population. Because of the interference from these groups, a hunt is now inevitable. At this point you do not need to be a biologist to figure this out; black bears will continue to propagate year after year, as they have done since the last hunt in 2005. Herein lies the problem; New Jersey, as do many other states (27) to be exact, does not have the room for uncontrolled growth of the black bear population. 

What we do have, is a black bear problem in areas bordered by state hunting lands and thousands of acres of private hunting lands. This means that hunting in areas like Vernon, West Milford, Sussex, Montague, Blairstown, etc. will really lead to the culling of bears that now roam into the developments and communities surrounding these areas. Once these bears are culled back it will leave room for the remaining bears to drift back into the security of the forests. This then will reduce the flow of black bears throughout the state.

More importantly, hunting is the “best’ adverse conditioning a black bear will learn. We all agree that black bears are smart, we know that because in New Jersey, they have nothing to fear; pot banging, horn blowing even rubber bullets are easy for them to get used to. Hunting however; the bears will figure out after a season that humans represent danger, this again is adverse conditioning. Once again let’s be upfront, even hunting will not stop all bears from roaming into human populated areas, but it will reduce these intrusions to a less dangerous level, one we can all cope with. 

The New Jersey F&W and biologists, who are responsible for bringing back the black bear population, have no intentions of allowing hunting to destroy it. Hunters who have a proven track record of following the rules are not looking to destroy the black bear. What is the proven track record? Hunters with few exceptions have respected the F&G, for decades and the recent Governor and DEP whose interventions stopped the bear hunt.  

We, hunters and non-hunters supporting a hunt, also know that hunting alone will not stop black bear problems, because development of land and/or years when the bear’s natural food is not available, like wild apple trees, berries, nuts, herbs, plant parts, etc. will impact their decision to roam areas of human activity, invade houses, kill domestic animals and livestock and maybe lead to dangerous encounters with humans. But hunting is a proven method that will drastically reduce these problems. 

So we all want to find a solution, respect the law, honor this great black bear but how? Here!

Respect the legal right of our citizens to hunt and the right to harvest their own food, some people go to the store letting others do the harvesting, cows, pigs etc, while many others prefer finding their own; the end result is a meal either way. 

Allow a controlled hunt to reduce the major black bear over-population at hand. 

Continue to monitor the population and adverse human encounters and complaints. 

Expect, demand our F&W & biologists to monitor the population and regulate bear hunting so we do not overhunt the black bear. 

Do not feed black bears. 

Leave the black bears alone; resist photo ops or human contact that will take away their fear or apprehension of humans. 

Support and encourage garbage security with our family, friends and neighbors. 

The police do not have the time, nor should they actually be side tracked with bear problems, so make a citizens report of unsecured garbage to the proper authorities. 

This is a plan, we as supporters of a hunt and/or hunters must do our part and the animal-right, even anti-hunters must come to grips with the fact that hunting is the only, proven method of reducing and maintaining a wild animal, in this case the black bear. 

We each need to give a little, to better understand each other because if any wild animal, especially a potentially dangerous one, is simply allowed to propagate to whatever number they can reach, the end result will be more drastic than hunting; attacks on humans, sooner than later serious injuries or death and then the black bear will be totally disrespected and wasted. Remember, only one Smokey Bear helps put out forest fires, the rest live in the real world. 

Mike D

2009 Action 

There are several OP-EDS within this website, njbearhunt.com ,that will provide readers with real facts concerning the overpopulated New Jersey Black Bears. Please read so you can become familiar with the truth. 

The simple fact however, is that EVERY STATE, with a large enough black bear population to create a human safety issue, holds annual hunting seasons to bring about and maintain a safe coexisting black bear population. 

New Jersey is the only state that does not and as a result of cancelled hunts in 2006 and 2007, 2008 saw the largest increase in all categories of black bear complaints. 

This issue cannot be allowed to remain a political football any longer because some poor human is inevitably going to be seriously mauled or killed by a black bear if the population is not lowered and bears adversely conditioned to be fearful of humans; both of which will be accomplished through annual hunting seasons. 

This year with the Global Financial crisis affecting the entire United States and New Jersey of course, our citizens will be looking for “staycations”, staying at home in our backyards and local recreation areas. There will be cookouts, families and friends getting together, children playing outside, all targets for serious bear conflicts created by the increase in human activity and an “out-of-control” overpopulated black bear that has absolutely no fear of humans. 

I would implore you, especially the Bear Group, Humane Society and other anti-hunting groups to stop this charade, you are publishing lies and misleading information and starting your blitz on the politicians to stop a hunt. 

Anyone, any of you politicians out there please use a little common sense; with (26) out of (27) states successfully using hunting for decades to maintain a healthy, coexisting black bear population why would you think New Jersey can be different? 

Black Bears in New Jersey have three to five cubs each year; they cannot simply be left to multiply any longer. Just where does anyone suppose the black bears are going to live, we are out of room.  

For the millions of the non-hunting public that understands the need for hunting in culling and controlling wildlife populations, you must write and voice your opinions because it appears that our politicians do not listen to facts and figures, successful hunting programs of (26) other states they seem to be fixed on counting potential votes. They refrain from dealing with political hot potatoes. Do not let these groups get away with making this a trophy hunt wanted by blood thirsty hunters, this is about human safety and protection. 
 
 

Here are the contacts:

Mr. David Chanda

Director Div. Fish & Wildlife

Dept. of Environmental Protection

Doc # 05-09-03/718

P.O. Box 400

Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0400 

Governor Jon Corzine

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 001

Trenton, New Jersey 08625 

Commissioner Mark Mauriello

Dept. of Environmental Protection

C-401 E. State Street

P.O. Box 402

Trenton, New Jersey 08625 

Somehow in your own words let these people know that HUMAN LIFE is INVALUABLE and that common sense dictates black bears can never just be left to multiply, they are already overpopulated. None of us wants to read the news when a black bear seriously mauls or kills a human and certainly those of us living the nightmare in bear country fear the day it is one of our family or friends.

For all the love we have for animals none should compare to that of human life nor the agony of watching a human being suffer and die. 

Mike D

 

In the past the Black Bear has only two predators to fear the Brown Bear and the hunter. However, over the past (10) years the black bear has faced a new threat; the tree-hugging human community.  

 

Anti-hunting and animal-rights groups have joined forces to use the black bear as a platform for their core existence. Although, having lost battles around the country they found a home in New Jersey where they succeeded in 2000 by successfully turning the black bear overpopulation problem into a political football. Governor Christie Whitman was the first causality as she gave into the pressure; casting aside the New Jersey Fish and Game professionals decision to hold a 2000 black bear hunt in order to reduce and balance the black bear population to a level that would allow the safe co-existence between bears and humans.

We know that in 1970 the black bear hunting seasons were eliminated as the estimated population was at one hundred (100). The cause for this decline was listed as development of land coupled with hunting.

Bear roams near a residential area in New Jersey

 

The New Jersey Fish and Game and hunters have been targeted by anti-hunting and animal rights groups and used to create a situation wherein the real problem of “black bear overpopulation” was masked by putting the emphasis on the “Fish&Game Council’s looking to protect their jobs” and “hunter’s looking to trophy hunt black bears”.

 

Nothing can be further from the truth or so irrelevant to the overpopulation problem. If not for the efforts of the NJF&G whose conservation efforts brought the black bear back from the estimated 100 to numbers between 2000 to 3000 and hunters that respected the F&G biologists decisions and participated in the non-hunting laws and regulations then we would not be having this black bear overpopulation issue today.

 

However, while the hunting community was observing the rules many tree-huggers were behind the scenes feeding and baiting bears into areas for the purpose of observing and photographing the once timid and shy black bear creating a “Zoo” atmosphere within the boundaries of their homes and land. This situation has contributed to the food conditioned bears that lead to aggressive behavior.

 

As the human population continued to increase so did the development of land to accommodate both housing and commercial building. In areas where black bears may have been fed new houses cropped up and with the increased housing a new food source; garbage. This coupled with black bear population growth is where we began to experience the change in black bear activity and behavior.

This is best explained by the testimony of a known bear expert Stephen Herrero who recanted a conclusion stated in his 1985 book to the effect that black bears were essentially benevolent. Herrero was called for a deposition involving the 1996 lawsuit against the state of Arizona wherein a captured, tagged and relocated black bear returned to it’s place of origin, nearly 100 miles, mauling and disfiguring a (16) year old girl participating in a 4H outing. The state settled for 2.5 million dollars and you can believe that the girl and her family would gladly have given that up to have stopped that life altering attack.

 

Herrero stated under oath; I do think that there is more danger than I realized from food conditioned, habituated, and aggressive bears, the combination of the three. And if I were rewriting that chapter, I would emphasize that there are three ingredients, habituations, the food conditioning, and rewarding aggressive behavior over time that increased the chances of injury… I have learned since the publication of the book that there is more involvement in serious injuries by black bears than I knew of at the time that I wrote the book. (Knochel v. State, Arizona Superior Court, Civ. No. 98-09396, Deposition of Stephen Herrero, January 6, 1999, at pp. 218-219)

 

So we know that the development of land is pushing the black bear out of their natural habitant. We also know that the population of both humans and the black bear is increasing. We know that garbage has become a food source and efforts are clearly in place as people are making every effort to secure garbage, including stronger shed and garage doors as bear have progressed beyond garbage pail and bear resistant containers.

 

We know that birds can no longer be fed, as the harmless and safe feeding of birds now attracts the black bear to our homes. Backyard barbecues’ require a people watch both during and after cooking as bears seek out the smell of food. Home baked pies and cookies now must be secured in smell proof containers less we have black bear visitors in our kitchens. Schoolyards now have watch posts and black bear drills, parents wait at bus stops protecting their children from “lunch-bag” seeking bears. Developments near forests have parents leaving car doors unlocked so children may reach the safety of a vehicle should a bear wander into the area. Small children must be kept inside along with domestic pets; livestock requires flock guards such as dogs or Llamas and all of these precautions will still do nothing to stem the growth of the black bear population or the inevitable tragedies we have already seen and are still to come.

 

All of this at a time when the economy and conditions in the US created the need for people use and enjoy the privacy of their own backyards and state and public parklands.

 

We have to face the issue now and that is there is simply no way whatsoever to allow the black bear population to continue to grow. There is only so much land to be safely shared by humans and a wild black bear and that safety zone has been surpassed. There is “absolutely” no other way to reduce the black bear population and maintain the proper balance than hunting. This is no longer about hunting, although this is a legal right of our citizens, it is about “population-control”.

 

All of the so-called bear-education bear resistant garbage cans, adverse conditioning will have no effect on the problem; “There is not enough land to support the current black bear population”. Sterilization is a proven failure and has no place in the population control equation.

 

The education we need is that “never” should politics, emotions or personal preferences of our leaders be allowed to interfere with the decisions of educated and successful professional biologists. No other state allows this to happen, both the former and current Governors of Maryland simply stated to all; we understand and respect the emotions regarding the hunting of black bears in Maryland but as recommended by the F&G the hunt will go on; and it did.

 

Our New Jersey F&G professionals calculated and brought back the black bear, now we must allow them to maintain this great mammal to a level where they can roam in their own habitant. Neither the F&G nor hunters would allow the black bear to be hunted to extinction or anywhere near it. Need proof? Look at the successful work both have done to bring the black bear to the current levels.

 

In the final analysis, do we gamble with human life for the sake of an anti-hunting/animal-rights movement? Do we allow inexperienced politicians to override trained, educated and experienced wildlife biologists? Is any family out there or any person willing to chance the life of a human being over that of a wild mammal?

 

This is just plain common sense, let the F&G professionals perform their job, let the hunters do the work and at the same time make good use of the game through consumption as a healthy food source. Let the black bear population be managed to a safe co-existing level and stay that way.

Save Human Life; Support the Hunt.

 – Mike D