Support For Bear Hunt

[BearHunter]

The anti hunting groups are very out spoken and have been holding demonstrations to try and influence the Governor to stop the planned bear hunt. This group is being supported by many out of state animal rights groups. The long term goal of these groups is to stop all hunting. They see the proposed bear hunt in New Jersey as a stepping stone to their goals. If they can succeed in preventing the bear hunt they feel they will have won a battle in their long term war against hunting.
Even if you are not going to hunt bear, as a New Jersey hunter you should voice your support of the New Jersey Department of Fish & Game. The anti hunters are attempting to gain control of the Fish & Game Council by having more members added to the present council. These new members would include representatives of the animal rights groups. If this ever happens then you can say good bye to hunting in New Jeersey.
Less than 2 % of the population in New Jersey are licensed to hunt in the state. We need all hunters to voice their support of the bear hunt.
The governor's office can be contacted at

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html

[D Letho]

I will send out an E-mail to them later today . I just woke up and the typing might not be up to par lol .

I will also give my dad a call and see if he still has Brad Hollaway's phone # . He got to know him pretty good a few years back , and he was one of the top people in NJFG Dept. .

I would hate to see the bear hunt pulled . Like you said it would be a win for them . I do not however see them yanking all hunting in NJ . We just put to much money into the system for this to happen . Not saying it could not happen , you know Jersey . Thanks for the post and the heads up .

Glad to see the Jersey forum starting to put some posts up ! Jersey's not that big , we get enough people togeather in here we could start a prehunting season BBQ each year ! That way we could get to know each other better and have a great time .

[BearHunter]

Reply from the Commisioner. Its good to see a positive response.


Thank you for your letter expressing support for the limited bear hunt proposed by the New Jersey Fish & Game Council for six days in December.

As you are aware, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has devoted substantial time and resources over the years to the challenge of managing New Jersey’s black bear population. The recovery of the population truly has been a natural resource success story, and the Fish and Game Council (Council) has played a critical role in that effort. By eliminating the black bear hunt in 1970, the Council allowed our black bear population to rebound, under the stewardship of our Division of Fish and Wildlife. We now have confidence that New Jersey’s wildlife resources will forever include a vibrant population of these majestic animals.

This success has brought with it new challenges. Population increases have coincided with significant losses of black bear habitat to over-development. Ill-advised and often inadvertent feeding of bears and other practices in communities adjoining bear habitat have encouraged bears to intrude on highways, community areas, and residences, presenting risks both to the public safety and to the bears themselves. Over the past year, the number of incidents in which aggressive bears have put either property or personal safety at risk has more than doubled. The tragic loss of a child in such an incident in New York highlights the seriousness of the issue and the need for a responsive strategy.

Our response has addressed all of these issues. To protect threatened black bear habitat, Governor McGreevey has taken aggressive action to stop over development and protect open space. This includes a Highlands conservation initiative that will provide at least an additional $50 million over the next three years to protect and conserve the Highlands region, which is the heart of black bear habitat. To discourage risky behavior in our communities, we supplemented the education efforts of our Fish and Wildlife Division and private groups with a series of public meetings to inform communities in bear country about the common-sense steps available to reduce the risk of potentially dangerous interactions with black bears. The Governor supported and signed legislation to prohibit bear feeding, which often creates risks to communities. To develop more non-lethal tools to manage the population, I recently announced a memorandum of understanding with the Humane Society of the United States to develop an immuno-contraception pilot that may strengthen the effort to manage this population in future.

With respect to the hunt, New Jersey law gives the Fish & Game Council exclusive authority over the game code. In light of the increasing bear population numbers, and the commensurate increase in the number of incidents in which aggressive bears have put personal safety or property at risk, the Council voted to authorize a limited bear hunt over six days in December. Following my intervention, the Council agreed to a further and unprecedented safeguard by giving me the authority to stop the hunt if the number of bears taken appears excessive.

I believe that the proposed hunt is a necessary and appropriate tool to manage the State’s black bear population, one that is consistent with sound wildlife management and with New Jersey’s sporting traditions.

I appreciate your support for this decision, and I hope I can rely on your support for my broader agenda for protecting clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and the most treasured features of New Jersey’s landscape. Thanks again for taking the time to express your views.

Sincerely,

Bradley M. Campbell
Commissioner