Posted on 04/22/2008 6:12:42 AM PDT by NewJerseyJoe
VERNON — A Lake Wanda man, investigating a noise in his house, came face to face with a bear rummaging through his kitchen trash Sunday evening and escaped through a bedroom window to call police from a neighbor's home.
A responding officer spotted the bear in the front yard of the Chestnut Street home, still eating garbage. The officer fired once at the bear and believed he hit the animal, but the bruin ran off into the woods.
A Sunday night search of the area couldn't find any trace of blood or hair, and a follow-up search Monday could not find the bear.
Vernon police said the incident occurred just after 8 p.m. Sunday and the bear broke in through the front door to get into the house. Officer Harry Russo responded and fired his shotgun at the bear.
Neighbors said that earlier in the week the resident mentioned finding muddy bear paws on his front door.
While that bear apparently escaped, technicians from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife did "condition" another bear Monday that was captured in one of four culvert traps set up in the area.
In all, three bears have been caught in the traps set up in the area since last Wednesday when bear activist Susan Kehoe, who lives in the neighborhood, was accused of feeding bears.
Larry Herrighty, assistant director of Fish and Wildlife, said that during the investigation of the feeding of bears, conservation officers have seen up to 15 bears at a time around Kehoe's home, located at the end of Nutley Avenue and adjacent to Wawayanda State Park.
It is unusual for that many bears to congregate together, he noted, "But they seem to tolerate each other, probably because of the food."
Monday's capture was a 220-pound male that had not been tagged before, meaning it was the first time wildlife technicians had been close to the animal.
Herrighty said the bruin was tranquilized as genetic information, including blood and a tooth sample, were collected. The animal was then tagged with a very visible ear tag and given "aversive conditioning."
In "aversive conditioning," technicians, using shotguns loaded with rubber buckshot, shot the animal several times as they persuade it to return to the state park.
Herrighty said one of the animals captured late last week was a female and was fitted with a radio collar to become part of a years-long study of New Jersey's black bears. Females are preferred because they can be easily found when they den up in the winter.
None of the three animals caught in the culvert traps was the one that broke into the Chestnut Street home. That bear, if recognized, will likely be shot since it is known to break into homes.
Herrighty said the division is expecting shipment of a new type of bear collar within the next week.
The old style collar sends out a radio signal that is picked up by technicians carrying radio detection gear that they use to home in on the bear's location.
The new collars contain new GPS technology that sends out a signal that is received by satellites which then pinpoint, on any computer map, the bear's location each hour.
Using that technology, it could be possible to track an individual bear that broke into a house, if the bear were wearing such a collar.
All this information is part of a bigger study of black bears in New Jersey.
When state Commissioner of Environmental Protection Lisa Jackson canceled the black bear hunt in 2006, she said the state needed further study on the black bear population. Again last year, while rejecting a black bear management plan proposed by the state Fish and Game Council, she put forth her own plan, which called for more studies before she would even consider reinstating a hunt.
Kehoe, who is among those who have fought against a hunt, is due to appear in Vernon Municipal Court early next month to answer the disorderly conduct charge lodged as a result of her alleged feeding of the bears. She also was issued a written warning against feeding bears and, if caught a second time, would face a criminal charge.
In artificial (i.e., manmade) conditions -- such as garbage dumps or, in Vernon's case, this whack-job Kehoe handing out food to bears -- the same phenomenon occurs.
Was the police officer criminally charged for firing at the bear? Would a citizen be criminally charged for the same action in NJ?
bump
I think I’m on your side, Coloradan, and on the bear’s. Out here in the bitter Northeast Pennsylvania woods, bears cling to garbage-eating, and we see garbage bears as cheap entertainment. Stupid city-boy, Jersey-ite cop, shooting at a hungry bear...
The police in "bear towns" in NJ are empowered and have been trained to deal with problem bears. IIRC, this policy change occurred about 3-4 years ago.
> Would a citizen be criminally charged for the same action in NJ?
Probably... but not because he fired at a bear (the sentiment on this has greatly shifted in the last few years, in favor of defending against a bear). What would probably happen is that the homeowner would be charged for violating NJ's draconian, unConstitutional firearms laws.
“Neighbors said that earlier in the week the resident mentioned finding muddy bear paws on his front door.”
Must have been a warning from the bear mafia. He should have shut up.
Wher's the rest of the bear?
I dunno, but I do know it's a criminal act for border patrol to fire at drug running illegals. May be the only saving grace for the officer is the bear didn't growl, "no, hablo ingles".
I hope they gave it a road map...
35 seconds.
However the governor, who has the face of a goat, has stated he will force gay marriage on us AFTER the November election. And our property tax rebates are being cutback/ canceled. Only thing growing faster than marauding bears is marauding left wing bureaucrats.
BTW BTW I know first hand Corzine's new general counsel is an absolute anti-gun fanatic, including anti hunting.
Most bears aren’t even going to slow down after being shot once? They sure aren’t gonna slow down. Some say a bear’s faster than a horse for the first 50 yards or so; a shot bear will almost always be real gone, real fast. Eastern black bears are basically solitary pigs, with claws and teeth. We’ve had ‘em stealing chicken mash and bird seed from the back yard, and our little black mop cocker spaniel has had to run ‘em off, sometimes.
Her neighbors have a great law case, should they chould to sue the idiot.
“Reckless endangerment”, etc.
Wild New Jersey ping
This really sucks. I’ve had my “bear can” popped open twice so far so now I keep the trash in the house until I leave for work at 6. Now I gotta worry about a bear busting the door down? Wonderful. First the kitchen window last August...next the front door. I will not flee however. My 12ga rounds will stop a bear, specially since I’ll have 5 of them in it within about 3 seconds.
What a dolt. Sounds to me like the black bears are doing just fine. This woman will have the death of someone on her hands very soon. Although, being a Democrat, that hardly matters.
And why is Environmental Protection sticking its nose into bear hunts?
I don't have all the facts (yet!), but I suspect the neighbors were instrumental in Kehoe finally getting charged. I think the neighbors supplied the video (of Kehoe feeding the bears) that the police and fish/game people needed to nail her.
Wher's the rest of the bear?
He'll know the warnings have been escalated when he finds a bloody bear head under the sheets of his bed.
‘Most bears aren’t even going to slow down after being shot once?”
Not with the pea shooters ( prob. 9mm. ) those “Dudly Do Rights “are issued . Better have a .44 mag. or better to stop a bear in its tracks.
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