New Jersey Council Approves Black Bear Hunt

Press Release by NJ FW ^ | April 9, 2003 | NJ Fish & Game Council

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[EXCERPT from Release}

Black Bear
A six-day, black bear, special permit hunting season is proposed for the area of New Jersey north of Interstate Route 78 and west of Interstate Route 287 for December 8-13, 2003 with a bag limit of one bear of either sex and any age. Hunting hours will be ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. Black bears may not be taken from dens or within 300 feet of a baited area. Black bears may be taken by stand hunting, still-hunting, or drive hunting with shotgun with rifled slugs or muzzleloader rifle.

The Fish and Game Council will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed changes on May 22 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street in Trenton. Copies of the proposals will be available for review at the Division's main and regional offices after May 5. In addition, interested individuals may obtain a copy of the proposed amendments by sending a manila, self-addressed, stamped envelope (for 74-cents) to: Game Code, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 400, Trenton, NJ 08625-0400.
Written comments regarding the proposed changes may be submitted to Division Director Martin J. McHugh at the above address between May 5 and July 4, 2003

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NJ hunters, beware that the antis are already mustering their troops. If you're in favor of the hunt--or at least in favor of "local rule" by letting the folks living in Bear Country in Sussex decide their fate instead of the Soccer Moms in Montclair and Princeton--consider showing up. Or call McGreevy and tell him you're in favor of the hunt: 609-292-6000.

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[XRdsRev]

Sounds Racist to me.

Al Sharpton

[wardaddy]

Oh G-d No!!!!!

Smokey ...watch out!

;>)

[ConservativeDude]

either sex and any age

wow. coupled with the fact that they can use almost any weapon including vehicle, this suggests to me that there is a real population problem with bears...NJ hunters you know what you need to do!

of course the socialists will likely tell us that they are in fact "endangered"....blah

[hobbes1]

F* Montclair.

[Calpernia]

CLICK HERE

[gundog]

either sex and any age wow. coupled with the fact that they can use almost any weapon including vehicle, this suggests to me that there is a real population problem with bears...NJ hunters you know what you need to do!

This may also reflect the difficulties involved in aging and sexing bears in the field. Safety first.

[vetvetdoug]

Plothounds would be an asset for the bear hunters. Maybe the bear hunters will get a few rabbits while they are at it.

[Coleus]

Thanks, I'll call/contact the governor and my 3 legislators.

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

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp

I thought after the infant was eaten by a black bear in the Catskills last year it would have woken people up--it didn't. We need to hunt to control the animal population, to keep the animals from starving and to save humans from death and injury and their property and domesticated animals.

I love animals, they taste good.

Genesis 9:3

Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants.

[Coleus]

Silly Wabbit.

[ConservativeDude]

good point.

my understnaind of bears is that if they show some spirit, they are male, otherwise hard to say....similarly size, ie, age, is actually very difficult to discern and usual indicators (ears for example) are deceptive...of course if you are close enough to see some spirit and guess at age, chances are it might be too late...oops! you are right this could be a well thought out safety issue.

[ConservativeDude]

Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants.

I think your point was perhaps tongue in cheek, but it is a good one. We are called to exercise dominion and stewardship. Hunting is an unavoidable duty in that regard.

[Huck]

I am in Sussex County and opposed to the bear hunt. I agree with you that locals should decide.

[gundog]

Yeah...females with cubs can be pretty "spirited" if you get too close.

Banning the use of dogs in the hunting of bears in Oregon was a bad thing for the bears...they would get chased and treed and given the once-over before a decision to shoot or not was made...now they're shot on sight ...with twice as many tags available to hunters.

[gundog]

I agree with you that locals should decide.

With the undecided being swayed by all those out-of-state PETA dollars, no doubt.

[Coleus]

No, not really a joke, (I would say the "I love animals, they taste good" was more toungue-in-cheek) it was a quote from the Bible in Genises from God to Noah, it's to prove a point that man has dominion over animals and were placed here for us. NJ was fine with 50 bears, 2,000 is overkill and they need to be thined. There are other aspects to this, more of a religious nature, concerning the activist liberals, regarding man being created in God's image and abortion and how we will do anything to save a bear, spotted owl or humpback whale while allowing the killing 43 million babies since 1973.

[ConservativeDude]

we are on the same page, brother

[Pharmboy]

I'm in northern Morris County and we need to thin the bear population. This is good news...sorry, Yogi.

[ConservativeDude]

"Banning the use of dogs in the hunting of bears in Oregon was a bad thing for the bears...they would get chased and treed and given the once-over before a decision to shoot or not was made...now they're shot on sight ...with twice as many tags available to hunters."

Fascinating. I was reading recently about how people like T Roosevelt wanted to ban the use of dogs in hunting deer, b/c the dogs drove the deer into water, which basically incapacitated the deer, making it too easy...thus violating "fair chase".

The point you are making in the bear context is one that actually is more in the spirit of "fair chase" and not harming cubs.

Is it correct to say, then, that the use of dogs in terms of hunting ethics must be decided on a case by case basis?

I am not yet a big hunter, but it is not out of sympathy, it's really just a time issue. I am fascinated by it and believe passionately in conservation and hunting as a wildlife management tool. Therefore I ask a lot of questions.