Hunting is necessary, it’s now 100% certain that overnight campers in any of the northern state parks here will have a close encounter with a bear. Division of Fish and Wildlife isn’t even responding to Appalachian Trail thru-hikers phone reports, and the various clubs and groups that hikers use as reference as recommending body systems for the AT in NJ because of the bear threat. Division of Fish and Wildlife is run by a generation of people indoctrinated during their higher education and early careers, lead by political appointees who see themselves as masters of the doctrines. The state is a total mess regarding wildlife policy.
big typo:
recomendations for a BUDDY system while thru-hiking NJ’s Appalachian Trail. Due to bears.
Another reason to bring a gun and ammo into the woods.
I’ve seen the bears down in south Jersey where we keep our summer trailer. So far none have come into our campground but we’ve seen them on the parkway & on back roads.
“Division of Fish and Wildlife isn’t even responding to Appalachian Trail thru-hikers phone reports, and the various clubs and groups that hikers use as reference as recommending body systems for the AT in NJ because of the bear threat.”
The obvious answer is to close the Appalachian Trail.