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·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Public Hearing on Black Bear Situation in New Jersey   Tuesday, July 31, 2007   Please Attend This Important Meeting Wednesday, August 8 On Wednesday, August 8, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is hosting a public hearing at the State Museum at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the preservation and management goals for the black bear population in New Jersey.  This will be the only opportunity to make it known that New Jersey hunters want the bear hunting season restored.   The State Museum is located at located at 205 West State...

<p>WHITE HAVEN, Pa. — A bear tried to pull a Girl Scout out of her tent during a camping trip, the girl and scout officials said.</p> <p>Celeste Tietz, 11, said Wednesday that she managed to grab a tent pole and slide out of her sleeping bag as the bear was tugging at it early Sunday morning at Camp Mosey Wood.</p>

Lakeland teachers Dave Niedosik and Lorraine Nangle leading their students in dissecting the bear at the high school in Wanaque. The bear's paws were easy enough to slice off.  Then, trouble: None of the teachers or students had anticipated that you can't dissect the rest of a frozen black bear carcass until you thaw it out.  Forget the scalpels. Bring out the hot water, and the big buck knives.  All in all, as biology lessons go, the one taught under the open sky at Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque on Thursday was definitely not for the squeamish.  Students...

Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. -- A group favoring a New Jersey bear hunt as a way to control the bruin population is considering filing a lawsuit against the state because it has not issued hunting permits, a lawyer with the group said Tuesday. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has not yet decided whether to approve a hunt this year. Douglas Burdin, a lawyer with Safari Club International, a national hunting and conservation group, said Tuesday that a lawsuit "probably will be filed within days," seeking to make the state issue the permits. "The bear hunt is currently authorized under New Jersey...

VERNON -- Four animal rights activists involved in a confrontation with hunters at Wawayanda State Park during last year's bear hunt were found guilty Thursday of harassment. The most prominent, Angela Metler of Vernon, drew a 40-day jail term. Municipal Court Judge C. William Bowkley Jr. found that the 49-year-old Metler, Terry Fritzges, 57, of East Windsor, Janet Pizsar, 53, of Milburn, and Albert Kazemian, 49, also of Vernon, were determined to disrupt the state-sanctioned bear hunt when they entered the park on the morning of Dec. 7. Besides sentencing Metler to jail time, Bowkley handed her and the others...

Clawless kitty chases bear up tree CBC News Last Updated Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:47:10 EDT Who needs a guard dog when Jack the elderly suburban housecat is on duty? The 10-year-old New Jersey tabby defended his neighbourhood turf earlier this week by chasing a wandering black bear up a tree — twice. This black bear clings to a backyard tree after it was chased by a New Jersey cat. (Suzanne Giovanetti/Associated Press) West Milford residents Suzanne and Jack Giovanetti first noticed a bear huddled in a tree in their backyard on Sunday afternoon. Sitting beneath the tree: A...

Livingston residents were told to stay indoors after a black bear was spotted this morning roaming in backyards near the high school. The bear was first spotted roaming on Amherst Place near the Livingston High School complex just after 6:00 a.m. Dozens of police officers responded and began chasing the 200-pound animal as it moved through the largely residential area. They pursued it first behind the Cedar Commons senior citizen building, and then to Shrewsbury and Tremont avenues. The officers continued tracking the animal and by 7:30 a.m., it was again spotted a mile away on the eastern end of...

Six animal rights advocates, arrested in December during a protest at Wawayanda State Park on the final day of the 2005 black bear hunt, went on trial Tuesday in Vernon Municipal Court. The six -- Lynda Smith, Elenor Hoffman, William Crain, Catherine McCartney, Kristen Sondej and David Stewart -- are all charged with obstruction for allegedly jumping a plastic fence that park police had set up to corral demonstrators, then sitting down on the pavement before being led away in handcuffs. The trial began after all six pleaded not guilty before Municipal Court Judge C. William Bowkley Jr. The state...

VERNON, N.J. -- A township police officer fatally shot a 100-pound black bear after he and another officer responded to a woman's call that two bruins had broken into her kitchen. Margo Spilotras had just finished taking a shower when she heard crashing and crunching sounds coming from the back of her home around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Clad only in a towel, Spilotras ran to the kitchen and found two bears -- a 400-pound mother bear and one of her cubs -- had slid open a screen door and were inside the home. The mother bear fled out the door...

Animal rights extremists gone wild By Cam EdwardsNov 30, 2005 Animal rights activists are going to court to try and stop the New Jersey black bear hunt, scheduled to take place next week.  As much as I hate to do it, I applaud these activists for operating within the bounds of the law, even if the ideas they promote exist outside the bounds of common sense.    Of course, for every one of these activists who operate inside the law, there are others who have no qualms about violating the law; threatening violence, committing acts of vandalism, even advocating death...

WEST MILFORD — More than 100 demonstrators, including a few wearing bear costumes and carrying stuffed bears, protested Saturday on Route 23 at the corner of Canistear Road to oppose the upcoming bear hunt. Chanting "Kill the Hunt. Not the bears," and holding signs saying "Bullets are not science," the protesters stood on both sides of the highway encouraging motorists to honk their car horns in support. The six-day hunt will start Dec. 5 and was approved last week by state Environmental Commissioner Bradley Campbell as a method to control the state's bear population. The last bear hunt was two...

On November 14, 2005, DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell approved the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy for New Jersey. The document was drafted by the NJ Fish and Game Council and subsequently revised after extensive public comments and a public hearing. The policy meets the mandate and requirements established by the NJ Supreme Court in its most recent opinion on black bear management.

Supporters, foes get emotional over hunt A policy aimed at managing New Jersey's burgeoning black bear population drew 300 people last night, most of whom let their passions fly about the proposal's most emotional aspect: hunting the bruins. The policy was labeled everything from "careful science" to cheap propaganda during a public hearing at Cook College in New Brunswick. "Bear hunters want a bear rug on their floor and a bear head on their wall. That's what this is all about ... a trophy hunt," said Janet Borinsky of Short Hills. Agust Gudmundsson of Warren County countered that the growing...

TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey wildlife officials are considering a plan to create bear-free zones as a way to manage the state's surging black bear population. The unusual approach would make urban and other densely populated areas off-limits to bears and restrict the bruin population in regions such as southern New Jersey, where the bears are far less plentiful than in the state's mountainous northwest region. "Most people agree, you don't want bears in areas like Hudson County, Union County and Middlesex County _ all urban areas with no real habitat for bears," Len Wolgast, a wildlife biology professor and...

There was a frightening bear attack in New Jersey - caught on videotape. Sleeping campers were startled when a bear ransacked their campsite and bit someone inside a sleeping bag.

Commissioner asserts both states need to work together to control the boom in bruins New York's top wildlife official has urged New Jersey to resume a bruin hunt this winter and every year afterward, contending the two states need to work together to deal with the growing black bear population they share. Denise Sheehan, commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, issued her plea in a July 14 letter to her New Jersey counterpart, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell. "Managed, successful hunting seasons in both New York and New Jersey, coupled with educational programs and nuisance...

THEY can attack at any moment, appearing as if from nowhere, leaving the victim bloodied and battered if he survives at all. There is no remorse, no mercy, no way to stop the primordial urges once the assault begins. But enough about the animal rights faithful, let's talk about the black bears of New Jersey. We jest, of course. The animal rights groups aren't necessarily any more ferociously committed than their armed opponents in muddy camouflage. "We have science on our side; all they have is fanaticism," said Eric Bunk, who describes himself as Northern New Jersey director of United...

Fox News is reporting that a five month old infant was snatched from a stroller and killed in New York state.

<p>SPARTA - A black bear swatted a 2-year-old boy outside his family's home Tuesday afternoon, police said.</p> <p>Mark Tregidgo suffered a bump to the head but was otherwise uninjured in the 1:19 p.m. incident, Police Sgt. Russell Smith said.</p> <p>The 150-pound, 4-year-old female bruin was shot and killed by police shortly afterward, Smith said. The frightening incident, although extremely rare, is expected to strengthen calls for a statewide bear hunt.</p>

Many of you may know that the great State of New Jersey has approved a Black Bear Hunt for this year. According to my latest data, there are going to be 10,000 permits issued. This is great news to those of us in the Tri-State area who have an interest in hunting.The hunt is going to be reserved to the area West of Rt. 287, and North of Rt. 78 in the northwest corner of the state. If anyone knows of someone in the approved area who might have private land available for the Bear Season, I would appreciate a...

Plan to Attend the May 22 Fish & Wildlife Hearing on Black Bear Hunting The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has proposed re-opening a hunting season on black bears for the first time since 1970. However, the bear season is not safe just yet, as virulent anti-hunting groups continue to ignore common sense and push for a ban on hunting. Without your input, black bear hunting may be stopped before the season ever opens! The Fish and Game Council is holding a public hearing to get input on the proposed wildlife code changes, including the bear season. Sportsmen...

New Jersey lawmakers are considering a measure that would give nearly $100,000 in state funds to the Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest anti-hunting group. Senate Bill 1219, sponsored by Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge), would give $95,000 to HSUS to study ways to eliminate bear hunting in the state. The measure would set a dangerous precedent, allowing animal rights groups to dictate wildlife public policy and using taxpayer dollars for it. The HSUS opposes hunting, fishing, and trapping and invests its time and money to eradicate such activities. The bill would also prohibit the hunting of black bears...

VERNON, NJ-September 18, 2003 — Vernon police fatally shoot a black bear after it twice broke into the basement of a township home this week. The three-year-old female bear first entered the home early Tuesday by breaking a glass door. A neighbor saw what happened and notified the home's owner, Rosemary DeLorenzo, who fled with her two children. The neighbor then scared the bear off with an air horn and the family returned home. But the 181-pound bear returned several hours later when DeLorenzo was home alone, and she called police. The bear left when the officers arrived and then...

ASSEMBLY, No. 2634 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 211th LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED MAY 3, 2004 Sponsored by: Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone District 31 (Hudson) SYNOPSIS Prohibits black bear hunting for five years and until study is issued by Fish and Game Council; appropriates $95,000. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As introduced. An Act concerning the hunting of black bear and making an appropriation. Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or provision of the State Fish and Game Code to the contrary, there shall be no open season nor...

Judge Turns Down Environmentalists, Allows N.J. Bear Hunt Expanded to Federal Recreation Area By Krista Larson Associated Press Writer TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A judge on Tuesday lifted an order that had closed a sprawling national recreation area to bear hunters, as the state's first open season on the animals in more than three decades went into its second day. On Monday, the first day of the new bear season, hunters bagged 61 bears, the largest weighing 498 pounds, the state Department of Environmental Protection said. Officials hope the hunt will reduce the state's population of an estimated 3,200 bears...