URGENT: Stop the 2016 NJ Black Bear Hunt

Please help stop the NJ Bear Hunt

Please sign, share and tweet this petition to everyone you know and to all groups you belong to. We don't have a lot of time to stop the next hunts as hunting season starts in October 2016. Please start calling Governor Christie's office now at 609-292-6000 to express your outrage over the bear hunt. Ask him to STOP stroking the violent needs of the minority calling for a bear hunt; they represent less than 0.07% of New Jersey’s population.

Senator Raymond Lesniak’s (D-20) BEAR SMART legislation (S687) corrects the state’s failure to organize, implement, and enforce non-lethal solutions preferred by 74% of New Jersey registered voters. Senator Lesniak’s legislation incorporates the best science as recommended by leading biologists.

Peer-reviewed studies show that hunts do not reduce human-bear complaints.
The nation’s leading experts state emphatically that the only way to reduce conflicts is to secure human-derived foods and trash.
Former Governor Corzine’s staff reviewed the science and came down squarely on the side of non-lethal, trash containment. Thus, there were no bear hunts from 2006-2009.
Under Governor Christie, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin simply does the bidding of the state hunting agency, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the political action committee that backed Christie during the election.
Bear hunting does not reduce complaints unless of course every bear in the state is killed. Regulated hunting from 1958–1970 almost did that.
At the March 7, 2003, meeting of the Fish and Game Council: The Council all agreed that the killing of a child by a bear in NY was extremely rare. Councilman George Howard said, "All the hunts in the world will not address that…"
Garbage containment is extremely important not only for keeping bears away from homes, but it also reduces their population growth rate. Bears without access to unnatural food sources will not gain as much weight. Weight is a major factor in their reproductive cycle.
A bear’s diet typically consists of berries, fruit, and seeds. They are primarily vegetarian.
Bears are timid animals who often act like prey. Scaring bears, even bears who are used to seeing people can be easily scared off with hoses, umbrellas, broom sticks, and loud noises.
Education reduces unwarranted fears and allows the public to enjoy these beautiful animals and their place in our state. Modifying your behavior will modify the bear’s behavior. When you know what to do, how to properly act and react, the bear will learn from you.

Case studies proved that when food was unavailable, bears were capable of living in close proximity to humans without conflict. (Wildlife Conservation Society, 2008) The vast majority of bear incidents in New Jersey involve unsecured trash bins and dumpsters as well as bird feeders. New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s enforcement of an existing, loophole-ridden state feeding ban is poor to non-existent. It’s time New Jersey passes, and enforces, a meaningful ban.

Hunting, torturing and murdering our bears is not the answer. We can co-exist and live together in peace. We just have to choose it.

Governor Christie: 
We are petitioning you today to ask that you stop the 2016 Black Bear hunt in NJ. There are many  non-lethal ways of managing our black bear population and we are asking you to enforce them. Hunting is never the answer. Education is the key to animal control.

We are NJ tax paying residents and registered voters and our opinion matters. We elect our politions to serve and protect, manage and preserve our state and it's environment including all of its wildlife. You have a responsibility to act for us all and we say no! No to the  NJ Black Bear Hunt for 2016. 


Last year 510 bears were killed.. Fathers, mothers and cubs. I saw one cub thrown on the side of the road and it's body had been mutilated and discarded like trash. They have families, they know and feel love, pain and sorrow just like we do. 

This coming October they are including more inhumane methods like bow-hunting and muzzleloader segments. Bow hunting requires a very high level of skill to prevent a tortorus death but there are no tests to ensure that any and all hunters will kill with one clean shot. Animals who aren't killed humanly will suffer excruitating prolonged deaths. 

NJ's bear hunts have no impact in reducing human/bear interactions. Nonlethal means are the only effective solution not just in NJ but everywhere.


Only you have the power to put an end to the slaughter of innocent lives. This is your last year in office. Prove to us you learnt from your mistakes and this year you will honor the voices of NJ.


Thank you

Update #27 years ago
Please continue to sign, share and tweet! Time is running out...
Thank you!
Update #18 years ago
I would like to thank everyone who has signed, shared and tweeted our petition. I can't imagine another holiday season tainted like our were last year with this slaughter feast. Please continue to sign, share and tweet both petitions every day. Time is on our side this year and I'm praying we can stop it.
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