Stop the New Jersey Bear Hunt

  • by: Mark & Kim
  • recipient: NJ Governor Chris Christie, NJ Senators, Representatives

Please help stop the NJ Bear Hunt. 

Please sign this petition and also call Governor Christie's office at 609-292-6000 to express your outrage over the bear hunt. Ask him to STOP pandering to the violent 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, killing and destroying our bears is not the answer, co-existing and learning about living together in peace is the answer.

Please visit www.savenjbears.com for more information.

Update #78 years ago
Help save black bears and please comment now against the Bear Hunt.
Submit comments electronically by July 17, 2015, through this link
www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments/
At "Select Rule making from the list," scroll to "DEP Dkt. No. 04-15-04, Game Code NJAC 7:25-5.6 and 5.24 Black Bear".
“Please register my opposition to the entire 2015 CBBMP, which expands the bear hunt.
Please donate today for the bears at; http://www.gofundme.com/SaveNJBears
Update #68 years ago
Please Help NJ Black Bears!
The NJ bear hunt has been drastically expanded including more inhumane methods like bow-hunting.

Please submit comments against this ASAP:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments/

Suggested comments:

I am writing to register my opposition to the 2015 Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy.

NJ's bear hunts have no impact in reducing human/bear interactions. Nonlethal means are the only effective solution.

I also support Bear Smart NJ bills (A4017/S687).
Update #59 years ago
Saturday, December 13th is the final day of the barbaric and inhumane New Jersey Bear Hunt. Please join with us from 10am - 2pm at Whittingham Wildlife Management Area, 150 Fredon Springdale Road, Fredon, NJ 07860 for a vigil and protest in honor of the innocent bears that were killed.
Thank you for your support.
Update #49 years ago
Please Act Now!

100 Black Bears were killed in NJ on the first day of the hunt.
We are asking that everyone that signed this please send a letter for our bears to the following
letterstotheeditor@northjersey.com (Bergen Record)
letters@dailyrecord.com (Daily Record)

newsroom@njherald.com (NJ Herald)

eletters@starledger.com (Star Ledger)

letters@njtimes.com (Times of Trenton)

letters@trentonian.com

It doesn't matter where you live. Every voice counts. Don’t let these bears die voiceless.
Update #39 years ago
There's one more thing you can do to stand up for NJ bears! Join the protest against the New Jersey Bear Hunt and for Bear Smart Legislation in Trenton.

WHEN: December 4, 2014
TIME: 10 A.M. to 12 P.M.
WHERE: State House, 125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ

Please arrive as close to 10 A.M. as possible. Light refreshments will be served courtesy Friends of Animals. Anyone coming from the Bound Brook area, please contact info@savenjbears.com to carpool.
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