NEWTON, N.J. – New Jersey’s annual black bear hunt starts Monday, Save Jerseyans, and it will be the second season (thanks to Phil Murphy) where no hunting can take place on lands overseen by the DEP.
Sussex County legislators say that’s a huge mistake.
On Thursday, Assemblyman Parker Space (R-24) renewed his call for the passage of A169, legislation which would give the Fish and Game Council exclusive control over hunting regulations in the Garden State.
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“Before Gov. Murphy took office, we had a sound bear management plan in place and there is absolutely no reason to stop hunting on state-owned lands,” said Space. “The bear hunt has proven to be very effective at keeping the population in check and limiting human encounters. Murphy’s motives are purely political and go against expert recommendations and decades of research.”
It’s a matter of public safety. One oft-cited 2016 study discovered a 20% dip in New Jersey bear-human conflicts thanks to the bear hunt. “In the years following an absence of a hunt, it rose by approximately the same amount,” Space’s office explained in a press release. “In 2009, a year without a hunt, there were 2,714 black bear damage and nuisance reports. Last year, there were 703.”
“New Jersey has one of the healthiest bear populations in the nation and we have controls in place to ensure we don’t exceed the harvest goal,” added Space. “Politicians against the bear hunt like to play into people’s emotions, but a 400 pound bear can do some serious damage. We have seen nearly a 70 percent decrease in the number of black bear disturbances over the last decade in which we’ve had a hunt.”
There are likely somewhere between 3,500 and 4,000 black bears in New Jersey, America’s most densely populated state. Without a hunt on public land? N.J. estimates the state’s black bear population is likely to double over a five year period.
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ICYMI…
ROONEY: “Sorry, N.J., but it’s a bear. You’ve got bigger problems. Get over it.” (10/19/16)
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