Tensions remain high over New Jersey bear hunt
New Jersey wildlife officials have expanded bear hunting in the state, drawing criticism from animal welfare activists.
A black bear stands in a wooded area in Newton, New Jersey, in July.
Barbara Goldberg/Reuters/File
Trenton, N.J.
As the state prepares to expand its聽bear聽hunting season this year, animal activists and other critics vow to continue their fight against what they say is its misguided聽bear聽management policy.
Besides the annual聽hunt聽in December, a new six-day聽hunting聽season will be added in October. Wildlife officials say three days will be reserved for bowhunting聽and three will allow聽hunting聽with bows and arrows and muzzle-loading guns.
Hunters also will be able to take two聽bears, not one, but the聽bears聽must be killed in separate seasons.
State wildlife officials have touted the annual聽hunt聽as an important part of controlling the聽bear聽population and minimizing run-ins with humans, particularly in the northern part of New Jersey known as聽bear聽country.
Republican Gov. Chris Christie, a presidential contender, was pressed by voters in New Hampshire on Sunday about his decision to authorize abear聽hunt.
"New Jersey has been overrun by black聽bears. We've been overrun," Christie told several hundred people at his first town hall of the year. "They're coming into neighborhoods. They're coming into homes."
He said the problem has struck close to home for him: Campaign workers at his headquarters in Morristown went out for lunch recently and encountered a black聽bear聽in a tree three blocks away.
But the聽bear聽hunt聽continues to draw fire from animal welfare activists and others who say it's inhumane and unnecessary. The new October聽huntingseason is drawing the most concern from activists, who fear hunters using arrows will more likely wound or maim the animals instead of killing them.
"It's very hard to drop a 400-pound聽bear聽with one arrow," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "This is an example of the (Department of Environmental Protection) doubling down on a failed policy. We have had six聽bear聽hunts聽in a row but still have the same number of aggressive聽bears聽and more bear-related problems."
New Jersey resumed state-regulated聽bear聽hunting聽in 2003 after a ban that lasted more than 30 years. Another聽hunt聽was held in 2005, and in 2010 the state instituted an annual聽hunt.
Critics have said the state should instead enforce garbage management policies and laws prohibiting the feeding of聽bears. Activists have also called for using aversion therapy, which trains聽bears聽to be afraid of humans and to avoid them, and birth control measures to help keep the population under control.
State officials conducted a study on聽bear聽birth control techniques several years ago but concluded hormone implants, surgical procedures, chemicals and vaccines weren't feasible.
Hunters killed 510聽bears聽during the December聽hunt, the Department of Environmental Protection said. State officials estimate 3,500聽bears聽live in New Jersey north of Interstate 80, roughly the upper one-eighth of the state.
"Hunting聽is an important tool in maintaining an ecological balance with our black聽bear聽population and is necessary to reduce the potential for conflicts between聽bears聽and people," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin has said.
Black聽bears聽serve an important role in healthy ecosystems. They can travel great distances and disperse the seeds of many different plant species while feeding on fruits and berries. They can also clear out small amounts of vegetation while foraging, which opens up space for other plants. But there are concerns some may be going hungry due to the聽bear聽population density being too high, officials said.
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