New Jersey | bear-defenders

STATE BY STATE

New Jersey

Hunting Methods

stand hunting - still hunting - drive hunting.

Sign Our Change Petition!

Governor Phil Murphy, Please Keep Your Promise and Stop The NJ Bear Hunt

The New Jersey Bear Hunt is one of the cruelest bear hunts in the country. Bear families are torn apart just to satisfy a small group of trophy hunters. Bears are often baited and die slowly in these hunts. Cubs are left orphaned, lost, and hungry. It is time we end this barbaric tradition.

NJ BEAR HUNT SUMMARY:

Male and Female Bears Can Be Killed
Mother Bears Can Be Killed
Yearlings Can Be Killed
Hunters Are Allowed To Kill A Total Of Two Bears, One Bear Per Segment Season
Bears Are Shy Animals That Can Often Be Scared Away By Noise
Black Bears Are Predominantly Vegetarian
Bear-Proof Trash Cans Yield Better Results In Limiting Or Eliminating Bear-Human Encounters
Bear Hunting Does Not Reduce The Number Of Complaint Calls

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STOP THE HUNT?

Sign and Share Our Petition
Show Up To Local Protest
Attend NJ Fish and Wildlife Meetings
Collaborate With Local Groups
Document The Hunt (Photography/Video)
Contact Local Officials and Voice Your Opposition
Comment During Public Comment Period.

It is important to note that the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP) and the Game Code changes were filed through emergency rule procedures and are only valid for 60 days. To make the changes permanent, the Governor’s Office and the Council filed a concurrent proposal which will appear in the NJ Register on December 19, 2022. This will begin a 30-day public comment period where the public may submit written comments. A public hearing will also be scheduled in January to take oral comments. After December 19, 2022, comments may be submitted online through DEP’s rulemaking comment page at https://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments/.

Contact The NJ Division Of Fish & Wildlife

Phone: 609-292-2965

Email Form: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/contactform.htm

Email the NJ Fish and Wildlife Councils/Committees
njfishandwildlife@dep.nj.gov

Contact Governor Murphy

Phone: 609-292-6000

Email: Constituent.relations@nj.gov

Talking Points

There is no scientific evidence that supports the claim that hunting reduces bear-human encounters or conflicts.

Deforestation is responsible for the loss of critical bear habitat. Land development and bear attractants such as unsecured trash and bird feeders are most likely the cause of increased bear-human conflicts, not overpopulation.

Research shows that eliminating bear attractants and securing trash in bear-resistant trash cans can reduce or eliminate conflicts by over 90%.

Black bears are predominantly vegetarian (90%), with only 5% of their diet consisting of meat, usually carrion. They are NOT the vicious man-eaters that bear trophy hunters and corrupt politicians would like you to believe.

Unprovoked bear attacks are rare. According to bear expert Lynn Rogers, Ph.D. of the North American Bear Center says, you are 45 times more likely to be killed by a dog, 120 times more likely to be killed by bees, and 60,000 times more likely to be murdered by another human being than to be killed by a black bear.

Bears regulate their own populations through a biological process known as delayed implantation. Delayed implantation allows bears to control their populations. When food is abundant, more bears will be born. When there is a lack of abundant food sources, female bears will not reproduce every two years but, alternatively, every three to four years.

Wildlife is a public trust - and we, the people, have a right to defend animals for the benefit of those living today and those yet to come. It's time for wildlife agencies to rely on science and ethics, not profits and politics. Wildlife does not belong to the hunters or wildlife agencies. We ALL have a say and what happens to the bears.

Follow BEAR Group - An Independent Group from OneProtest
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaveNJBears