I am an “omnivore” and my diet includes plants, meat, insects, bee’s wasps, yellow jackets and honey. I also like skunk cabbage, horsetail, tree bark and acorns. If I want I will dine on, small mammals, like rodents, Whitetail fawns, Elk or Moose calves, I vary my diet with salmon, suckers, crayfish and trout. For desert, apples, cherries, pears, peaches and plums will do. 
I am the “APEX” predator in North America and with the exception of Grizzly (Brown Bear) no other animal/mammal can touch me.
I prefer to “live” in forested and shrubby areas but I often like ridge tops, tidelands, burned areas, riparian areas, agricultural field’s hardwood and conifer swamps.
I usually, “hibernate” in the winter in hollowed-out dens, tree cavities’, under logs or rocks, caves, culverts and shallow depressions. Since my body temperature does not significantly drop during the winter, here’s a little secret; I never really totally sleep and remain somewhat alert and in fact active. I am some what exhausted from an active breeding summer and following food frenzy to prepare for the winter.
In the spring I come fully out of this “hibernated-state” and begin feeding all over again, feeding and getting ready for another “breeding-run” of course in New Jersey, where we have some sort of reproduction madness, competition is not like it used to be, all of those Ma Ma bears running around, 3-5 cubs to look after and still every two years, here we go again. Love it as once those female cubs reach 3-4 years old, “watch-out”.
I enjoy breeding or act thereof; in this area I guess I most resemble the Human Species’. In fact, those humans got the “rabbit-habit” and are spreading out all over my natural habitant.
Now I have a real problem here, at one time I feared the poachers, and then Fish &Wildlife stepped in to set traps and catch them. I was also worried about hunters but for the most part the Fish & Wildlife stepped in again and stopped hunting until we caught back up with a population that allowed us to remain where we wanted to be, back in the forests out of sight, out of mind.
But those humans, here in New Jersey, why they just kept it up, if you know what I mean. They reproduced more than us, and then started to move into my country, OH, many of them lived here for years, generations of them, but they had farms and large plots of property and we were less, they were less so, well, we “safely-co-existed”. Live and let live.
To make matters worst some of us bears started getting a little nosey and ventured into these new developments, at first it was scary because we knew that the human was the “APEX” when it came to us, but for some reason as we encountered them something strange happened, they moved away from us, heck they looked plain scared.
So we started to roam around a little more and on certain nights the raccoons told us you could find a good “leftover” meal in some large pail that the humans put outside. Now I would admit that this certainly wasn’t better than a good old fashioned, home grown skunk cabbage patch, bee hive or small fresh animal/mammal, but with many of us now crowded out of those food sources’, well it is better than starving.
Some of us even realized that domestic livestock, was no longer protected and that pets were an easy prey as well. So we moved in on them too.
In some areas it was pretty cool, why people, some tribes called, “anti-hunting/animal-right, tree huggers” even snuck us food in their backyards and all we had to do was look cute and let them snap a few pictures. We even got creative and sat on their children’s swing sets, laid in their hammocks; we used their swimming pools.
As Murphy’s’ law would have it just when we were bragging about our new found life some wise ass decided they had enough. The humans actually got mad because they had to pick-up their garbage from all over the place, so they put it in some silly looking yellow pails with large handles on top. Let me tell you, we could drag these away and irrigate them with tooth holes, but why bother? We just watched those houses with the silly yellow pails and found where they stored garbage before the “out-night”. Most put it in sheds or garages. Well, they didn’t realize that in addition to our jaws and teeth we have some “guns” in our legs, enough to rip open any shed or garage and that we did.
Others’ of us decided that domestic livestock and pets were in large supply and easier than some garbage to get. So we went heavy there as well.
Some humans decided to get in our way, maybe on purpose, maybe by accident, no matter we swiped a few, bit a few and some of our more rogue members well, they went further.
Back in 2003 we were surprised that when we encountered humans, during the month of December, we were being shot at and taken. They weren’t scared of us and their “smoke-sticks” carried powerful medicine, man we made way back to the forests a few less but actually we had more room now. In 2004, we were a little timid again but for some reason the humans were passive again, so we went back to our old ways trying to make up for those lost opportunities. I guess we went a little too far, because in December of 2005, the “smoke-sticks” were out again and again we retreated. Thankfully, those dumb humans came after us in December, in the cold and snow where many of us were already in partial hibernation.
We were a little wary in the beginning of 2006 but we soon realized that we were OK again, in 2007 we stepped it up a little more and so far in 2008 we are going bonkers. Heck; we are multiplying to numbers where nothing will stop us and any human getting in our way, we will take out. That goes for adults any age and especially kids, because unlike us two, three year young humans don’t have the smarts to cope with us. Maybe we were timid and shy once but for now our attitude is aggressive and dangerous.
One of our seniors picked out some oil soaked newspaper from the garbage, a relative of “ Smokey Bear” was he, who was able to read the news that our allies, the anti-hunting/animal-right party had somehow succeeded in convincing the “vote-minded” liberal politicians in New Jersey that we should be left alone, not to worry about us hurting anybody. That a few domestic animals, breaking into garages and houses and roughing up or worse on a few humans was no big deal. Listen to this; these groups even convinced the Governor’s office and DEP that we could just be left alone to multiply year after year and here’s the kicker; we can “safely-co-exist”. OK
The only thing humans have to be made to do is give up:
· freedom of their own, tax paid for, backyards and private property
· look over your shoulder on any public parkland
· take down bird feeders
· give up backyard barbecues’
· don’t cook with open windows
· don’t leave fresh baked pies, cookies, etc in “your own” kitchen
· take your kids to the bus stops, without peanut butter and jelly lunches
· consider your domestic livestock and pets as expendable
· dig up fruit and nut trees
· pray every night that you do not get in our way
· learn that a wild bears’ life, is more important than human life
As Ray’s father the late actor Peter Boyle would say; “Holy Crap is that All”
Some mention was made of bringing back the hunting season and our allies countered with “sterilization”, to tell you the truth, they will never catch enough of us to sterilize and doubt if any chemical they use will work, we have a pretty strong constitution on breeding; we love it, DON’T MESS WITH THAT OR YOU MIGHT REALLY FIND SOME ANGRY BEARS.
We would go as far as saying when it comes to sterilization versus hunting, we bears “Support Hunting”. It’s a win, win for us. First you have to catch us, oh, it might be easy at first because dang-it, there are a few too many of us right now. But once we get thinned out a little and can get back to our own natural habitant, you will see how our shy and timid personality of the past takes over and makes us quite elusive.
Frankly speaking, we are tired of being relegated to the human “open-zoo” environment.
The human population triggered off this problem, developers made it worse, then the anti-hunter/animal-right, tree hugging photographers added to the problem.
All species have predators’, disease, accidents whatever this is life it will never change, Support, your wildlife biologists, Fish and Game and Black Bear hunting, it is part of life. Contact Governor Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson let them see that the “real-majority” supports a controlled hunt.
Please Tree-Huggers no more help your lies are killing us more than the smoke sticks will.
Mike D
Mike D, what can we do, besides keeping our garbage in our garages (which I do, until a bear decides to break down the garage door, which has happened to other people)?
Whom do we contact about this? I am also practically a prisoner in my own yard, once Spring and Summer approach, with weekly and sometimes daily bear sightings on our block. They are NOT afraid of us anymore. We were out in our driveway once last summer and a bear was eating someone’s garbage on our next door neighbor’s yard, and it just growled and continued eating! It is March and we already have had bear sightings here and the schools have had their bear drills. Please let us what we can do do to reinstate the bear hunt.
Thank you for the reply. It is extremely important this year for anyone that understands we have a real black bear overpopulation problem in N.J. to contact Governor Corzine and the new acting DEP Commissioner, Mark Mauriello to express your support of a bear hunt this year.
Unfortunately, the Governor has many important subjects on his menu as the Global Financial crisis has had a negative effect on the world economy and directly on N.J. However, if the Governor continues to be fed misleading information by animal rights and anti-hunting groups and does not have a DEP Commissioner that will listen to the Fish & Wildlife, professionals and give Governor Corzine some real, factual input then hunting, the only proven method in reducing and maintaining a black bear population consistent with Human Safety, will continue to be stalled until a real tradegy occurs.
In the next few days I will publish a new oped with all of the recently published and real facts regarding negative black bear activity in 2008. This will certainly increase in 2009 as no matter what the animal-right/anti-hunting groups print, there is absoulty no doubt that without a hunt last year once again the N.J. black bear population will increase, as it did in 2007 and 2008. With this increase has to come another increase in the danger to humans.
In the new oped you will see that (27) states have a large enough black bear population to warrant a hunt, (26) do in fact hold a hunting season and “only” N.J. does not. In addition, Kentucky, has just approved a black bear hunt and Oklahoma has it under consideration.
So write and encourage others who support a hunt to contact the Governorand DEP Commissionr.
As for your immediate problems, which by the way we have as well, drill a one inch hole on the top of your garbage lid then when you put out the garbage for pick-up, place some paper towels over the top of the garbage and pour ammonia over the paper towels, put the lid back on. This usually works as the bears will immediatly smell the ammonia and that will discourage them from going any further. By using the paper towels it will also absorb the ammonia so the garbage men are not sprayed when they transfer the garbage to the truck.
Now for your neighbors, I would recommend that you explain the ammonia process and ask them to try it as well. The animal-rights and anti-hunting groups are correct in asking everyone to secure garbage. However, it is incorrect to assume that securing garbage will cure the overpopulation problems.
The problem now is that as garbage is secured the overpopulated bears will seek other opportunities, like sheds, garages, decks, porches and yes kitchens and other rooms. This is why garbge control is not population control and the human safety will diminish until the black bear population is reduced.
Look for the new oped this week and if you have the chance read the reply from David Pike and my response it is important for everyone to know what kind of people we have out there that are against hunting.
Mike D
Thanks so much Mike. I am looking to gather voices of those for the bear hunt, sharing their experiences, thoughts, and findings, to include them in a letter to the DEP Commisioner and Governor. I hope to do this through my group in Facebook: “Please Bring Back the NJ Black Bear Hunt!” If you are familiar with FB please join so that you can further share your knowledge and opinions with us on this matter. (I have posted a link there to your site to refer members for more information and to promote your website if that’s OK.) Thank you so much.
When do they consider the bear hunt – what months are the hunts held if they pass the hunt? Just so I know by when I should be sending this letter, just waiting to get more voices. Thanks again for your advice.
Actually, the next game code meeting is 4/21/09 in Trenton. State Museum, 205 West State Street at 6:30 PM.
Angi Metler, Director New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance wherein both Metler and the members are one of the most active groups in supplying the state and filling the newspapers with misleading, plain lies regarding the bear hunt. Metler has arranged for bus pick-up sites to transport members and anyoneelse they can draft to support their cause to travel to Trenton and maintain political pressure on Governor Corzine because they know he is basically against hunting and weighs such decisions against potential votes. Metler and similiar groups keep dangling the vote carrot in front of Corzine to convince him that approving a bear hunt will cost him votes. As an example they use former DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell who had safety in mind when he approved hunts in 2003 and 2005. As soon as Corzine got in Bradley was out and the anti-hunting Lisa Jackson was appointed by Corzine and continued to follow his lead even having a N.J. State Supreme Court decision approving a (5) year black bear hunting management plan reversed.
In N.J. the hunts they had were held along with the whitetail deer hunting gun season; early December.
You can bet however,that when a human is seriously mauled or killed by a black bear, these groups will leave Governor Corzine holding the bag both emotionally and financially on behalf of a state that would not listen to the warning signs and the advise of their professional biologists.
Please look for my update on the 2008/2009 black bear problems it will be published under njbear hunt the websiteI maintain this week.
Best Regards and thank you for your concern of Human Safety and Life.
Mike D
Thank you for the info! I will definitely be checking for updates. Thanks again.
I’ll be adding this to my listing of social bookmarks.
Hi, thank you, hope you stay with the njbearhunt blog for upcoming opeds.
Mike D
Thanks for the 1st half—-it was factual and surprisingly honest——the 2nd 1/2 I am a little shakey about —as usual you seem to twist facts to fit what your agenda is—a winter hunt to kill sleeping bears
No I am not against hunting—-Hell a bear baiting hunt is more merciable than a winter hunt and would support that
Duck stop the charade, you are against the December hunt because that is what is planned right now and that is what you anti’s need to focus on.
You all know that Governor Christi is supporting the NJDF&W , the hunt is going through so now you need to change the direction and attempt to dwell on December as a bad time through your misleading “groggy bear analogy”.
If it were a spring hunt, a baited hunt, whatever you would find some misleading information to play against those too.
You have gone through most of my opeds, starting out with “I am not against hunting” and then using plain non-sense to try and discredit the information.
This will not work, this blog is one of the most viewed and respected on current N.J. black bears and the hunt. This is because the information I write can be verified and the bottom-line here, the hunt is needed and at this time, because of the anti’s delay tactics, December is the most logical time.
Black bears do not hibernate and hopefully we can cull the numbers needed to start bringing the population down to safe coexisting numbers.
As time goes on the NJDF&W can evaluate the process and with their hands uncuffed from the political web they can plan other dates as well.
Won’t that make you anti’s happy?
Mike D