"Human Rights, Yea Right"
The animal-rights/anti-hunters have tried throughout this year, as in years past, to inundate Governor Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson with e-mails and phone calls to keep this issue a “political-matter” rather than a “wildlife management” issue.
Unfortunately, both Governor Corzine and Lisa Jackson have absolutely no experience in this matter and have picked up the “Whitman Baton” of yielding to the “non-lethal” approach of wildlife population control. Non-lethal, is a “Non-Solution”, it is a diversion created by animal-rights/anti-hunting groups in New Jersey in order to prolong the inevitable; a black bear hunt.
This is what it comes down to; we have a Governor and DEP Commissioner that have no idea of what it is like to live in black bear country, to lose the freedom of your tax paid for property, to have children and each day worry about those children becoming the victim of the roaming, overpopulated black bear, they don’t see domestic pets and livestock lost, nor do they feel for the owners.
What they know is that the well organized, but actual minority, of animal-right/anti-hunters have made more noise than the majority of citizens that really support hunting as a proven method of wildlife population control. Animal rights activists that have managed to portray a wild black bear as some sort of abused animal that should have the right to conduct criminal activities and threaten human safety. Animal rights activists that have a platform of anti-hunting under the guise of protecting the black bear. Animal rights activists that have played a minor, if any, role in wildlife management as compared to the professional Fish and Wildlife and biologists that successfully brought about the resurgence of black bears in New Jersey and throughout the country in all species of wildlife. This is not about just hunters you see, as the anti’s quickly point to approximately 130,000 hunters as a rather small group whose rights should be quickly dismissed, but millions, yes millions, of non-hunting citizens that have no issues with legal hunting and are sick and tired of the infringement on human life and safety created by black bears.
So how do we get this message to the Governor and DEP Commissioner? Follow the lead of the anti’s; inundate their offices with your support of a hunt based on the following:
Black bear complaints have drastically risen this year and house break-ins in particular, have risen and it is this activity that demonstrates the failure of garbage security and adverse conditioning. It is also these break-ins that pose a major threat to human safety.
Garbage security and adverse conditioning have absolutely no effect on maintaining a safe, co-existing number of black bears to human density. No; garbage control will not lead to a reduction in the black bear population, nor will adverse conditioning, nor will failed sterilization; wrong, incorrect antis’ rhetoric.
Twenty-six (26) out of twenty-seven (27) states with large black bear population, all, yes all, yes all, include hunting as the primary and proven, successful method of black bear population control.
Twenty-six (26) out of twenty-seven (27) states with large black bear population, all, yes all, yes all, allow their Fish and Wildlife, professionals and biologists to determine how to control wildlife populations through regulated hunting to cull the numbers and bring about a safe co-existing level.
The only state in the United States that interferes in the wildlife management process; you got it, New Jersey.
Listen, you know who you are; mothers running about taking care of children, coaching team sports, participating in other community projects, girl scouts, working, etc. Fathers working and trying to pitch in with child rearing and community issues, maybe coaching a little league team, cub and boy scouts, etc. Just plain and simple citizens with responsibilities that do not allow you to dream up false remedies to protect a wild black bear that has become overpopulated, intrusive, aggressive and disrupted human rights, nor the time to constantly write politicians’.
It is however, up to all of you, all of us to combat the anti’s because just plain common sense, coupled with the increases in black bear problems, tell the truth; we are in trouble and it will get worse unless the black bear population is culled through hunting as was successfully accomplished in 2003 and 2005.This is not a scare tactic; this is not misleading information because the truth has been clearly presented by the black bear and its antic, it is fact.Contact : note the last page herein after addresses
Governor Corzine DEP Commissioners’ Office
Office of The Governor Lisa P. Jackson
P.O. Box 001 401 E. State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08625 P.O. Box 402
(609) 292-6000 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0402
Phone: 609-292-2885
Fax: 609-292-7695
Simply advise both the Governor and DEP Commissioner, that the non-lethal approach is a failure and the longer they delay a black bear hunt to satisfy the anti’s the worst it will become. Hunting is the only proven method of population control as out of the past eight (8) years in New Jersey only the two years of hunting reduced complaints. In addition, (26) other states that have large black bear populations have successfully used hunting as the primary method of black bear population control for decades and they maintain healthy black bear populations and reduced human interaction.
If you feel like it also mention the unfair charges placed against Jefferson resident Teri Daubner, whose Rottweiler dog killed a trespassing small black bear on her own property a few weeks ago. The NJSPCA has filed charges “on behalf of the bear” along with the state that could lead to six (6) months in jail.
This non-sense has to be stopped immediately, taxpayers money and court time will be wasted and imagine a human being put in jail, perhaps with hardened criminals, for a dog killing a trespassing “wild black bear”.
Let them get away with this and it could be you, your family or friends next. Don’t kid yourself, this could happen to you.
Write, fax, call do all three, get to your family and friends let them be aware and if they agree have them do the same. We are out of time if the hunt does not go through this year we are in trouble, if a human is put in jail because her domestic pet killed an overpopulated, trespassing wild black bear, we are in deeper trouble.
Mike D
Mr Mike D…you are a complete ASS. You have no idea what the hell you are talking about. If you are so desperate to shoot somthing why dont you shoot yourself and lower your states Human overpopulation.
Hi David, I really love comments like yours because it clearly illustrates what kind of sick excuses for human beings people like you are. It is exactly cowards like you, that help those of us that hold human life ahead of wildlife, to gain support. When you answer an oped without facts or even some rationale opinion, but instead with a gutter-mouth full of non-sense and total disrespect for human life, by going as far to bring up shooting a human, it shows everyone, those that support hunting as part of wildlife management, hunters and millions of non-hunters, as well as those that have a sincere passion for animals, that you are not welcome in any group and in fact you are not even a part of the human race, you are a sick, demented animal.
Love the e-mail it is the place for cowards like you to get off without getting arrested or whatever.
For all the other decent humans who have submitted their responses to my opeds stating opposisition to bear hunting or hunting in general, you will note that everyone was answered with factual information and given total respect for their opinion and right to oppose hunting.
It is understood that the majority of those opposing hunting share the same common respect for human life, we differ in what is seen as the current danger from overpopulated New Jersey black bears. We agree that the NJ human population has increased and development of land has infringed upon the black bears natural habitiant, we agree that garbage needs to be secured, we just disagree on the dangers of overpopulated black bears and for that only time will give us the answer. Actually, time has done this for us as since the last hunt in 2005; 2006, 2007 and 2008 have seen major increases in all catagories of black bear problems and mainly from 2007 to 2008 an increase from 112 to 276 a 146% increase in catagory (1), the most dangerous threat to humans.
By the way this information is not for you David Pike because judging from the tone of your reply you do not exhibit the intelligence to understand anything factual. What you should understand however, is that suggesting any kind of shooting of a human, even as you put it to shot one’s self may lead you to problems with the law as these websites are screened by law enforcement in order to detect potential problem people. They can also find out who you are so you cannot hide behind the e-mail if they want you. Therefore, I suggest you either learn how to express yourself in a manner consistent with the majority of the human race or keep your bad attitude to yourself.
Good Luck
Mike D
Leave the bears alone. If you are scared of the bears, move. I am sorry you are losing freedom and gaining freedumb. The bear has a right to freedom, as well. We can not just kill everything, because we are scared. We have to learn to live with the wildlife around us. I hope for the irony of animals carrying guns and shooting hunters. I can not even call you a hunter, because you probably sit in a tree all day and wait for something to go by. You probably can not even hunt for easter eggs.
Anyway, I am out. Jersey Rules
Joe, people are trying to leave the bears alone, unfortunately the bears will not leave people alone. Too many bears they need to be culled down to a level that allows safe co-existence with humans.
As for the “If you are scared of the bears, move” comment just your same, ole same, ole anti-hunting non-sense, OK we will just up and move as soon as we can sell our property to the highest bidding black bear.
I would like to thank you for the hunting comments Joe, another winner, I have thrown out all of my treestands and camo clothes and purchased a pogo-stick, orange shirts and a loud cow bell so I can become a better hunter.
So you see Joe, I can be just as silly and none-creative as you.
You have allowed emotions and your dislike for hunting to overrule human safety and common-sense; this is sad.
You see Joe you have every right to oppose hunting and in particular bear hunting but if you wish to do so say something factual or useful to your cause.
The comments you made are just ridiculous and without substance; sorry!
Mike D
Mike, I love your column. As long as it looks like the NJDEP and our great Gov. are protecting bears, I am developing a way to help protect people against bears. I am looking for volunteers. I wonder if David and Joe would be willing to help out. If we can keep bears restrained to limited ares, then there will be less bear-human contact. The solution would be to have the bear lovers pay to install electric fences around their properties. This way they can keep their lovely, friendly animals close to themselves and away from other people. If farmers can get permits to shoot bears, then why can’t bear lovers get permits to keep bears in their yards and in their houses. This should not present a problem for the bear keepers as long as they have “bear proof” garbage cans the bears will leave them alone and coexist peacefully with them. This way the Gov. can keep a bear or two or hopefully more at Drumthwacket and at his Hoboken condo and demonstrate to all of us how this peaceful coexistence between bears and people really works.
Hi grassfox and thank you for the comments. I like your ideas especially the electric fences. This would be a great way to test their dedication to black bear human co-existence.
Bet it wouldn’t take long for them to find out that overpopulated black bears and humans can never peacefully/safely co-exist.
As for the Governor, we can only hope that he finally can see through the misleading information and downright lies the animal-right and anti-hunting groups are feeding politicians.
A glimmer of hope was the Governor’s recent signing of a bill to allow Sunday bow-hunting for deer on private and “state-hunting-lands”. It appears that the Governor realizied that commercial small game hunting preserves have been able to offer Sunday hunting for years and that Sunday bow hunting for deer would not take place in specific state parks where hikers, bikers, horseback riders visit.
Now maybe the Governor will look at bear hunting through the eyes of human safety and plain old common sense. One state out of (27) cannot be right and hunting is the only proven method of maintaining a safe population for real co-existence between black bears and humans.
Mike D.
Excellent article. I believe that if more people tried bow hunting, they would be surprised how much fun this can be. I invite you and your readers to visit my new site, Silent Draw Outdoors. This is a new breed of hunting and outdoor adventure. Watch bow archery hunting videos of big game in North America.
Hi Tom, thank you for the kind remark. I will look at your website and of course so can anyone else that reads this.
As for content that is up to the individual reader to judge. Not everyone that endorses hunting for wildlife management would be interested is viewing videos of actual hunting.
I am a bowhunter and enjoy the challenges and rewards and good meals. However, this site is dedicated to the blackbear overpopulation problem in N.J. and to get us moving in the direction of bringing that bear population to a safe number, allowing peaceful co-existence with humans, we need gun hunting.
Then down the road, if required to maintain a safe number of bears, perhaps bow hunting will be added to the management process.
A lot of time and effort goes into putting up and maintaining a site, it is a lot of work, congratulations and wishing you the best.
Mike D