The Daily Record published a letter from Susan Kehoe promoting the use of bear-proof garbage cans and not feeding pets outside as you can never totally clean up after them. Kehoe a Highlands Lake Resident is actually scheduled to appear in Vernon court next month for guess what? Feeding bears.
In her article she states; “The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is trying to escalate bear complaints in efforts to promote another tragic bear hunt in New Jersey. How? By misleading people who live in bear country with the wrong information on how to keep bears away from their property.
She further states; I came across a hunter’s website where they were telling each other to keep calling the division to complain about bears to escalate bear incidents.
This is exactly the kind of non-sense that the animal-rights/anti-hunters use to gather support for their lame cause.
First of all there is no such product as a “bear-proof” garbage can, it is at best “bear-resistant” and easily dragged away and gnawed at when a bear wishes to take the time.
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife did not make up the following as was directly reported by newspapers and confirmed by the victims:
July 22, 2008: Black Bear enters tents at Johnsonburg Presbyterian Children’s Camp in Frelinghuysen Township.
July 23, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Frankford Township, Sussex County.
July 23, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Fredon Township, Sussex County
July 24, 2008: Black Bear breaks into chicken coop in West Milford Township, Passic County.
July 24, 2008: Black Bear damages corn silage bag in Allamuchy Township, Warren County.
July 24, 2008: Black Bear kills chickens and ducks in Jefferson Township, Morris County.
July 28, 2008: Black Bear kills pet rabbit in Clinton Township, Hunterdon County.
July 29, 2008: Black Bear destroys famers’ corn crop in Blairstown.
July 29, 2008: Black Bear approaches resident within 5 feet in Vernon, Sussex County.
July 29, 2008: Black Bear approaches resident within 5 feet in West Milford, Passaic County.
July 31, 2008: Black Bear destroys another farmer’s corn in Blairstown.
July 31, 2008: Black Bear destroys fruit trees in Andover, Sussex County.
August 1, 2008: Black Bear kills two goats in Sparta Township, Sussex County.
August 1, 2008: Black Bear approaches family during picnic, West Milford, Passaic County.
August 3, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Jefferson, Morris County.
August 3, 2008: Black Bear destroys bee hives in Gladstone, Somerset, County.
August 4, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Vernon, Sussex, County by lifting garage door.
August 4, 2008: Black Bear breaks through window enters Vernon, home Sussex, County.
August 4, 2008: Black Bear destroys fruit trees in Harmony, Warren, County.
August 4, 2008: Black Bear charges police officers in Sparta Township, Sussex County.
August 5, 2008: Black Bear enters home by pushing in screen, West Milford, Passaic County.
August 6, 2008: Black Bear destroys sweet corn Fredon, Sussex County.
August 6, 2008: Black Bear enters home breaking out panel in garage door, Vernon, Sussex County.
August 6, 2008: Black Bear follows resident to pool house while cleaning pool, Sparta, Sussex County.
August 8, 2008: Black Bear damages Christmas trees, West Milford, Passaic County.
August 8, 2008: Black Bear destroys farmer’s corn crop, Fredon, Sussex County.
August 10, 2008: Black Bear destroys corn crop in Knowlton, Warren County.
August 11, 2008: Black Bear enters home through a window, West Milford, Passaic County.
August 11, 2008: Black Bear enters home in Vernon, Sussex County.
August 11, 2008: Black Bear charges officers in Jefferson, Morris County.
August 11, 2008: Black Bear destroys bee hives in Bloomingdale, Passaic County.
August 19, 2008: Black Bear destroys orchard trees in Andover, Sussex County.
August 18, 2008: Black Bear enters home in West Milford, Passaic County.
August 19, 2008: Black Bear enters home tearing off screen and climbing through window, West Milford Passaic County.
Keep in mind this is a sampling and not all of the complaints or damage done by the overpopulated Black Bear; in addition many residents do not bother to call in. The only accurate conclusions you can draw from Kehoe’s statements are they are synonymous with garbage.
First the anti’s advised to place garbage in garages or sheds, then when this not only failed but encouraged black bear home and garage break-ins’ , they are back to garbage cans outside. Next was closing windows when cooking, during backyard barbecues’ keep serving food in sealed containers.
Look at these complaints do you see garbage cans as eliminating them? What are farmers supposed to do with crops, people with fruit trees? How about bee hives for honey producers, how about baking and cooking right in your house?
We have a Black Bear “over-population” problem for which garbage security will not solve. Look at these issues you can clearly see a tragedy in the making. This is like an old western, the bad guys outnumber the good guys, (10) to (2), the leader of the bad guys says; “you got no chance we are 10 to 2. The good guys say; but we two will be sure to get you first. The leader thinks about that then calls it off.
We humans outnumber the bears but they keep coming around, they do not scare off anymore, they having nothing to fear since the animal-right/anti-hunters have created a sacred boundary around them. The black bear gets braver, more intrusive, and more dangerous. The outcome in inevitable, some human will get mauled, maybe killed just like the goats, horses, rabbits, chickens, dogs. Never forget at this time the black bear in New Jersey is at the top of the food chain, NO FEAR.
The only proven way to prevent a tragedy is to hold a hunt, this year and every year until we reduce the black bear population to a number that allows them to go back to the privacy and security of the forests for which they came. Like the old west analogy, who wants to be the first victim?
A hunt will work, it provides real adverse conditioning, as the black bear will quickly learn to place a human being as a threat to them, as we reduce the population and the bears learn to FEAR HUMANS, they will drift back to the safety of the forests where they will now have ample room to live.
No one; Fish and Game, biologists, non-hunters or hunters will allow the black bear to be hunted to extinction. We will be the same as the (26) other states that hunt black bears every, every, year and manage their population to a safe co-existing number.
Remember, these other (26) states have held hunting seasons for decades and they maintain a healthy black bear population.
Let’s stop dancing around the hunting issue; we need an extended season that takes place when the bears are out, not when they are going into hibernation. We need hunting with bow/arrow, shotgun and muzzleloader as they are all lethal weapons. We need to charge for permits both resident and non-resident. This is what the (26) others states do successfully because they do not allow politics to put a symphony spin on wild game management. Do not let the anti’s use this as a tactic to delay the bear hunt, this is a normal, legal, proven strategy for wild game population control, it is not wrong, those that do not hunt don’t have to this is not a hunting issue.
Lastly, how dare Susan Kehoe accuse hunters of inflating complaints; that is a direct practice of the animal-right/anti-hunting groups, The Bear Resource Group and others actually provide pre-typed letters wherein members can simply sign off and forward to politicians’? Need proof; just look at the “short-list” above of actual citizen complaints.
Mike D
Excuse me! There is a bear proof garbage can! It is called a bank vault. If one uses a bank vault for their garbage, the bear will never get into it. However, this will not prevent the bear from breaking into your garage or the back door of your house.
If there are people who really love bears like their own children (some seem to love bears more than their own children) and bears really are not dangerous, then why don’t these people keep the bears in their own homes and yards away from the rest of us. After all, dog owners are forced to keep their dogs on a leash and in pens. Why not bears?
grassfox, thank you for reading the blog and your comments. The problem with these people; they are basically anti-hunters/animal-rights people that have lost track of “human-rights”. They lack plain common sense that let’s us know there are only a specific number of black bears that can be allowed to safely populate our state. They ignore the success of (26) other states that do not let emotions or politics interfere with sound and proven “wild-game-management” of their F&W, professional biologists. They try to cover up the success of the 2003 and 2005 N.J. hunts that led to reduced black bear intrusive behavior in the following year after each hunt.
They continue to flood the Governor’s office with phony reports and to call this a “trophy-hunt” that is only supported by the aprox. 130,000 licensed N.J. hunters. They ignore the support of millions of non-hunters that are family and friends of hunters and just plain citizens that “get-it” by the simple logic that the black bear in any state cannot be left to propragate beyond a safe, co-existing number and based on their own 2008 intrusive, aggressive behavior that level has been met, We need to reduce the population to restore the freedom we once enjoyed of using our own tax-paid for backyards and public lands, we have a right to expect garages and kitchens to be safe, to hold backyard barbacue’s without fear, to see our children progress to the responsibility of meeting a school bus or playing on a school playground without fear.
Farmers have the right to raise livestock and we all should be able to own domestic pets free from wild black bear attacks.
No one is worried or complaining about coyote attacks or the coyote hunting seasons, guess they do not look as “cute” as the black bear that is doing more damage than the coyote.
Lastly, we cannot wait for a human tradegy, mauling or death to act, the warning signs are there, humans have been attacked not only in N.J. but in other states including those hunted, just imagine if the other (26) states stopped black bear hunting what number of attacks we would have as the black bear population would be totally out of control.
Thank You
Mike D
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