N.J. Trophy Hunters up in Arms about Humane Alternatives To A Bear Hunt |
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March 26, 2007
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| ©iStockphoto |
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| A key to coexisting with black bears is to remember, "A fed bear is a dead bear." |
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In late 2006, the New Jersey Supreme court knocked down a lawsuit filed by trophy hunters who sought to force the state to hold a bear hunt. The court's decision spared hundreds of bears from the gun, in what would have been another unscrupulous hunt for heads and hides.
But trophy hunters just won't stop. They are now speaking out against funding for non-lethal bear control alternatives, perhaps fearing that the alternatives will prove so effective that there will be no justification for another hunt. Authorities had proposed $850,000 to educate the public and implement humane aversive conditioning strategies.
Funding is essential to reduce conflicts with bears. This short-term investment will reap long-term benefits for both people and black bears.
Humane and Effective Solutions
Non-lethal alternatives such as humane aversive conditioning have proved highly effective at reducing bear-human conflicts. Strategies include removing items that would attract bears from the woods into our neighborhoods in the first place, by bringing in bird feeders and pet food and cleaning outdoor grills. Bears who do enter our streets and backyards in search of goodies can be systematically frightened by authorities by making loud noises with firecrackers, chasing them with trained dogs, shooting them with rubber bullets or relocating them to a more appropriate locations.
Read a summary of the struggle to save black bears from trophy hunting in New Jersey.
See the Video
New Jersey Bear Hunt
The Man Who Frightens Bears
Bear Baiting
Dogged Pursuit
Related Links
Black Bears and People in New Jersey
N.J. Supreme Court Tells Trophy Hunters: Not in Our State
New Jersey's Bear Hunt Will Provide More Trophies than Protections to the Public
Tips for Living with Black Bears
Black Bears
Writing a letter to a local newspaper can help spread the word about humane alternatives to a bear hunt. 
