The future of the state’s bear hunt is in limbo. The disputed practice was brought back this year after the Murphy administration cited an increase in the bear population. But the hunt didn’t yield as many bears as expected and opponents are sounding off and bringing legal challenges to prevent it from happening again. Some said nonlethal measures would be more effective than having another hunt.
“They should prioritize providing additional funding for bear-aware programs that encourage and assist residents in bear country to employ bear-resistant trash cans and to take down bird feeders,” said Elissa Frank, New Jersey state director of the Humane Society of the U.S.
Jeff Tittel, former director of the New Jersey Sierra Club said, “The fact that only 100 bears were killed during that period shows that there was not an overpopulation. The figures being used by DEP, and the Fish and Game Council, are garbage.”
The state is accepting public comments until Feb. 3 for or against a bear hunt next winter.
