Monday marks the start of black bear bear hunting season in New Jersey and the renewal of the debate that comes with it.
Permit-holding hunters this week will be allowed to kill black bears after the controversial hunt was extended another five years by state regulators.
Gov. Phil Murphy had campaigned on ending the bear hunt and had previously taken steps to limit the practice. But the administration changed course and has said the bear hunt is needed as part of the state’s larger black bear management plan after a surge in reported problematic bear activity in 2022.
Reported bear activity is down this year, however, and animal rights activists argue nonlethal measures like public education campaigns around safe garbage handling, for instance, are sufficient to allow people and bears to coexist.
Former state Sen. Raymond Lesniak has been one of the most high-profile animal rights advocates in New Jersey. He recently filed a lawsuit challenging the make-up of the state Fish and Game Council, arguing it too heavily prioritizes the views of sportsmen over the rest of the population.
