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Must hurt to have facts get in the way of an emotionally based narrative.

There is also an 11% tax on guns and ammo used for Wildlife Restoration.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittman- ... _Wildlife_Restoration_Act

We pay extra taxes on licences and gear for conservation.

Link to the current fee schedule for hunting, trapping, & fishing:

http://www.eregulations.com/newjersey ... license-information-fees/

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/fishneed.htm

Permits sold in past:

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/license_sales11-14.pdf

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From NJDEP Div of Fish and Wildlife:

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife issues licenses, stamps and permits for hunting, fishing and trapping. The first license, a non-resident hunting license for $10.50, was introduced in 1902. The first resident hunting license was required in 1909, hunting license at a cost of $1.15. In 1915 the first fishing license was required, enabling law enforcement to be adequately funded.

Today the revenues derived from these sales support, in whole or in part, the operations of the agency. This work includes the operation of two fish hatcheries and associated stocking programs, a pheasant farm, enforcement of fish and wildlife regulations, habitat protection, fish and wildlife research, wildlife management area maintenance and improvement, education, and other programs and activities. The number of licenses sold also figure in the amount of federal grants money the state receives from the federal Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Programs.

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Hunting permit fees used to help preserve wild animal populations.

Really?

About 30% - 32% of the state (about 1.5 million acres) has already been placed in preserved status (this includes farmland) via measures passed by the voters since the 1960s (i.e. Green Acres Program).

Another 35% - 40% or so of the state is undeveloped. However, a lot of that is under DEP deed restrictions, which prevents development (i.e. a big part of the Pine Barrons).

So NJ, for a small but densely populated state has already set apart a lot of land for nature.

Bears were almost extinct in the state in the 1950s. Now, with environmental improvements and excellent wildlife management (NJ does a good job with this), they are back in abundance.

NJ.. with the exception of the cancelled hunt in 2000 has been culling the bears at about 10% to 15% of total population per year. They are however, re-producing faster, which means the hunt will need to be expanded. Black bears normally take off and run from people. They stop running as food gets scarce and the lose fear of human contact. They also start ending up in areas that haven't seen a bear since before the Revolutionary War.

The same has been done with deer which were causing environmental damage because their numbers got out of control. Deer population with the addition of a doe season has reduced population by about 100k since the mid 1990s (they are still too high in certain areas of NJ). Hopewell offers 1/2 off your permit next year if you kill at least four deer.

So okay... you hate hunting.. you hate the idea of Mr. Chocolate and Bambi losing their respective mortal coils. Then how do you plan to control the animal populations? Plus, how do you plan to replace the millions of dollars in permit fees paid by hunters every year? Those fees go to offset the cost of land management and are used to help preserve wild animal populations. There isn't an animal hunted in this state that is on the threatened or endangered species list.

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Exactly -- stop the sprawl

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The Rutgers University student and his friends kept after the poor bear in a remote State Park -- way off trail -- to get a selfie picture with the black bear.

These are Black Bears -- not Grizzlies or Polars.

http://nypost.com/2014/11/25/hiker-to ... ear-before-deadly-attack/

The problem is people are living in areas where there are bears. There shouldn't be development in the rural areas up north. Its generally bad for the environment to move people out to rural suburbs because it comes with huge transportation costs, reduced forest cover, and of course problems like conflict with bears. Also since urban areas rely on keeping these areas clean because it serves as a source of water for cities, reducing development in the rural part of the state is beneficial to everyone. Rural New Jersey is where there should be limits on development, not the urban center like Jersey City. So if you actually care about bears, stop whining about over development in urban spaces. Without more housing in cities, the only place for people to go is into the rural suburbs which means more conflicts with animals and nature, a greater threat to drinking water for Jersey City, and overall damage to the environment.

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Tell that to the family of the kid from Rutgers that got mauled.

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I don't know what Christie's motives are and they probably aren't good, but I can say that I have relatives who live in NW Jersey and the bear problem is very real. Even when people keep their property clean (no garbage left outside, etc.), there still exists a daily threat that bears will end up on their property and possibly enter their homes. There are too many of them and they are fast as lightning!! If a person lives in an area overrun with bears, they have to worry about their children, pets on a daily basis.

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Expanding the Bear Hunt Makes No Sense

By Jeff Tittel | 03/03/15

The Christie Administration has announced they will continue the annual December bear hunt and added another hunt in October 2016. The December hunt can be extended up to four days due to bad weather and an additional six day hunt will be added in October. The Administration will also allow hunting in Hunterdon, Somerset, and Morris County as well as parts of Passaic and Mercer Counties. Between the last five hunts 1,871 bears have been killed with population in the hunting area around 2,400 to 2,800. New Jersey Sierra Club believes, as always that these hunts are unwarranted, unfounded, and will not help to mange bears in the state of New Jersey. Unless New Jersey deals with protection of habitats, garbage, and educating people in bear country, expanding the hunt is meaningless.

?The Fish & Game Council, instead of coming up with funding and a real management plan, they are doubling down on the failed policies of the past. Instead of education and dealing with garbage, ?they added more hunts. By expanding the hunt they are ?just ?expanding policies of the past.
?
We originally needed a hunt to deal with aggressive bears, but agressive bears have gone up. We have seen five years of hunts with more bears going into more locations. This shows what they have done has not worked. We are not protecting habitat or educating people on how to protect bears. This is really about a trophy hunt and getting more people to hunt than it is about managing bears,? said Jeff Tittel, Director of The New Jersey Sierra

Because they are mammals that are harming no one. It is only Christie pandering to the macho gun owners

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Why should the bear hunt be stopped?

If you are against the Bear Hunt (or all hunting) please click below and sign this petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/230/79 ... the-new-jersey-bear-hunt/

What's the difference between hunting deer vs pheasants vs bears? If the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife says it's acceptable to harvest these animals, what's your objection?

The Rutgers University student and his friends kept after the poor bear in a remote State Park -- off trail -- to get a selfie with the black bear.

These are Black Bears not Grizzlies or Polar bears.

http://nypost.com/2014/11/25/hiker-to ... ear-before-deadly-attack/

The NJ Div. of Fish & Game does a pretty good job of tracking bear numbers. Bears are not endangered and have actually rebounded to numbers not seen since before the late 18th century.

Hunting and fishing permits go in part to maintain habitats for wildlife to thrive.

Previous bear hunts were cancelled or were restricted. So now there are too many bear, which is now causing issues. Some of them beyond raiding garbage cans and killing pets.

From last year:

A Rutgers University student was killed by a black bear over the weekend, the police said on Monday, the first such recorded death in New Jersey.

The student, Darsh Patel, 22, and four friends were hiking on Sunday in the Apshawa Preserve in the northern part of the state, about 40 miles from New York City. They encountered a black bear, which began to follow them, according to the police in West Milford, a township that includes the preserve.

NY Catskills region also had a fatal bear attack in 2002. Bears get aggressive when there are too many bears, not enough space, and not enough food.

The purpose of the hunt is not to wipe out the bears, but to bring down their numbers to a level where they are not a nuisance or a danger to people.

Just in case, you guys do understand that bear is a dangerous predator and that their population and area that they visit grow?

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm

If I put this on my OWN network do you think it would help?

Does anyone watch my network?

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has released its proposed 2015 Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP) - a drastic expansion of the bear hunt. The full document of proposed changes can be seen here: link. Below is an abbreviated list.

Instead of ending the madness of this trophy hunt, they are proposing:

Adding additional days to the black bear hunting killing season
Allowing bow and arrow and muzzleloading rifles
Allowing more than one bear to be killed per person
Opening up more areas, statewide
Adding four more days after the December hunt if weather interferes with the killing
Reviewing the policy every seven years instead of the current five
The comment period on the CBBMP is now open.

It is critically important for you to submit comments (see sample below); please help demonstrate that bears are still important to the residents of New Jersey.

Fortunately, during this open public comment period, all of us have a role in giving bears the support they need and deserve.

We know that the Christie Administration's shameful gift of a bear hunt to hunters has been a frustrating and sad experience.

Please remember that three other governors stopped bear hunts. When we demonstrate consistent support for bears, future governors can and will take action to stop the hunt. Action is so important, and takes so little time.

1. Submit comments electronically by July 17, 2015, through the following link.

www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments/

Instructions:
Fill in the required boxes.
At "Select Rule?making from the list," scroll to "DEP Dkt. No. 04-15-04, Game Code NJAC 7:25-5.6 and 5.24 Black Bear".
Type your comments in the field.
You can use the wording below as a basis for your comments, or insert your own words at the beginning or conclusion.

*** SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER ***

Ms. Carole Stanko:
Please register my opposition to the entire proposed 2015 Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP), which drastically expands the bear hunt. I am opposed to ANY bear hunt. I am also opposed to extension of the review process to every seven years.
New Jersey's bear hunts are entirely recreational and political have no impact whatsoever in reducing human/bear interactions as stated in the CBBMP. Nonlethal means of reducing human/bear encounters are the only effective solution. However, I cannot support the CBBMP's nonlethal components because they have never been implemented in any serious manner by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
I cannot support the state's category system, which sensationalizes normal black bear behavior and often results in the deaths of bears.
Furthermore, I support the development of Bear Smart Communities as described in Bear Smart bills (A4017/S687).