J. - The state's highest court called off New Jersey's bear hunt Thursday, four days before the season is scheduled to start.
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the state needs to establish a proper management program for bears before it can allow the animals to be hunted.
More than 300 black bears were killed in last year's hunt - the first bear season in 33 years in New Jersey. Proponents maintain another season is needed because of increasing contact between the animals and humans.
The hunt was authorized in July by the state Fish and Game Council, an independent panel that sets New Jersey's hunting seasons. As of Thursday, nearly 4,000 permits had been issued.
But state environmental chief Bradley Campbell has opposed the current bear season, saying the state should be allowed to manage the bear population with a contraception program and public awareness campaigns for residents who live near heavy bear populations.
Bear hunting supporters called it a "sad day in wildlife management."
"You've taken 50 years of very successful wildlife management and turned it upside down, subjected it to the whims of one political appointee," said Game Council Chairman Scott Ellis. "It's obvious that this commissioner is beholden to the whacko animal rights crowd."
The ruling overturned a lower court decision that required Campbell to process bear hunting applications and proceed with plans for this year's season. Campbell had refused to issue the permits, maintaining he had the authority to overrule the game council.
"This is a victory for good government but it's also a victory for the bears," said Jeff Tittel, head of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. "It's the best Christmas gift they could have this year."
Campbell said the next step is for the Fish and Game Council and the state Division of Fish and Wildlife to develop a management policy. The division is an agency within the Department of Environmental Protection that enforces hunting and fishing regulations
__________________
You're only one post away from a federal watch list.
This is a sad bit of information. It also shows the ignorance of a commissoner who has no business being in that position and absolutely no knowledge of wildlife management. I doubt he has no idea what it would cost for a contraceptive program..........or that it would even be effective, and I seriously doubt most taxpayers want their tax money to even go for that sort of a program.
I hope to heck we don't go the way of England!!!!!![:@]
Campbell has politcal asperations ....so now he's siding with the anti's & tree huggers since their votes outnumber ours. Now there is even a group that will be lobbying for contraception of the deer herd ![:@] Soon all we will have to hunt is clay pigeons[:'(] Watch out guys/gals could be your state next. Actully makes me physically ill [:'(] , and the feds have said if there isnt a bear hunt NJ will lose 2 million in aid that would have went to wildlife management.
__________________
Take the "Training Wheels" off your bow. Go traditional !
OK, so the way I read it, the state (as well as the tree-hugging liberals, err-porgressives as I must call them now) are wanting to MUTATE wild animals at THE COST of the state, rather than MAKING MONEY by selling hunting licenses?!?!?!?!?!?[:@][:'(][:@][:'(] I am sorry but do these people have any brains what-so-ever? Now you will see bears walking up to people acting as normal, and then the drug screws up somehow and the person gets eaten (who was trying to feed the poor, hungry bear in the first place) and then people cry because what the state is doing isn't working. Heck I say let them do it, maybe it will rid the world of some useless lib-err-progressives!
__________________
Records were made to be broken
2011 Spring Turkey Contest Team 1 Kee Kee Krew
2010 Spring Turkey Contest Team 8 Kee Kee Krew Winners
OK, so the way I read it, the state (as well as the tree-hugging liberals, err-porgressives as I must call them now) are wanting to MUTATE wild animals at THE COST of the state, rather than MAKING MONEY by selling hunting licenses?!?!?!?!?!?[:@][:'(][:@][:'(] I am sorry but do these people have any brains what-so-ever? Now you will see bears walking up to people acting as normal, and then the drug screws up somehow and the person gets eaten (who was trying to feed the poor, hungry bear in the first place) and then people cry because what the state is doing isn't working. Heck I say let them do it, maybe it will rid the world of some useless lib-err-progressives!
Progressives just doesnt quite fit, i think drama-queens sounds much better.
....it's also a victory for the bears," said Jeff Tittel, head of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. "It's the best Christmas gift they could have this year."
Gee, I didn't know bears celebrated Christmas.
__________________
Days Full Of Clays...
NWTF, DU, SCI
NJ won't be hunting bear afterall !!
