The Sportsmen’s Alliance applauds the conviction demonstrated by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to stand behind sound scientific management principles when it comes to the apex predator black bear.
On Saturday, Jan. 2, Gov. Christie, who was on the Presidential campaign trail in New Hampshire, was asked about the annual black bear hunt he reinstated in 2010, and without an ounce of political maneuvering stood by his decision.
“New Jersey has been overrun by black bears. We’ve gotten more and more reports of bears coming into suburban neighborhoods,” he told reporters. “I’m not going to change my policy.”
After a 30-year moratorium on bear hunting in the Garden State, a hunt was held in 2003 and then again in 2005. With exploding populations and ever-increasing and dangerous human-bear conflicts, Christie approved, and has since expanded, an annual hunt for the animals.
“We appreciate the leadership that Gov. Christie and his administration have shown in handling this issue,” said Evan Heusinkveld, interim president and CEO of Sportsmen’s Alliance. “His willingness to let trained biologists use the best available science and wildlife management practices to balance the ecosystem and protect public safety are exactly what’s required in this situation.”
To date, the number of bears taken in New Jersey this season has neared 500. In 2010, the first year of the hunt, there were 592 bears harvested.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
