Legislation introduced by New Jersey Senator Vin Gopal and New Jersey Assemblyman Andrew Swicker would shut down black bear hunting until the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife implements a new comprehensive policy for managing black bears that includes a study and recommendation for non-lethal population control methods. Senate Bill 752 and Assembly Bill 1209 have been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Energy and the Assembly committee on Agriculture where they await hearings.
Take Action Today! New Jersey sportsmen should contact their state senator and assembly members and ask them to vote NO on Senate Bills 752 and Assembly Bill 1209. New Jersey members can contact their elected officials by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.
Due to the high population density of both bears and people in the state, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW) keeps up to date data on the bear population and harvest numbers through a Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP). The CBBMP provides regular updates on the effectiveness and necessities of the program. In a December 2019 update, the NJDFW actually had to extend the New Jersey black bear hunting season by four days and provided the following statement:
“Increased Harvest is deemed necessary to provide better ecological balance to the bear population and reduce the potential for bear-human encounters. The harvest rate for the season stands at 14.7%.”
The management plan has implemented a 20-percent population control threshold and, as a result of this threshold, the state of New Jersey has been able to cut the number of human-bear conflicts in half since 2009 when bear hunting was illegal. This information clearly indicates that the state is heavily reliant on a bear hunting season and the efforts of our New Jersey members to effectively manage the black bear populations to protect the general public.
“Unfortunately, Senator Gopal and Assemblyman Swicker are more concerned about making political statements than they are at protecting their constituents from unwanted conflicts with bears,” said Jacob Hupp, associate director of state services at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “The experts at the NJDFW have repeatedly made it abundantly clear that the state’s effective management of black bears is heavily reliant on the participation of New Jersey sportsmen.”
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.