It's a simple fact, bear hunting is trophy hunting. The image above is a trophy featured in the 2016 DFW booth at the state fair. Bears are made into rugs, head and full body mounts, or discarded. The bear hunt has never been about the number of bears, nor has it resolved complaints or incidents.

In 2015, the DFW drastically expanded the bear hunt to include killing more than one bear, raised the number of bear hunting permits to 11,000, added more regions throughout New Jersey, added a whole new season in October, added bows, and increased the hunt up to 10 days in December.

This is insanity. During the public comment period last year, 92.4% of the comments received opposed the bear hunt. Despite this overwhelming support for bears by the public, the DFW went ahead with its entire policy without making one single change that would reflect public opinion.

DFW is a hunter-backed state agency that is rogue, enjoys little to no oversight, and is out of step with the residents of New Jersey.  It’s time to remove bears from the game code and end all bear hunting permanently. (Bill A3527)

In 1988, when the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) started promoting bear hunting, the population estimate was 150 bears in the state. In that same year, the Animal Protection League of New Jersey started educating the public about the true nature of bears and how to live in harmony. When bears were labeled a game species by DFW in the 1950s, there were less than 50 bears in the state. Regulated hunts from 1958 through 1969 killed every single bear. In 1970, the bear hunting season was closed.

For decades it has been known that the only successful way to reduce conflicts and complaints is to restrict bears access to unnatural food sources. When bears live on naturally sourced food, their population growth rate is commensurate with the food and available habitat. Fewer bears are born and an older breeding age result in a population of bears who rarely come into contact with people because they are staying in their natural habitat. Hunting does not reduce bear complaints, causes fights among neighbors, and is cruel to bears.

 Please visit -  www.savenjbears.com  and  www.bearsmartnj.org