I want very much to say that New Jersey is getting just what it deserves but unfortunately not all New Jersians are anti-hunting and their pets are being attacked and killed and humans are being attacked by coyotes. So far we have not heard of any bear attacks on humans, only on pets.
New Jersey authorities, who tell the press what to write, continue to feed lies to its residence about wild animals. Take for instance this story today from NewJersey.com. The article is about the attack of a small black bear on a pet dog. Officials ended up shooting the bear because of the attack. The writer later blames the shooting of the bear on the dog who he claims instigated the attack. I guess the dog went out looking for that poor innocent bear.
Also included in this story are some details of a separate incident where officials “shooed” a 400-500 pound black bear out from under a deck and urged residents to do the same thing.
Deadly force is allowed only if bears act aggressively and pose a threat to humans, pets, or property, which includes livestock. Otherwise, bears should be scared away or left alone depending upon their behavior. (emboldened is mine added)
Are you kidding me? There are jerks out there who will say that I am afraid of bears or want to incite fear in people about bears. Call it or me whatever you want but any wild animal is potentially dangerous and should be treated as such.
I can’t believe that any official would instruct people to “shoo” a bear away if found sleeping under your deck or wherever. Is the writer of this article a total fool and knows nothing about the behavior of bears, or is he writing what he was told?
When New Jersey governor Corzine took office in 2006, he instructed his newly appointed head of the Department of Environmental Protection, Liza Jackson, who oversees the fish and game department, to throw away a court approved bear management plan that included a bear hunting season. Now the only ones allowed to legally shoot a bear are state officials when bears become a nuisance or they threaten humans and pets. It is ironic that the governor approves of law enforcement officials, who are untrained often, to track down these animals and kill them yet he is anti-hunting. He obviously is clueless about wildlife management and the benefits of using hunting as a viable tool in that management and is only concerned about his own personal agenda of no hunting.
Consequently because of his agenda, people’s property is being damaged and they are losing the pets to attacks by bears and coyotes. Coyotes are attacking humans now and it will only be a matter of time before a human is attacked by a bear. Officials continue to downplay the realities that bears will, although rare, attack a human. I guess that would make John Corzine personally responsible for injuries or death that results from a bear attack.
And who is responsible when the media suggests that people “shoo” bears away?
On an added note, another coyote attack on a pet dog occurred in Passaic County.
Tom Remington
