Under New Jersey law, without a policy in place, the State cannot hold a black bear hunt. The Commissioner's inaction has lead to a drastic increase in bear incidents state-wide since the last bear hunt in 2005.”
Said SCI President Larry Rudolph, “A well regulated hunt is essential for the sound and responsible management of black bear in New Jersey and for the safety of the general public. The goal of our lawsuit is simply to put legal pressure on the Commissioner and the Council to take the necessary action to adopt a Black Bear Policy.
Forcing action on a policy will allow the Council˜the people entrusted under New Jersey law to manage wildlife˜to decide whether a hunt is both the appropriate means of managing the state's bear population and a valued recreational experience.”
During a six-day season in December 2005, New Jersey hunters took 298 black bears.
Source: Safari Club International