This is horrible - 22 yr old killed by bear in West Milford

[Taxman]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

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There is a bear season in New Jersey. It's not until early December because it runs concurrent with the opening of firearm deer season. By then, many of the bears are hibernating, but they still manage to harvest several hundred bears every year.

If they really wanted to reduce the number of bears in New Jersey, they would have a SPRING bear season like some other states do.

Maybe I'm weird, (okay I am) but I actually enjoy the rush of encountering bears when I am fishing. Anybody who fishes the Delaware River in the Water Gap area has probably encountered bears at one time or another.

Here is a pic I took of a bear I encountered one evening in April or May of the year before last. This was on the section of river just upstream from the three-minute light. I suspect he was thirsty and was waiting for me to leave so he could come down the hill for a drink of water.
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The season was set because pregnant bear den first. They had enough issues with the tree huggers to not shoot the pregnant ones

Originally Posted by Eskimo

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There is a bear season in New Jersey. It's not until early December because it runs concurrent with the opening of firearm deer season. By then, many of the bears are hibernating, but they still manage to harvest several hundred bears every year.

If they really wanted to reduce the number of bears in New Jersey, they would have a SPRING bear season like some other states do.

Maybe I'm weird, (okay I am) but I actually enjoy the rush of encountering bears when I am fishing. Anybody who fishes the Delaware River in the Water Gap area has probably encountered bears at one time or another.

Here is a pic I took of a bear I encountered one evening in April or May of the year before last. This was on the section of river just upstream from the three-minute light. I suspect he was thirsty and was waiting for me to leave so he could come down the hill for a drink of water.
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Eskimo,

Your post hits home. I started fishing the area you mentioned this year after many years of being away from the river. Last week I noticed droppings on the river which had to be a bear, all berries and too large to be anything else. When I fish that stretch, I fish along the rivers edge but on the way back I typically will walk up to the path which parallels the road to walk back to my car which is parked next to the three minute light. Every time I walk that path I think nothing other than this must be prime bear territory which I know it is. As I said in my earlier post, it's a risk I take fishing that stretch. i wouldn't suggest all bears in the Water Gap area be hunted down because as I said I'm infringing on their domain and it is what it is. If there's any area where bears have moved into a populated area I would take a different position but when people decide to spend their leisure time in the wilderness there are risks associated with that choice. I don't agree that killing every bear that calls the woods it's home is the solution.

Just for what it's worth which is what actually got me started thinking about bears along that stretch was when I started fishing there around June, there were hundreds if not thousands of dead shad on the river bank from the shad run. The stench was very strong and if there were any bears in the area I assume they would be down at the river after dark for a free meal. I'm sure they are. Absolutely something to think about after reading this thread. Probably won't be fishing into dark there anymore. Walleyes and small mouths just aren't worth the risk!

Dakota

[buzzbaiter]

Originally Posted by dakota560

Eskimo,

Your post hits home. I started fishing the area you mentioned this year after many years of being away from the river. Last week I noticed droppings on the river which had to be a bear, all berries and too large to be anything else. When I fish that stretch, I fish along the rivers edge but on the way back I typically will walk up to the path which parallels the road to walk back to my car which is parked next to the three minute light. Every time I walk that path I think nothing other than this must be prime bear territory which I know it is. As I said in my earlier post, it's a risk I take fishing that stretch. i wouldn't suggest all bears in the Water Gap area be hunted down because as I said I'm infringing on their domain and it is what it is. If there's any area where bears have moved into a populated area I would take a different position but when people decide to spend their leisure time in the wilderness there are risks associated with that choice. I don't agree that killing every bear that calls the woods it's home is the solution.

Just for what it's worth which is what actually got me started thinking about bears along that stretch was when I started fishing there around June, there were hundreds if not thousands of dead shad on the river bank from the shad run. The stench was very strong and if there were any bears in the area I assume they would be down at the river after dark for a free meal. I'm sure they are. Absolutely something to think about after reading this thread. Probably won't be fishing into dark there anymore. Walleyes and small mouths just aren't worth the risk!

Dakota

Raspberries along Old Mine Rd this year were all over the place. I'm sure they were chomping away on them. I sure was. Blueberries along the shorelines of our higher elevation lakes(sunfish pond/blue mt lake/stokes st fst and high pt st pk lakes and ponds) were also quite abundant. Hickory trees are full of nuts. They've had plenty to eat so far this year. Low water in rivers, swamps, ponds also means fish and frogs r easy prey. Not sure why they are chasing people for Granola bars.

[baetis]

Why does anything need to change based upon a single rare occurrence?

What I see are groups of people, using an extremely rare tragedy, going half-cocked to try to support their own agenda.

Hunters who want earlier/bow/muzzy seasons for bear are standing on their soap box. People who want less stringent gun regs will argue this is proof you need to be armed in the woods. Anti's will claim the bear was pushed out of its range by early season scouting and accustomed to human handouts from bait piles. Tree huggers will claim over development.... You get the point.

Take a deep breath, enjoy the outdoors and if you see a bear - don't panic, use common sense and enjoy the moment.

[briansnat]

Originally Posted by buzzbaiter

Bears are not hunters, they are scavengers. This whole story sounds off to me. What five guys you know go for hikes together??? Pretty sure none of you call up your buddies on wednesday and say "hey, lets go hiking this weekend. I'll make sandwiches!"

Black bear are mostly scavengers but they do hunt. Evolution gave them that speed for a reason and it wasn't for running away. Ask any deer.

As far as guys going for hikes together, don't be so sure. I've been hiking with my buddies since high school days. Well, we bring our own sandwiches.

Originally Posted by acabtp

very sad but they are apex predators and adult males in NJ start around 250# and range up to 800+# so unfortunately it was only a matter of time before this happened. bear numbers are exploding and the state is being hamstrung on population control by the "save nj bear" group etc. condolences to his family.

When the bear hunt was first proposed I wrote a letter to the editor that was printed in several newspapers that said the very same thing - that it was just a matter of time before someone was killed.

The bear population is not proportional to available habitat. That combined with the most dense human population in the nation is not a good mix.
The media keeps making a big deal about this being the first time in 150 years this happened in NJ. What they are missing is that bear have largely been non existent n NJ throughout the late 18th and most of the 20th centuries. It's only in the past decade or two that their population has exploded.

Originally Posted by dakota560

I'm sure this post will prompt a reply but it needs to be said. You're post make absolutely no sense. It's tragic that someone lost their life but that doesn't mean the bear population should go unprotected and it should be open season hunting them. Anytime someone strays into the wild they need to be aware of the surroundings and realize they are somewhere as previously someone said where they're not the apex predator. It's the same thing that happened with sharks when jaws was releases and the world was immediately brain washed into thinking the only good shark is a dead shark. The world population of sharks has plummeted ever since and it's nothing short of brutal what has happened to every shark species on the planet. Society has over developed every parcel of land and pushed these and all animals to the brink. We go into their territory and then blame them for when an accident like this happens yet it's fine to kill thousands of them a year. If opinions like yours were the edict of the day, there wouldn't be a bear, deer or any animal left in the woods or a shark in the ocean. Accidents happen when people go into the wilderness and as tragic as it is it's part of the balance which exists in this world. That doesn't warrant in my opinion the extermination of a species. Some hunters like fisherman are conservation minded but many want to kill anything and everything that moves. That's not the answer but that's the behavior posts like yours will provoke.

Like I said it's tragic someone lost their life and it's tragic the bear also had to be put down but it had to be. It's what happens when a civilized society keeps pushing the boundaries with wilderness to the point where one day you won't have to worry about bear attacks because there won't be any bears left to attack with opinions and attitudes like yours.

My condolences to the family who lost a child.

Dakota

Yep, it prompted a reply. First, the the movie Jaws had nothing to do with the plummet in the shark population. Sure there may be a few yahoos who kill sharks for fun the way some shoot rattlesnakes. The plunge in shark numbers is because of their popularity as food, particularly in Asia.

Regarding bear in NJ, their population has not been "Pushed to the brink". There are probably more bear in NJ now than there have been in 100 or more years. They are thriving, and that's the problem.

As far as our "going into their territory", Manhattan, Newark, Hoboken, Paterson and Camden were once bear habitat. Precisely where does "their" territory begin and "ours" end now? Are the people who live in suburban Wayne, Totowa or West Orange in "their" territory or "ours"? I ask because bear have been caught wandering these suburban communities over the past few years.

[bunker dunker]

well dakota560 you sound like you know allot about bears.how close have you ever been to one.have you ever watched them for any lenth of time in the woods.my sons and I have hunted them in 4 different states and Canada.they are and always will be hunters.if they think they can catch and kill something they will.thats how they survive.i was lucky enough to harvest a bear a few years back and while I was at the check in station I was called a murderer among many other "nice" things buy those "nice" peeps who think the bear is a warm and fuzzy friend.the are wild animals that can reach 800lbs and can move full dumpsters around like they are empty coke cans.i am glad there is a bear season and think all hunters like myself should obey and follow all rules.
there are to many bears per square mile and the population just keeps growing.fish and game would love for us to think there are only 2k in the whole state.this was going to happen sooner or later.its like mixing bicycles
and cars on the road,sooner or later bad things happen.we are all sorry for the family and friends of the victim.no offense to the bikers out there.