- Disbelieving Science

Scientists say N.J. black bear population can't be controlled without hunt

When I participated in the NJ bear hunt a few years back, a requirement for the permit was attending a 3 hour bear biology seminar run by the state DEP. This was an excellent idea, and the seminar was filled with practical information. The State DEP after all was staffed with scientists, not the delusional animal rights nuts from the HSUS and Green Peace. The DEP staffers understood that without population contols on the Bears a tragedy was inevitable, and it was their job to prevent it. So they supported a hunt, and largely treated us like we were being a help to them in doing their jobs.

At one point during the seminar a Biologist was explaining some of the specifics of Bear anatomy and he took a minute to discuss the other methods people have proposed for managing the bear population.

"Some groups have proposed that we use birth control on the Bears," he said "but but the trouble with that is in teaching them to put the condoms on."

This joke highlighted the fact that the position of animal rights groups requires a suspended disbelief. In order to think it will work out well, you need to un-know things that humans have known about bears for millenia. But ignoring reality is one of those things that animal rights people are particuarly good at.

During the actual Bear hunt, anyone who killed a bear was required to bring it to a DEP 'check station' to have the kill recorded and the Bear weighed. The animal rights groups decided to staff the check stations with 'Bear Rescue Teams". Keep in mind, by the time the bear gets to the check station it's been shot, gutted, skinned, and in all likelyhood cut into quarters so that it can be carried more easily. Some bears weight up to 400 pounds, and that can be a lot to sling over your shoulder like Errol Flynn in 'Robin Hood'.

Those animal rights loons need to be REALLY detached if they believe a Bear can be 'rescued' from something like that.

Anyway as you would expect... the State DEP scientists still think a Bear Hunt would be the most effective ways of controlling the population. And even the hyper partisan Star Ledger isn't ignoring them this time:

Scientists say N.J. black bear population can't be controlled without hunt