Animal Activist Disrupt Scientific Bear Research by the New Jersey Division Of Fish and Wildlife

Sportsmen’s group calls out anti-hunting extremist groups for perpetuating hysteria that is detrimental to scientific progress.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance on Thursday released a statement condemning the actions of anti-hunting, anti-science political extremists from the Animal Protection League of New Jersey for their role in promoting the interruption of key scientific bear research conducted by the New Jersey Division Of Fish and Wildlife.

“This is a great example of how violent anti-hunting extremist organizations interfere with valid and badly-needed scientific research” said NJOA spokesman Cody McLaughlin, “On the one hand, extremists harass Division Of Fish and Wildlife scientists while performing their essential research and promote a ban on traps that assist the Division in such research – while in the same breath promoting their preposterous ‘bear vasectomy’ talking point. Which is it? It’s neither. Just another bad faith argument pushing an agenda.”

On the morning of September 9th, extremists affiliated with the Animal Protection League of New Jersey interfered with scientific research conducted by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife on the state of our New Jersey bear population. Upon discovery of a bear in a foot snare, the extremists called local authorities who, lacking the scientific training necessary to make the right call in this instance, cut the snare with the cable still attached to the bear’s paw. The Division was then called to respond and tranquilize the bear so that the cable restraint could be removed. Extremists then bragged about this disastrous interruption of key scientific research as a win and promoted a ban on bear research instruments on social media.

The fast facts about New Jersey’s black bears tell a different story, about why the science is so important:

• New Jersey’s black bear population is the densest in North America
• Estimates peg above 60% of said bears in the northwestern corner of the state alone.
• Bears live in all 21 counties of New Jersey.
• More than twice the amount of bears were born in 2017 were killed in the hunt of the same year.
• New Jersey’s bears also breed at twice the rate of other states, with sometimes 4 cubs to a litter.
• New Jersey’s hunt is a conservation hunt, supported by science and upheld in a court of law as a necessary, legal and ethical means of controlling our state’s exploding bear population