3/3/15 - Fish and Game Council Proposes Updated Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy

[NJDFW]

3/3/15 - Fish and Game Council Proposes Updated Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy

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[Palawman30]

That's awesome but if the Njdnr really wanted to quash bear/human conflict there would be a total baiting ban in effect in any nuisance bear areas. Even feeding birds would be banned. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to conditioning these animals to rely on unnatural food sources. Im all for hunting them. Purely from a management aspect if the state wants to get away from having so many nuisance calls and human/bear conflicts then the feedings have to stop.

[Bucksnbows]

I hear you, but bird feeding is a colossal industry all over the nation. Nearly all my neighbors, myself included, feed birds.  Many of us have gotten smart as to how to minimize bears getting to our seed, but let's face it, they still get some and spend lots of time trying.   

[Matty]

I can't be sure of this, but I doubt other states that have black bears have bans on things like bird feeding. I feel as though that's merely treating the symptoms and not the problem.

 

Ultimately, reduce the population to within the carrying capacity and the problems go away. Right now we have so many bears they HAVE to seek out our food, (trash, birdseed, baitpiles, etc). Competition in the woods is too fierce, to survive, they adapt. Can't blame them, but we should be responsible and control their numbers.

 

And to be honest, I'm actually thinking bears probably experience more negative interactions with people around bait sites than any other form of unnatural food sources. So I doubt baiting habituates bears to become comfortable around humans. Especially when they get shot!   Trash is probably the biggest issue, and it seems like most of us in "bear country" have figured out how to avoid that issue. Still there are some bears that have adapted to just wander down the street from can to can on the morning of pickup. In that case, some kind of bear proof can is probably necessary, but more importantly, treat the root of the issue first. (too many bears)

 

If the state thinks it needs to address unnatural food sources further after the root of the issue has been addressed, that can be done.

[Palawman30]

I don't disagree at all. At this point there is only 1 way to lower that population and it's unfolding slowly.

I guess I just don't understand the scorn the bear gets when humans are definitely a huge part of the problem. I hear of folks purposely dumpinG barrels of corn or donuts and other goodies around stand sites. I guess I don't get the logic to allow baiting for deer or bear to continue when the purpose is to decrease conflict in bear country

[Palawman30]

There are a few states that have bird feed bans in bear country in effect for part of the year or all year long. Bird feed stations seem to be the number 1 source of complaint in states that do not allow bait for bear.