Bear Complaints Down Again, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Celebrates

Trenton – Sportsmen’s advocacy group celebrates a hunt that has produced precipitous declines in negative bear-human interactions and bear complaints yet again.

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance today released a statement celebrating news reports that, since the end of 2016, damage and nuisance complaints involving black bears have been cut in half, with a reported dip in bear sightings as well.

“The numbers are in and, as every NJ sportsman knows, the bear hunt has been and continues to be a huge success,” said spokesman Cody McLaughlin. “The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is proud to stand on this record of responsibly managing NJ’s amazing wildlife populations and we will continue to stand with the scientists at the Division Of Fish And Wildlife as we work towards healthy, sustainable ecosystems and safe communities.”

The report, published by NorthJersey.com, cites “Encounters with aggressive bears tied the lowest total since 2010 with two in 2017. This year, however, four were reported through June 20… Reports of negative encounters with bears in general have dropped severely since that 2014 mauling. State records show that reports of nuisance, or unwelcome, black bears made to the state through late June mostly reflected 2017’s totals. The 962 reports registered in 2017 were the fewest since 2013, when there were 1,866 reports, records show.”

About the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance: The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting outdoor-minded legislation and legislators who support hunting, fishing, trapping and the conservation of our natural resources in New Jersey. Notable accomplishments include the recent passage of the Blood Tracking bill, along with the institution of Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs.

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