New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is Andrew Cuomo lite. He’s every bit as hostile to civilian firearm ownership and Second Amendment rights, he just lacks the ability of his neighbor to the north to project that anti-gun animus beyond his state’s borders. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t dead set on making Garden State gun owners’ and hunters’ lives more difficult.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday ordered the closure of state lands to black bear hunting this year.
The first-year Democratic governor announced the decision with an executive order, but stopped short of unilaterally ending the hunt altogether, saying he doesn’t have the authority.
“I am fulfilling my commitment to stop the bear hunt to the greatest extent of my authority by ordering the Department of Environmental Protection to prevent bear hunting on all public lands under the DEP’s jurisdiction,” Murphy said in a statement. He also called on lawmakers to take action.
Never mind that hunting is a proven, effective and humane way of managing wildlife populations. But it usually involves guns and the deplorables who tend to own and shoot them. Therefore it’s uncouth, déclassé, beneath the dignity of all the really good people in the state and must be prevented by any means necessary.
Cody McLaughlin, a trustee with the nonprofit New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, which opposes efforts to stop the hunt, estimated that about three-fifths of hunters use public lands when hunting various quarry.
State officials have estimated around 3,500 bears live in northern New Jersey, and McLaughlin estimated that New Jersey has the densest bear populations on the continent.
He said Murphy’s decision ignored scientific studies that show hunting is an effective means of population control, particularly in densely populated New Jersey.
Who would possibly be so deluded as to think the bear hunt is part of responsible wildlife management?
State officials have said the annual hunt is a key part of controlling the bear population, and it cuts back confrontations with humans.
But officials also say there are concerns some bears go hungry because of high population density.
Critics say the hunts are inhumane.
Of course they do.
Good. Maybe the bears can clean up that horrible state.
I am waiting for California to ban huntning deer.
Unfortunately, that is not how liberals think.
Animals (whether predators or not) need to be re-introduced and protected, no matter what.
Except when the predators show up in their yard or parks (whether or not they actually hurt anyone), then the liberals will ensure that they waste your tax dollars calling in wildlife officials to do the dirty work for them. God forbid someone PAYS to take care of the animals before they end up in their subdivision.
It is worse than that. These yoyos will say that the urbanized coyotes, possums, skunks, raccoons, bears, even rats were here first. When I explain that this was all orange groves 150 years ago and the few that were here left or were chased out, they say that the drought makes them come out of the hills.
Not so, these critters are here because the city doesn’t want to pay to get rid of them. They kill our pets, ruin our fruit trees and gardens, and people still say “they were here first”. It will take a hungry coyote with pups dragging a 3 year old back baby for food to change people’s minds.
Just guessing, “black baby”?
“He said Murphy’s decision ignored scientific studies that show hunting is an effective means of population control, particularly in densely populated New Jersey.”
He does not care if “scientific studies that show hunting is an effective means of population control”, he wants to ban hunting, shooting and anything that involves guns. When are you idiots in Jersey going to realize this?
FYI, this state is controlled by Democrats, top to bottom. About 70% of voters identify as Democrats. It’s simple really; the big unions, NJ Teachers unions, Police and Fire unions, local and state workers unions, constructions workers unions of various trades and others looking for political favors all donate to Democrats almost exclusively and they vote as a block for Democrats. In return, the Democrats give them about anything they want in terms of wage increases, work rules advantageous to the unions (closed shops, etc), all funded by the generous citizens of NJ. Not to mention the extremely generous pension plans for all these state and local union workers and the teachers unions. We citizens are on the hook for pension plan payments running into the billions of dollars which we do not have. We are among the highest taxed states in the country and it is no wonder. With all the campaign contributions coming into the Democrat coffers it really is a money laundering scheme in its purest form. Unions vote and contribute to Democrats and the Democrat politicians give power to those unions in the form of wage increases, work rules, etc. All funded by the fools who pay the taxes in NJ. Like me. Can’t get out of here soon enough.
BTW, our new governor has signed legislation that will ban and deem as contraband (punishable as a felony with mandatory jail time) the mere possession of magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Doesn’t matter that the magazine was legal when you bought the firearm. You will go directly to jail and not collect $200 (Monopoly) if you are caught with said contraband. There is much more to the law but space here is limited. Yes, our state government truly does SUCK.
Ignore your own state biologists, science and the most successful wildlife conservation model in the world.
Go with your feelz. What a douche.
My brother lives in north Jersey, His property is adjacent to state land. He’s had black bears on his deck several times and had one in the house a few years ago. He called the state and the DEP guys managed to trap it and haul it off to parts unknown. He asked the rangers what would have happened if he took his 1911 to the bear before it ate his dog, wife or himself. Rangers replied “We’d have to arrest you.” That’s why I left New Jersey almost 40 years ago.
I’ve heard bears are tasty. What if you eat the evidence? It’s not real easy to make a quote about, but “shoot, eat up, and shut up”?
It’s shoot, shovel it in your mouth, and shut up! 😉
Vote out incumbent politicians
Yet another reason we left New Jersey for Pennsylvania.
Low taxes and ccw within 20 minutes…and much less crime.
Once again emotion get in the way of sound biological science. Although the State of Colorado has not banned bear hunting they did in their infinite wisdom do away with taking bears in the Spring by use of baiting. The bear population has grown exponentially since the prohibition of baiting bears. The only bear hunting that occurs nowadays in Colorado is in the Fall by spot and stalk method which is a rather dismal way of keeping the population in check. The more rural areas of the state along with the ski resort towns have an ongoing problem with bears coming into town looking for a meal. Once a problem bear has been trapped, tagged, and relocated three times the Colorado Parks & Wildlife conservation officers are directed to remove/euthanize the bear. Seems like such a waste.
They have failed to learn the lesson of what happened in Boulder County when hunting was banned. They ended up with Moutain Lions eating domestic pets and then people. See David Baron’s “The Beast in the Garden “
I was going comment predicting the same outcome.
New Jersey voters and their governor will think this is a great idea until bears start mauling pets and people at a much greater frequency than ever seen before.
Just a shame the bears dont know enough to target the ones that write the laws in the first place first. If they did we may well see some common sense laws on wildlife control being written.
Just let natural selection happen.
weeks later… “New Jersey Overrun by Bears”
And somehow it will be our fault…
Some one should drop a carcass off at the statehouse after one gets into their house.
i thought the only dangerous animals in NJ walked on two legs.
Yes, they are called Democrats, very dangerous species next to black Mambas.
Well, the LGBQetc community should welco… Oh, wait. Nevermind.
Seriously, though … Seriously? What would a self-respecting intelligent ursine be doing in Joisey anyway?
Hunters should stop hunting bear altogether in NJ and let the governor deal with the full impact of his misguided policy.
Genius idea, sounds just like CA and mountain lions. Ban hunters who pay the state to hunt bears on state land. Now NJ taxpayers are going to have to subsidize state sponsored sharpshooters to control the bear population. Doesn’t make much sense.
From the statist viewpoint, it does.
In the one case, people are exercising their freedom to pursue an activity they enjoy.
In the other, you have just another employee of the state doing a job assigned by those above. Much less messy, organizationally speaking, more controlled, and more predictable.
On the state payroll, with a pension better than yours, and a guaranteed D vote to keep it that way.
If NJ’s bear population was in real danger of being wiped out, I could support ending the hunt for a while. But if NJ has the highest population density in the country, that’s insane, just another example of leftists who would rather have government employees quietly keep the population in check so they can pretend that everything is all snuggles and that they’re morally superior.
The Governor is after another type of “bear”.
It probably explains the confusion.
When I left Philly 13 years ago, jersey had a bear problem. Let’s see what this undereducated JACKASS does when people have to shoot bears who have gotten into their houses, while they are there. I know he has a Wildlife Commission who knows much more than his simpleton politically ‘correct’ mind can handle.
Outside of the Northeast folks have no idea of the geography of NJ and other states. The northeast of the state next to NYC is super dense mega-opolis. But as you travel to the southern and western side of the state it becomes more rural. Yes rural. Farms, horses and cattle. Plus the famous pine barrens. Swamp and dense pine forest. BUT there are way too many bears in the state. Some poor kid is going to get mauled and there is no one to blame but the idiots in office like Murph.
This is state land, not Murphyland.
Is there a law that says he has the power to tell the people what they can do on their land, or is he just assuming power he does not possess?
if you really look into their motivation its more disturbing. They don’t like that we like to hunt and that we’re okay with killing an animal. Since we don’t have to hunt to survive, it must mean that we just enjoy killing. So denying us the opportunity to hunt is morally correct because we shouldn’t be able to find enjoyment in killing. Hiring a “professional” to kill the inevitable problem animals, even to wholesale slaughter large quantities of them, even over baitpiles, is perfectly acceptable though, because to the “professionals”, there is no enjoyment. It’s just a job. twisted, no?
new jersey can nude hunt private land
.I believe two years after California banned mountain lion hunting, a woman was killed long the same bike trail I road as a kid near Sacramento State university.
We will see how long it will take before bears start tearing up cars with food inside. Or trash can diving outside the house.
The ignorance of science is astounding in socialist progressives.
Shooting the bears is inhumane. You are expected to engage the bear in a discourse on Marxist-Leninism and bore them to death that way.
(Smile)!!!!
those animal lover love those cute little animals TILL they eat their shrubs and damage to their home. then its get them we get the “we were here first” routine. then its the animals have go. wait till the bears start eating their little pet doggie and start attaching the people out jogging or walking. the attempted dragging off of the little kids out playing.. this the preverbal bite the hand that wants to protect them…
When the bear population balloons and they start coming into residential areas and attacking pets and people, maybe they’ll learn they screwed up.
More evidence that progressives ignore science and seek to create law based purely on emotions. The same denial of science is at work trying to eliminate guns to all but the elite, and the bodyguards of said elites.
It’s very simple…
In New Jersey, people in “Bear Country” tend to vote Republican.
When New Jersey has a Democrat Governor, he wants the bears to eat the Republican voters.
An unusual but unchanging fact is as follows. People will usually get the sort of government they didn’t vote against, or worse. Of course, perhaps the people of N.J. are getting exactly the kind of government they have repeatedly voted into office, and therefore deserve.
all the good people in new jersey.you should read about the womens soccer team the governor owns.an how they are treated.you would be very proud of him.
I don’t care what the Governor mandated about the Bear hunt on state land. Since the 1930’s Hunters and anglers have been the ones paying for and managing state WMA’s. I myself have been donating to the purchase of WMA’s for over 50 years. The Governor hasn’t donated a dime to our WMA’s, therefore I do not recognize his authority on my choice of hunting locations. If the hunters of NJ really wanted to teach the Governor a lesson in wildlife management, we should all ban together and boycott deer hunting for the duration of his term in office. I can already hear the liberal yuppies screaming in revolt as they have daily collisions with the overabundant deer herds and their expensive cars. That thought brings a boyishly smirk grin to this old mans face.