FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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We, the Bergen Bowmen, Inc., submitted the following statement on September 21, 2005 at the proposed 2005 Black Bear Comprehensive Management Policy Hearing. This statement is our official position and was read by our Representative and Secretary, Kathrine Surlak at the this hearing.

September 22, 2005

We support the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy as proposed by the NJ Fish and Game Council and the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. We particularly approve of the measure to reduce the exploding black bear population by proposing the black bear hunting season again. We are pleased with the inclusion of the bow and arrow as a viable management tool in this effort. We hope that the inclusion of the one day bow season for black bears is a starting point and in time we will get more than just one day. Many of our members have bow hunted black bears in several other states like NY and Arizona as well as Canada and know first hand how good the bow and arrow is at harvesting black bears.

We understand the desire and need to look at other population control measures like contraception, but we urge you to act carefully on this. We do not have years to see if it would be effective if it is the only method chosen. Also the possible detrimental effects to the black bear’s health and the future of this animal’s existence in our state must be considered.

We agree that more education about black bears is needed across this state. Educating the public about black bears is important in protecting both humans and black bears; ignorance to the existence of black bears in every county across this state is no longer acceptable. They have seen to finding new suitable habitat in which to live in, whether we like it or not, and highways or rivers have not and will not deter them from anything, contrary to some people’s beliefs.

We hope that this management policy is approved quickly and is not held-up by politics. Politics will not solve the current black bear–human conflicts and will only cause more of the public to see them as nothing more than a growing nuisance and an increasing threat to humans if their numbers are allowed to continue to increase; as it is now 2-3 bears / square mile, or 5-7 times the desired density is way too high.

 We know that all those involved have put in a lot of time, research and consideration into developing this policy and we thank you for doing so.