NJ Bear Murder 2006/2007

[thevegantwins]

My cruel state is getting ready for the start of this year's bear murder starting in December. 2 promising newsbits so far:

1) Our governor, Governor Corzine, has publicly announced he opposes the bear hunt

2) A friend of mine finished her brief (done pro-bono) on behalf of the bears to stop the hunt. The finished results were sent to the judges and the murderer's lawyers yesterday.

I will post information regarding who to call as the date approaches.

[paul]

glad your governor is opposed,that might hold some weight.
good luck with getting it stoped.

[Oracl]

I still find it hard to believe that anyone would want to kill bears. :( Does this murder happen in many states, TVT? :(

[thevegantwins]

I don't know, Oracl. The bears in this state are mainly in the north-west corner but unfortunately, rich yuppies discovered that area years ago and started building their McMansions and they don't like the idea that wildlife might actually live in the thousands of acres of forest in that area. Sorta like the other NJ assholes who build their multi-million dollar homes abutting nature preserves and then complain about the deer eating their landscaping so their towns hire professional deer murderers. :(

[Fauxmage]

The people in California are not that bloodthirsty for wildlife, Oracl. We have our share of ignorant hunting/fishing types, but for some reason, maybe because California is a bigger state landwise, and still full of natural areas, people deal with wildlife differently.

I seem to remember Mr Thevegantwins posting something at another forum about how enthusiastic he was about Corzine. I hope Corzine finds a way to stop this. :crossfingers:

[Cherie]

What a bunch of fuckwits.

Rich and I were just watching a TV show where a guy was doing an entertainment trick with an aligator and got his head caught between its teeth and was later like, "I don't blame the alligator." Well, duh.

People piss me off to no end that they think they should have whatever they want at all costs, no matter who gets hurt. And that they use creatures for entertainment.

UGH!!!
:order:

[Oracl]

What a bunch of fuckwits.
Well that pretty much sums up my feelings too. :rolleyes: :(

[Phoenix]

Well that pretty much sums up my feelings too. :rolleyes: :(
Ditto. :grumble:

[thevegantwins]

Finally some good news:

Dear friends,


It is my pleasure to announce to you that DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson has rejected the NJ bear hunt for 2006!

Commissioner Jackson made the announcement in a letter she sent to the NJ Fish and Game Council. Here is what she wrote in the conclusion of her review of the bear management policy: "I, therefore, cannot support the Policy, and must withdraw the approval that was given by former Commissioner Campbell."


I'll have a much more in depth email later about this, but I wanted to get the good news out first. Give your kids and pets a big hug, then thank both Commissioner Jackson and Governor Corzine, an honorable man who stood by his position against the bear hunt.

:thumbsup: :wow: :toot: :toast:

[paul]

:yea: :rock: :fireworks:

[thevegantwins]

Some of the latest news about NJ bears, actually it is wonderful news!!! :yea: Doris Lin, mentioned in the below release, is the co-moderator of our NJ Vegan Families group. She's a wonderful vegan mom, friend and obviously, lawyer! :rock::nanakiss:

Dear friends,


If you haven't already seen the news stories, a major legal victory was won yesterday when the NJ Appellate Division ruled in favor of New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance and the BEAR Group lawsuit against the DEP regarding the 2005 bear hunt and bear hunt plan.


The court decided that the NJ Fish and Game Council violated rules and regulations in formulating their hunt plan, meaning that there is in fact, no bear hunt plan at all. This was a real strike against the Council, and it couldn't have come at a better time when you consider how the legislation to reform the Council is such big news in itself.


This was a smashing defeat for the hunters and the Council, and there is one person that I want to single out for congratulations; Doris Lin. Doris holds a number of positions in the animal protection community (one being Issues Specialist for the Animal Protection PAC), but it was her role as a lawyer that won the day.


Doris took this case on literally by herself and worked tirelessly, spending dozens (if not hundreds) of hours, all without pay, investigating and researching this case. And for her efforts she not only beat the Council but hunting groups such as the Safari Club and US Sportsmen Alliance. That's just beautiful - thank you Doris!


You can see Doris on NJN last night here - it was the top story: http://www.njn.net/television/webcast/njnnewsthursday.html


To add to this victory, I am happy to say that yesterday NJARA had published in not one but two newspapers - the Daily Record and Asbury Park Press, a letter in response to the vicious attack against them by Anthony Mauro, president of the Hunter PAC that is fighting against Senator Karcher and Assemblyman Panter. Mauro and I had dueling Op-ed's in the Asbury Park Press a couple of weeks ago about the election. And he, clearly not having any arguments to make, and not being a very good writer, lashed out at every group he could think of. In the end, all he did was destroy his credibility and give our side even more opportunities to he heard. Angi Metler's letter to the editor is at the end of this email, below the quotes from the news stories about the victory for bears.


Sincerely,


Stu Chaifetz
Director, Animal Protection PAC
www.ProtectNJAnimals.com




Here are quotes from two of the articles:


"Our victory today shows that the Fish and Game Council cares nothing for laws and procedures," said Doris Lin, a lawyer who argued in front of the court against the hunt. "Instead of managing wildlife for all of us, the Council abuses their power to satisfy the recreational hunting desires of the few." http://www.njherald.com/293183960688080.php






GANNETT STATE BUREAU


TRENTON -- When a bear goes up against a hunter, it's usually the hunter coming out on top. But not Thursday before a New Jersey appellate court panel.

The three judges sided with animal rights advocates by invalidating a 2005 bear management policy that called for a yearly hunt.
<http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/NEWS03/709280362/1007#comments>


--------------------------------------
To the Editor:


For the last 24 years, New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance (NJARA) has been a strong voice against animal cruelty in our state. From opposing needless cosmetic testing on animals to sharing outrage over the Michael Vick case and dog fighting, we have been a voice for the voiceless.

NJARA is dedicated to peace and non-violence. We were even praised by a federal prosecutor, who held us up as an example of a positive animal rights organization and complimented us on the good work we've done for animals in New Jersey.

What a shame and disgrace it was that Anthony Mauro, the leader of a pro-hunting PAC, smeared this good organization in a Daily Record column.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time NJARA has been attacked by hunters. Our office manager, at least one of our board members and I have received death threats because we oppose bear hunting and hunters have mailed dead animals to our office, as a sick form of intimidation.

This is the price we have to pay for standing up for what we believe is right. Shame on Mauro for attacking us without cause or claim. His words will not deter us from our work that benefits animals, people and our planet.

ANGI METLER
Director, N.J.
Animal Rights Alliance

[paul]

Thats good.

[Bowwowmeow]

:cheer:

[Oracl]

:yea:

[Phoenix]

:woohoo:

[Gliondrach]

Well done, Doris Lin! And everyone else involved in helping.

[Bowwowmeow]

Bear Rescued From Sierra Bridge Ledge

From Associated Press
September 29, 2007 2:27 PM EDT

TRUCKEE, Calif. - A 250-pound bear stranded under a bridge near Lake Tahoe was saved by an army of rescuers, a tranquilizer dart and a nylon net bought at an Army surplus store.

Claw marks on the concrete railing of the Rainbow Bridge show where the bruin's ordeal began, said Dave Baker of the Truckee BEAR League, who was the first to arrive on the scene Sept. 15.

He was walking across the span on Highway 40 near Donner Summit in the Sierra Nevada when at least two oncoming cars spooked him, causing him to jump over the railing.

At one point he was dangling over the edge of the 80-foot-high bridge, but he caught a ledge and pulled himself onto a concrete girder beneath the bridge.

Officials initially decided nothing could be done, but when they returned the next morning and found him sleeping on the ledge, they decided to take action.

Volunteers strung the net beneath the bridge and an animal control officer shot the bear with a tranquilizer dart.

After the bear lost consciousness, volunteers used a pole to push him into the net, then lowered the bear onto the floor of the granite-strewn ravine as more than 100 spectators cheered.

The groggy bear was steered away from the crowds and back into the wilderness.

"I've been on a lot of bear rescues," Baker said, "and this is the most intense bear call that I've been on."


Edited to remove "its". :mad:

[Gliondrach]

Yes, I'm glad some people decided to help the poor little bear.

[thevegantwins]

June 8, 2008
Man vs. Animal
Town Using Trash Cans to Keep Bears at Bay
By NATE SCHWEBER
WEST MILFORD TOWNSHIP

ANGELA ANDOSCA is all too familiar with the banging and grunting sounds that tell her that once again, a bear is raiding the trash cans outside her home here.

“They jump on them and roll them around,” said Ms. Andosca, 73, a secretary for the township’s recycling department.

She said that later this summer she plans to get one of the free “bear proof” trash cans that town officials are distributing. Officials passed out 3,000 cans late last year to 1,500 households, and another batch of 1,200 cans will be given out in August as part of a program intended to keep bears away from residential areas.

When state residents call in a bear sighting, they usually say the bear was trying to get into their garbage cans, officials said. By making it harder for bears to get what’s inside, officials hope to discourage them from coming around.

The cans were purchased with a $200,000 grant from the State Department of Environmental Protection and distributed to areas of town most often visited by bears.

Animal rights advocates like Janet Piszar, director of the West Milford-based Bear Education and Resource Group, hope that the cans will also eliminate the need for more state-sanctioned bear hunts, like those organized in 2003 and 2005. “Once bears learn there’s edible food in there, but they can’t get to it, they’ll ignore it,” she said.

Bear sightings have been reported recently in Paramus, Paterson, West Orange and Millburn. Darlene Yuhas, a D.E.P. spokeswoman, said the attraction of bears to household trash “continues to be an issue.”

The cans were tested last year in Ocean County, at the Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River. One of the containers was put in a pen holding four black bears weighing 150 to 300 pounds, said John Bergmann, the zoo’s director.

The can was filled with salmon, tuna and jelly, Mr. Bergmann said. “It was real interesting, because they smelled it and they wanted to get into it,” he said. “But after not getting into it they kind of lost interest.”

Patti Sowka, who works for the State of Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks department, coordinated a similar testing program with 300-to-800-pound grizzlies. “If a container can survive a 600-pound griz, chances are it can withstand a black bear too,” she said.

The bear population in New Jersey ranges from 1,500 to 3,000, officials say. In 2003, after a 33-year moratorium on bear hunting, 328 bears were killed. Two years later, 298 were killed, despite tens of thousands of state residents signing petitions of protest against the hunting.

Edward A. Tavss, a chemistry professor at Rutgers University, wrote a report in 2005 after researching countrywide statistics on methods of reducing bear and human encounters. “Hunting, shockingly, surprisingly, had no effect whatsoever,” Dr. Tavss said, but when trash was kept sealed from bears the encounters “went down dramatically.”

The Connecticut company that manufactures them for West Milford, DAWG Inc., began making them in 2004 at the request of the BEAR Group. The cans, now called BEARier Bins, were sold privately at first, until West Milford decided to contract with the company.

No one claims the new cans are 100 percent bear-proof, but residents here, who have lived with bear sightings for years, seem to like them. Various versions of the cans can be spotted on the streets on trash collection days. Brian Townsend, 49, has a set of one of the earlier cans, and the lid of one has a large rip through it that he said was made by a hungry bear.

“Most aren’t that persistent,” he said of that bear. He said he sees fewer bears in his yard now than he did before he got the cans, which have screw-on tops.

West Milford’s mayor, Bettina Bieri, said there are no penalties for not using the cans properly, but she does not anticipate that problem. “Our residents have a high awareness of living with bears,” she said. “We live in bear country.”


I don't like the title of this animal, Man vs, Animal but I do like that they are finally printing articles which show that you can coexist with animals rather than murder them. The woman mentioned in the article, Janet Piszar is a dynamo. She runs the NJ Bear Group as well as fighting against deer hunts in the area. I'm going to a town meeting next week to speak out with her against a deer hunt

[Gliondrach]

Good luck to you and Janet. Take no prisoners. :biff:

[thevegantwins]

An acquaintance of mine who is active with NJARA and does alot of AR protests (he was involved with that large case last year when he and others tried to save injured bears) was sentenced to 30 days in jail for pouring pee in a bear trap! 30 days for putting pee in a bear trap!! I still can't get over it. Mr TVT's grandma was mugged years ago by a kid and he broke 3 of her ribs and didn't get any jail time but putting pee in a bear trip warrants 30 days?? :confused: :mad: I'm going to try to get to the protest on Saturday in front of the jail but it is a far drive and I'll have the kids so not sure. I'm also writing the judge to protest that sentence. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Gliondrach]

Tell him that it makes a mockery of the law. In fact, the law is an ass. Sorry, asses.

[thevegantwins]

My concern for this man, whose name is Ali and has an accent, is that in the podunk jail he's at, he'll be attacked for being a 'terrorist.' I hope he is safe.

[Gliondrach]

Won't he be in some sort of open prison? Not the type that long-term prisoners would go to?

[Oracl]

That is insane, TVT. :mad:

[thevegantwins]

Won't he be in some sort of open prison? Not the type that long-term prisoners would go to?

He's in a county jail and there are some pretty unsavory, rednecks in the county he's in.

[Gliondrach]

Perhaps his lawyer could voice those concerns, request that he is put into isolation and, if denied, hint that if any harm comes to him they will sue for negligence because the state has been warned what might happen.

[thevegantwins]

That's exactly what Mr TVT suggested. Great minds think alike. :agree:

[Gliondrach]

Great, devious, vegan minds.

[thevegantwins]

Well done, Doris Lin! And everyone else involved in helping.

FYI: If you ever check out about.com's section on Animal Rights, Doris is the author of this section. She was hired a few months ago. :yea:

[Gliondrach]

What's .com?

[thevegantwins]

This is her work: http://animalrights.about.com/

[Oracl]

:thumbsup:

[Gliondrach]

That's a very good site.

But, with sites like that you can't choose the sponsored links. There's an advertisement from the Rotten Despicable Scum (RDS), who encourage vivisection and try to portray it as reliable science. The father of their director represents a company that supplies cages to the vivisection industry. And they or their families might have other financial interests in vivisection.

[thevegantwins]

My vegan coworker told me she went to the protest on Saturday. There were only about 12 protestors but they made enough noise to be heard in the jail. Ali didn't hear them but other inmates as well as officers told him that people were out there for him. :smallheart: She also told me that he is being treated very well, the other inmates and officers feel he got a bad deal and shouldn't be in jail. :yea:

[Gliondrach]

Good news! Some criminals are better than those hunters or that judge.

Ali must have been comforted by knowing that people care.

[Oracl]

Yes, very good news. :agree: