New Jersey bear gripes, incidents escalate
New Jersey Herald Writer
September 15, 2008
The total number of bear complaints handled by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife employees has nearly doubled this year compared with last year, and serious incidents have more than doubled, according to figures compiled by the division for the Fish and Game Council.
In addition, state technicians have killed 18 bears through Aug. 25, compared with 13 problem bears euthanized for the same period last year. That number does not include those bears killed by local police responding to incidents nor does it include bears killed through depredation permits.
Two of the month's reports include bears approaching humans within just a few feet, including one woman who was cleaning her pool when the bear approached. The Sparta woman took refuge in the pool house and even then, the bear pushed at the door, she said.
In at least two incidents, local police officers confronting bears were charged by the bruin. Sparta police killed a bear that charged them.
In Jefferson, a bear fled after first charging officers who were trying to chase the animal away from the police department's garbage
container.
There were 11 reports of bears entering a home or garage. In one case in Jefferson, the bruin was seen by the homeowner when it walked in through an open door and in another case in West Milford, the animal was part way through a kitchen window when the homeowner scared it off.
Another home in West Milford has had a recurring problem with a bear that returned to the same house on several nights. By the close of the reporting month, West Milford police had not yet been successful in catching the bear in the act.
The Johnsonburg Presbyterian Children's Camp, in Frelinghuysen, reported a bear was entering tents. Division employees advised the director to prohibit anyone from bringing food into the tent area and no trap was set. There were no further reports of a bear at the
campground.
The report shows a big jump in the number of Category I, or serious, incidents in the period from July 21 to Aug. 20. The division reported 50 such incidents this year, compared to just 12 last year.
Category I incidents include attempted and actual home entries, agriculture damage, property damage, livestock killed, tent entries, pets killed or injured and beehive raids.
Category II incidents include campsite raids, garbage or otherwise nuisance bears and lesser property damage. The Category III numbers involve complaints that involve bird feeders, injured or illegally killed bears or those found dead, urban bears, reported vehicle strikes and someone who just reports seeing a bear.
The number of serious incidents has increased each month this year compared with the same period the year before and follow a pattern of more complaints later in the year.
Much of the annual increase is the number of complaints from farmers of bears knocking down and eating corn crops and raids on beehives.
In one case this year, a bear was reported on several occasions ripping open the large plastic bags that protect a farmer's corn silage.
The report notes the division has several studies ongoing into bear activities and a population study.
In one study, female bears were outfitted with GPS collars that tracked their movements down to the hour. Those collars have been collected and the data are being studied.
The Wildlife Forensics Lab at East Stroudsburg University has collected and examined about half the necessary DNA samples it needs to complete a bear population estimate while residents in West Milton and Vernon are being surveyed by a team from Rutgers University looking at the effectiveness of bear-resistant garbage cans.
Subject: Re: Lead...... 
Sat 4 Oct - 18:17
..hmmm......ilolololollll..