New Sign
- Thread starter ecampbell
- Start date
How about another for bears:
Black Bears are now in this area as we have dumped a few problem males hereabouts. They are looking for food and will investigate any that they smell. They may or may not attack you, as their behavior is unpredictable. If attacked, fight back vigorously. Don't worry, we'll give what remains of you a decent burial.
Black Bears are now in this area as we have dumped a few problem males hereabouts. They are looking for food and will investigate any that they smell. They may or may not attack you, as their behavior is unpredictable. If attacked, fight back vigorously. Don't worry, we'll give what remains of you a decent burial.
Crap.... Every year my wife doesn't want to go into the woods because of bears, this year she is going to to New York while we go to the farm....Where did they drop them off at ???
Collier's Mills, Brendan Byrne, Wharton at a minimum. This has been their plan all along.
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/bear/policy_lit/so_jersey_assessment81.pdf
http://www.aplnj.org/assets/pdf/APLNJ_Relocation_Position.pdf
Bob, that is outdated info; the current management plan approved in 2010 at the link. A bruin capture and release is determined by the Black Bear Rating & Response Criteria. More specific and current info within the plan. Be careful out there 
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearpolicy10.htm
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearpolicy10.htm
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm
Bob, that is outdated info; the current management plan approved in 2010 at the link. A bruin capture and release is determined by the Black Bear Rating & Response Criteria. More specific and current info within the plan. Be careful out there
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearpolicy10.htm
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm
That is my plan, to take precautions from now on.
They are not going to stop now that they've built up this massive program which has spent $10,000,000 in the last 10 years, $5,500,000 out of the general treasury. They say they are not going to do it (en masse) below in the policy you cite, but I think they still always think south when they have one to move.
Alright, I'm off my soap box.
Relocation:
Although relocation can be used to establish or reestablish bear populations, no state has
successfully used relocation as a means of population control. Council recognizes that southern
NJ contains quality long-term habitat for black bears. Over 1.1 million acres is contained in the
Pinelands National Reserve, of which one third is publicly owned. Council also recognizes that
in the early 1980's DFW conducted an Environmental Assessment of a plan to relocate black
bears to the Pinelands (Lund et al. 1981). At that time, local opposition to the relocation of bears
to southern NJ put a halt to this option. However, as a result of the population pressures created
by an expanding northern NJ bear population, bears now occupy all NJ counties (Figure 1).
Council also believes that the bear population that is reestablished in southern NJ will grow.
Once all available bear habitat is occupied, there will be no additional space for relocation in NJ.
Council has determined that no other state or provincial agency in North America would accept
excess bears from NJ.
Additionally, relocation of nuisance and/or problem bears to unoccupied range comes with a
level of risk
.
Dedication of the necessary staff and funding to subsequently handle the resultant
nuisance complaints from citizens in southern NJ will place additional burden on already
strained budgets.
Council believes that even if relocation of excess and/or problem bears to unoccupied range in
southern NJ was acceptable to local residents, the cost of such a program would be prohibitive.
DFW estimates that the cost to capture a bear during their research efforts is over $1,000.
Transporting bears out of the woods would significantly increase labor and equipment costs. Due
to lower success, costs for trapping nuisance bears approaches $2,000. Relocating 1000-2000
bears from northern NJ to southern NJ would be cost prohibitive and likely a multi-year task.
Council believes that DFW does not have the necessary staff and funding to make such a
program practical. To the Council’s knowledge, no state has successfully used relocation as a
means of population control. Based upon the cost and opposition to relocating bears, particularly
nuisance bears, Council does not consider this a viable option for population control. Therefore,
Council concludes that relocation is not a suitable tool for bear population control.
This is the current policy and makes sense. To transport them a long distance jeopardizes their survival, which would be contrary to relocation, as well as costly. Believe what you wish, I am sure they would provide you with past release sites if you request it.
From the current management plan;
"If trapped, nuisance bears are released on site and aversively conditioned, or if conditions are unsuitable,
taken to the nearest state land where they are released and aversively conditioned."
They're going to have to do something regarding campers sooner than later. Either install the bear-proof storage boxes like many national parks have or make campers use bear canisters like the mandatory ones in most backcountry areas. We used to hang bear bags in the Adirondacks until they made the canisters mandatory. I've had a few bears play with mine, but never opened it.
I fondly recall camping at Marcy Dam, the High Peaks Black Bear Buffet
Used to be a be at least one bear a night trying to get the food packs hung from the dam, it was liking watching someone handline a fish 
Irene took care of that and a new bridge stands where the dam was.
I can see the rationale in not replacing Marcy Dam due to the bear issue, as I've seen them there firsthand on numerous occasions. I do wish the DEC would consider replacing the dam at Duck Hole, though. That was a gorgeous area with much less foot traffic.I fondly recall camping at Marcy Dam, the High Peaks Black Bear Buffet
Twasn't the bears, but the cost that helped in that decision. The basic cement structure is still there with a new bridge across, just the log dam part built by the CCC is being removed in stages. Duck Hole was in bad shape long before Irene hit. Personally I would like to see all the remaining dams taken down; they just don't belong.
I noticed that no one used the name of the animal on that sign so far in this thread and I think that isn't an accident, so good call for anyone who didn't put it in here on purpose.
This confirms my suspicions that the populations of these guys are starting to come back. I thought that they would come back stronger in the pinelands than in the mountains of NJ, because in the pinelands there are more locations for hibernacula (cedar swamps) than in the mountains, and one of the obstacles for their recovery is hibernaculum fidelity.
Maybe this sign is an indicator of the beginnings of that recovery, which is great news.
The disturbing news is that they PUT UP A SIGN FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!!!!
This confirms my suspicions that the populations of these guys are starting to come back. I thought that they would come back stronger in the pinelands than in the mountains of NJ, because in the pinelands there are more locations for hibernacula (cedar swamps) than in the mountains, and one of the obstacles for their recovery is hibernaculum fidelity.
Maybe this sign is an indicator of the beginnings of that recovery, which is great news.
The disturbing news is that they PUT UP A SIGN FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!!!!
What does "aversively conditioned" mean? Do they slap them around and tell them to leave the people alone? Or maybe just a stern lecture?
Pyrotechnic's, rubber bullets, bear spray; all kinds of fun stuff. Some states also use dogs, usually Karelian Bear dogs to chase the bruin, not sure if NJ does that. Those dogs are small, yet fearless.
Karelian Bear dogs! Aye! I recall the breed from my last trip north past the Wall. Damn that was a...
Sorry, got carried away there. So basically it is Scared Straight for bears.
Sorry, got carried away there. So basically it is Scared Straight for bears.
The sign regarding our friend is identical to the one in Worthington at the water gap. I wouldn't read too much into this, I know the guy in charge at Wharton has been serious about improving campground management, and these are some fairly standard state camping signs.