BOYS, GIRLS BARRED FROM N.J. BEAR HUNT

Star Ledger ^ | December 4, 2003 | BRIAN T. MURRAY

[d-back]

The state yesterday barred nearly 300 youngsters from next week's bear hunt in a move officials said was designed to protect the young hunters from potential confrontations with protesters.

DEP employees began telephoning the 278 boys and girls, ages 10 to 15, who had applied for permits for the hunt, telling them they could not participate even though they had already attended mandatory safety courses earlier this fall. DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell never mentioned his revocation order during an hour-long conference call with reporters yesterday, during which he repeated the DEP's position that the hunt is necessary to help reduce the growing bear population, estimated to be as high as 3,200.

[d-back]

When I called earlier this afternoon, the woman who answered said "We've been getting tons of calls from people over the past month concerned that kids are going hunting for bear! This is for their safety."

I said, "Did you tell those callers that youth hunting is heavily regulated in this state? That the kids took a Hunter Safety Course, took the Bear Seminar, and will be accompanied by a licensed hunter over 21 years old?"

Umm, she mumbles. After a few more questions from me, she said "Let me give you to someone who can answer your questions." Guess what? They couldn't answer them, either.

What a crock.

[Incorrigible]

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[At _War_With_Liberals]

The mandatory seminar is not right either.

[Richard Kimball]

Spineless, gutless, d*ckless.

[JOHANNES801]

DIE YUPPIE SCUM

[Darksheare]

I always wanted that on a bumper sticker.
But, I don't think I'd make it past the outraged and inflamed bands of roaming and rampaging whiny birkenstock wearing commie yuppies alive.
But it was hysterical to see them whine and scream due to their poster animal for animal rights destroy their cars.

[OldFriend]

Ugh, the NJ sopranos rule!!!

[Coleus]

Bear Facts for New Jersey, Mandatory Black Bear Check Stations, BLACK BEAR HUNTING PERMIT APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILLED OUT ... , 2003 Bear Season Information, NJDEP-News Release 03/35 - DEP Urges North Jersey Residents to ... , Division & Council Approve Changes to 2003-04 Game Code, NJDEP-News Release 03/127 - North Jersey Residents Urged to Bear ... , New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, General Hunting Regulations

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Why don't the boot out the scum protestors?

[quietolong]

bump

[M.K. Borders]

Many years ago (1993 ?) Indiana was to permit the first Deer hunting ever in the Brown County State park. Apparently the over-populated deer were starving to death. I believe it because the ones I saw taken were nothing to be proud about.

Anyway, the park is about 45 minutes away from Bloomington/Indiana University and it's attending maggot invested, drug crazed hippies (read PETA).
After attempting various legal stalls to block the hunt, the sniffeling classes decided to dress up like deer and enter the park hoping to force the authorities to call the whole thing off for safety reasons.

I was there in a security roll and although it was never announced to the press (on the record at least), the word was passed around by the Indiana State Police that ANY shooting deaths that day that did not involve powder burns in the victim's mouth would be judged accidental with no charges filed.

End of protest.

[E.G.C.]

BTT!!!!!!

[Fearless Flyers]

If the Governor had any balls he would have introduced a few new laws instead of infringing on the children’s freedoms.

1)
Any minors targeted with harassment or intimidation during legal hunting seasons, by protesters opposed to hunting will understand they are in a life threatening situation and should be expected to use deadly force to protect their self’s.

2)
A 50 yard set back will be instituted between protesters opposed to hunting and any land that is deemed a legal kill zone. Protesters that violate this set back do so at their own peril.

Note these laws do not infringe on anyone’s freedoms as there are no legal penalties for violating them. They only define the obvious consequences for exercising your freedom of choice in an unwise manner, such as bringing a picket sign to a gun fight.

[Fearless Flyers]

Sort of double posting here, but I kind of improved the language. I think this should be introduced as a bill to the State legislature as an emergency action. The New Jersey hunters should get a lawyer to refine the language and find a legislator to introduce it this afternoon. Publish it in all the State newspapers and prepare for the battle.


If the Governor had any balls he would have introduced a few new laws instead of infringing on the children’s freedoms.

1)
Any minors targeted with harassment or intimidation during legal hunting seasons, by protesters opposed to hunting will understand they are in a life threatening situation and should be expected to use deadly force to protect their self’s.

2)
A 50 yard set back will be instituted between the protesters and any land that is deemed a legal kill zone. Hunting protesters that violate this set back do so at their own peril.

Note these laws do not infringe on anyone’s freedoms as there are no legal penalties for violating them. They only define the obvious consequences for exercising your freedom of choice in an unwise and irresponsible manner, such as bringing a picket sign to a gun fight.

The introduction of these laws is necessary because certain animal rights activists have made it know through threats, both verbally and in writing that they intend to target children who exercise their own freedoms of choice. When mature adults make threats towards children in a civilized liberal society, the children must be given a means to protect themselves.

In the interest of individual freedoms the statutes above insure these freedoms without increasing the need for government to infringe on other’s freedom of choice.

[Freemeorkillme]

Watch(and listen for stories) for bull horns, massive noise making devices and such utilized by the protesters attempting to thwart the hunters in the hunter's quest to keep NJ citizens safe.....yes, even the protesters...gag...


FMOKM

[Freemeorkillme]

» More From The Star Ledger

Young bear hunters in Jersey take aim at DEP prohibition

Friday, December 05, 2003

BY BRIAN T. MURRAY
Star-Ledger Staff

A New Jersey appeals court will decided today whether to stay a Department of Environmental Protection order barring boys and girls from joining Monday's bear hunt.

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation, a legal arm of the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, joined eight hunting families in a lawsuit yesterday calling the decision issued by DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell on Wednesday arbitrary and illegal.

The group contends the young hunters' due process rights were violated and that state case law was ignored by the order revoking bear hunting permits for 211 boys and girls -- ages 10 15 -- who completed special safety courses this fall to participate in the six-day event.

"The judges have asked the state to respond to our demand for a stay on this order by noon, and we hope to have a decision before the weekend. There is no good reason for the DEP to have done this to youth hunters," said Rob Sexton of the alliance.

The lawsuit contends, in part, that revoking any hunting permit requires a formal notice and a hearing at which a hunter has the right to respond. Young hunters found out about the revoked permits when DEP employees began making telephone calls to their homes on Wednesday, shortly after Campbell issued the edict.

Hunting organizations blamed the administration of Gov. James McGreevey for pressuring the DEP to stop the youth hunters in the face of animal rights protesters who oppose the six-day bear hunt, partly by raising complaints about young participants. But Campbell and Martin McHugh, director of the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife, contend the decision was based on a concern about young hunters being mature enough to deal with potential confrontations in the field with anti-hunt protesters.

"Considering the high emotions involved in this hunt on both sides, the commissioner felt, based on safety, this was the right action to take. This is the first bear hunt in 33 years and emotions are high on both sides," said McHugh.

But McHugh also apologized to the young hunters for making the decision so close to the hunt. The youth hunters and their families spent time and money preparing for their participation in the event.

"We should have carefully looked at that earlier," he said.

Hunters found the safety explanation implausible, noting that youth hunters still will be in the fields and forests next week because the bear hunt coincides with the six-day shotgun hunt for antlered deer.

"This was all about animal rights," said John Rogalo, whose 10-year-old son was impacted by the DEP order.

DEP records show that 278 children had applied for the permits, but only 211 of them attended the mandatory training courses to quality for permits. A total of 6,777 hunters applied to join the hunt, but only 5,454 of them attended the mandatory courses and, with the elimination of the youth participants, only 5,243 will have permits to pursue bear next week.

The hunter alliance lawsuit is one of several legal battles being waged over the hunt and one of three that could result in key decisions today. A federal court in Washington, D.C., will decide today whether to grant the demand of animal rights groups and some environmental organizations to close the 67,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to bear hunters until an environmental impact study is made.

A state appeals court also will consider a similar case involving animal rights groups trying to close off state parks to the hunt.


PLEASE PING YOUR LISTS! STOP THE FED INTERFERENCE AND STATE COWARDICE!

Note-McHugh sounds like the un-named official DEP spokesman in the original article. Also, note no mentions of the threatening email promising to target youthful hunters, as a reason to cancel these lawful permits.

[d-back]

Excellent follow up post from today's Star-Ledger. I'm glad the parents sued, and doubly glad the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance is helping out. Here's a link to them for interested hunters who might want to join: http://www.ussportsmen.org/

That knucklehead McHugh was the guy getting calls to Bradley Campbell forwarded to him yesterday, so he's well aware of what has gone on to date. He knows darn well about the threatening emails from the animal nuts.

Amazing that the DEP bureacrats cannot see how wrong they are, or even what a huge PR problem they've got on their hands.

[Freemeorkillme]

As far as I'm concerned, the situation calls for investigation of all parties concerned.