Though protesters were concerned that upwards of 1,000 bears could be killed in the northern New Jersey bear hunt, officials tallied that 589 bears were killed (excuse us, "harvested") over six days. That's still almost twice the number of bears New Jersey officials hoped would be killed, and a record 264 bears were killed on just the first day.
Over 100 protesters gathered at one bear weigh station yesterday to protest, but no arrests or incidents were reported. The state issued about 7,000 permits for the hunt, which entitled each hunter to one bear regardless of age or gender, so 589 seems low compared to the thought of one bear per licensed hunter! Focus on the positive!
The Animal Protection League and Bear Education and Resource Group tried to stop the hunt before it started, as one group successfully challenged in 2007. An appeals panel also found flaws in management policy in 2005, and ruled that that hunt should never have happened. With enough practice, they'll be able to find flaws in things without the benefit of hindsight.
