Gov. Christie's 2010 Trophy Bear Hunt. Protest. Dover, New Jersey. Blood Lust. Kill the Hunt, Not the Bears.

By one organizer's count, ninety-five people came to this demonstration in Dover, New Jersey. This video was taken before all the protesters arrived at the scene, Route 46 corner Sammis, in front of the Wachovia Bank. With nearly one hundred attendees, this demo sent a clear message that people care about New Jersey's black bears. Some people drove from as far as Camden County. I drove from Bergen County. All of us say the same thing---we disappove of the trophy hunt.

Among other things, this organized killing is a waste of New Jersey's money. The pro-hunting groups want us to believe that hunting fees ($2 each) will cover the cost of the trophy hunt. This is not true, and not possible. Cost estimates put this trophy hunt at $2,000,000. As many as 10,000 permits will be open for purchase. If all those permits are bought, as many as 500-700 bears will be killed. However, in the last hunt before Gov. Corzine took office, only half of the available permits were purchased. This indicated a declining interest in killing innocent animals.

Nevertheless, there are still enough hunters out there to make this pseudo-hunt a massacre. Hunters are already boasting that kill records will be broken for every day of the hunt. This will be open season on our human-fearing bears, and the hunters salivate at the prospect of killing these animals. It's all very barbaric. It's about satisfying a blood lust, and not about bear population control.

The trophy hunt commences on Dec. 6 and it will end on Dec. 11. Hunting is a dying preoccupation as more and more people become educated and seek their satisfaction and ego boosts in a humane way. All animal hunts are cruel, and they degrade civilized societies. Help stop this cruel hunt by contacting Gov. Christie's office at 609-292-6000 or faxing your letter to 609-292-3454. Our black bears' lives depend on our efforts to save them.