Black bears are very timid and docile animals, and are not a serious threat to humans. Attacks by a black bear are so rare as to be almost non-existent. By
comparison, a person is about 180 times more likely to be killed by a bee than a black bear, and 160,000 times more likely to die in a traffic accident.

Most people consider them dangerous but Ted Oakes wrote in DiscoverWildlife.com: “Because so few of us have ever observed their natural behavior, inaccurate media representations have created a body of myths about this species. … The data gathered by Lynn (Rogers, Ph.D., the leading black bear biologist in North America), challenge these ideas. He has found that black bears are the most timid, tolerant and ‘safe’ large mammals in North America. Only three people have been killed by black bears in the eastern USA in the past 100 years. … There is no scientific evidence to show that food-habituated bears need to be destroyed.”

I don’t understand why the New Jersey Division of Fish And Wildlife shot and wounded this bear, and then trapped and killed him. The bear didn’t threaten anyone, and was no threat to anyone. They might as well shoot every bear in the woods if this is their criteria for killing a bear. The DEP officers who murdered this bear should be held accountable. Instead of a wildlife division whose priority is to manage a blood “sport” business, we need a true wildlife agency that respects and protects our wildlife.

Violence in the United States and New Jersey has reached epidemic proportions, with a predictable spillover into schools. People need to teach children values and respect for all living beings instead of teaching them to kill needlessly.

People who kill wildlife convey a message to our children that guns are the way to solve problems!!! And, they teach kids that killing is fun.
We already have a youth culture in which guns have become an acceptable way to deal with imagined problems and petty beefs such as “a wrong look at someone’s girlfriend.”

We should not be teaching children to kill. Children should respect and protect all living creatures!

Killing a dog or a cat is considered animal cruelty under the laws of our state. In fact, a NJ statute says that the Definition of Animal includes “the whole brute creation.” The statute also says that a person commits the crime of cruelty to animals if the person tortures or kills a living animal. Well…Wildlife is part of “the whole brute creation.” Killing wildlife is just as perverted as killing a dog or cat.

And People who understand that hunting is Animal Cruelty should be given equal representation in New Jersey!!!!! We have NO representation. This can’t possibly be considered “equality.” It is actually frightening to have no representation in this century. Why should all the decisions about our wildlife be made by people who love to kill?

NAACP wants to know why are they just shooting colored bears?

It is outrageous that the Stoke’s bear was killed. He did not harm anyone……….Black bears are only looking for food, and too many people leave the attractants around fhat lure the bears in. Those campers were in the woods and probably had food in their tent…………..Still, the bear did not harm them. Black bears are not aggressive. Unfortunately, the “cowboys” in the Division have this power (that they give themselves! ) to kill wildlife for fun……….I am ashamed of the state……….Most people do not want the killing or hunting, yet the majority of residents in NJ are controlled by the few!l

It’s such a shame that people kill innocent animals that are just doing what comes natural to them in their own enviroment….then when they are almost all gone, the same people that shot them now try and protect them! ALL state campsites warn of bears, if don’t want to see this beautiful creature in the wild where it belongs, then go to a hotel!!!

The NJ Division of Fish & Wildllife kills bears to promote fear and perpetuate the falsehood that we need to hunt these gentle giants–because NJF&W is financially dependent on trophy hunting! PLEASE visit http://www.SaveNJBears.com and help us to protect our bears from NJF&W and the hunters they support.

Cathy McCartney
Co-Chair, Bear Education And Resource Group (BEAR Group)

Nothing new – standard proceedure for the Mew Jersey Division Of Fish And Wildlife. This bear did nothing wrong other than entering a campsite in a remote area of a state park looking for food for it’s survival. At 5 AM with everyone supposedly sleeping, had this particular bear intended to maul or eat those kids, they would have been toast.. So having killed this bear, Chandas crew go in search of their next victim.

Any excuse to kill another black bear in New Jersey! This was not necessary! If you go deep into the woods where bears live, you must expect to see bears.! People are invading the bears’ homes. There aren’t too many bears..there are too many people in New Jersey. This is barbaric.

NJ black bears are gentle creatures.

People could be injured by humans, too, but we don’t kill all humans to protect ourselves to prevent the possibility.

They said they caught 3 bears in the trap.

Now that they have traps set up, they will simply attract more bears to the campsite. Are they nuts???

Traps are baited with delicious attractants which serve only to lure more bears into the area. Fish and Wildlife also sprays anise (a powerful bear attractant) over the entire area where the trap is set to lure bears to the property. Such action is truly unbelievable. Instead of discouraging bears, F&G is drawing even more bears to the area.

Baited traps merely attract the very bears people are complaining about.

The bear did not touch the kids. They did not need to kill the bear.

we are the invaders. when man invades an animals territory and the animal retaliates,it is the animal that is punished. stay out of their territory. here in the catskills we have minimal problems with wildlife,why?because we respect it.

Euthanize My Ass!!!! This was a an extreamly depraved act and a crime against nature!!!! The Bear could have been relocated!!!!

Really pleases me to see all the viewpoints on how the humans are the problem. Thanks for giving me a little more faith in mankind. 6.7 BILLION humans on this Earth, and you’re telling me bears, deer, elk, etc needs population control?????

I totally agree with all the comments. These animals are in their home and we insist on invading it even when it costs the animals lives. I am including Polar Bears as well.

Apparently the “LIES” the boys told meant death to an innocent living breathing animal…a lesson to be learned…do not rush to judgement~the victim is the bear and I do hope the boys learned a lessonll

1) The boys were not injured by the bear; hospital confirmed this (source NJ Herald). If you are “reporters”, get your facts straight & stop the drama! Facts you didn’t get: the Gren Anderson shelter is for people on extended hikings trips on the Appalachian Trail (i.e., “through-hikers”) and is not designed for group use. So…why was that camp group using it instead of the designated group campsite in Stokes? Were they on an extended AT trip requiring multiple nights, or just dropped off at the shelter by a camp bus & due to be picked up the next day? Groups frequently use the AT shelters improperly, which keeps real AT hikers form using them.

2) Black bears are very different from grizzlies, so to tie them together in a report as your site did initially, is ludicrous. Grizzlies, which are not found on the east coast, are far more aggressive & likely to attack than black bears. Almost every black bear “attack” in NJ is due to idiot PEOPLE trying to hand-feed a bear or leaving food or trash where it shouldn’t be. People who live here have learned how to live WITH bears; city folk who decide to live or visit here must learn, too.

3) The poster “Very Conservative” is clearly a racist. This issue has nothing to do with the race of the boys. There are plenty of idiot white people who live in or visit Sussex Co & feed the bears to get a picture, then cry for Fish & Game to kill them when the bears don’t leave because they taught them where to get food. Stupidity & idiotic behavior have no racial boundary. (For more info on idiot people, see Wash DC, your average “reporter”, or postings by ignorant racists.)

I spent all of my summer vacations at Culver Lake, a few miles from Stokes State. We had many picnics and fun times there. One thing that was missing from mine and my family’s time there and this incident was that OUR PARENTS TAUGHT US TO RESPECT NATURE. We were in bear country along with wolf, snakes and a potpurri of other creatures. Our parents taught us to coexist. Perhaps the councelors should take that into consideration before bringing a bunch of city kids to the wild.

so let me get this straight,,, if someone comes into my neighborhood, assaults me or a family member,,, I have the right to elminate them.??????? What a bunch of ignorant people

Those punk kids should be held responsible for this senseless murder!!! They should have relocated those kids back to where they came from and leave the wildlife alone! Innocent bear killed and guilty kids live…doesnt make sense to me! I live not 2 miles from Stokes and its a beautiful place to visit although i like to see less city people around!!!!

We need to start euthanizing humans. The wild is home to all animals. We want to go there with food and invade their home and space, then be surprised when they attack us. There’s a reason they call it “The Wild”. Humans should stay the hell out of there!

Just leave the wilderness alone along with the bears who call this their home not ours.

Put people in their habitat and what do u expect???? Come on ;they hardly have enough land to live let alone people camping where they hunt for food. I think they should have relocated the bear not killed it. Shame on those boys for blaming the bear to begin with.

when will the ignorant begin to realize that all beings are meant to live in their habitats on this earth and that human beings are only one part of the equation?

Govt euthanizes innocent bears and gives monkeys political protection. Not fair. How about we balance this out by giving the monkeys’ guns, knives, and welfare income to the bears?

Murder, outright a stupid senseless murder of an innocent animal -who by the way
lives there. That place was his home, wherever humans go destruction follows.