This blows my mind. That deer management for hunting is an artificial paradigm is argruable... however, to counter by offering another completely artificial paradigm (and probably more expensive) is just idiotic.
The other valid managment regime acording to PETA is to allow nature to "take it's course", and let the populations go through explosions and starvations. Of course I would argue that is also pretty artificial, but they always talk about not wanting the animals to suffer. I'd say population crashes result in a lot more suffering.
http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1102497365224180.xmlBuoyed by the defeat of a planned black bear hunt this year, one animal rights group has announced it has a statewide hunting ban in its sights.
The newly formed Animal Protection Political Action Committee hopes to craft a network of more than 50,000 voters to oppose pro-hunting legislation and candidates.
It's creation comes less than one week after the state Supreme Court halted the six-day bruin season, ruling Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell had the authority to stop it.
"The (National Rifle Association) and all these other groups pull together all of these people who are 100 percent for hunting. We are going to have people who are 100 percent against hunting," said Stuart Chaifetz, director of Animal Protection.
"If there wasn't the Supreme Court, there'd be a bear hunt. We recognized that we needed a political force."
He called the fledgling committee "the command base for the coming struggle against hunting" and said he hopes to recruit up to 50,000 members in the first year. The group is a reincarnation of an inactive PAC and a Web site has already been established and about four-dozen donors recruited.
Chaifetz said the next step will be newspaper advertisements and other drives to increase membership in the Animal Protection PAC, which he said would push hard on animal rights issues.
The announcement came as New Jersey hunters entered their second day of a six-day shotgun deer season. It also followed a federal judge's Dec. 2 ruling blocking the Fish and Game Council's endorsement of the second hunt.
While hunting in the Garden State is dwarfed in comparison to some neighbors -- 69,465 deer were killed in New Jersey last year compared to 464,890 in Pennsylvania -- it does maintain a hold here. Advocates call it both an important sport and vital population control.
"We are aware of them and I fell that this year's bear hunt activity was part, just one part, in an overall objective of banning all hunting," said George P. Howard, a member of the state Fish and Game Council, which sets parameters and seasons for hunting.
Howard said former Gov. James E. McGreevey stocked his administration with opponents of hunting and added national groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will likely lend Chaifetz and his group some support.
"It's a movement that's out there," he said. Anti-hunting groups "are well-entrenched in this administration and in New Jersey."
Department of Environmental Protection officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Separate bills pending in the Legislature would strip Howard's council of some power and also prohibit bear hunting in the Garden State for at least five years.
The chairman of the Assembly Environment and Natural Resources Committee said the group is unlikely to succeed in its quest. The panel oversees legislative aspects of hunting and fishing.
"Hunting in this country and in New Jersey is a long-standing tradition and it's a favorite pastime for many sportsman," said Assemblyman Robert J. Smith, D-4 of Washington Township. "I do not envision eliminating hunting in this state or any other state."
The controversy over a proposed second black bear hunt erupted when the Fish and Game Council voted this summer to authorize a second season.
In 2003, hunters killed 328 black bears in the first six-day season in northwestern New Jersey, considered the prime territory for bear.
Campbell has called for greater study of and reliance on non-lethal means of population control such as chemical contraception and so-called aversion therapy, or teaching the animals to fear humans.
