Shooting a bear on your property

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

Just a hypothetical question, what if a bear was attacking my horses, or chickens? I dont have enough land to be considered a farm. Don't know if that would matter.

What do you think the charges would be? If any.

 

[Parker 213]

46 minutes ago, Averagejoeshmo said:

Just a hypothetical question, what if a bear was attacking my horses, or chickens? I dont have enough land to be considered a farm. Don't know if that would matter.

What do you think the charges would be? If any.

 

There is no castle doctrine when protecting your home or farm from a bear. Document the problem with F&W by calling them. If they deem it necessary, they'll put a trap on your land and relocate the bear elsewhere. 

 

To report a nuisance black bear, call the DEP's 24-hour, toll-free hotline: 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).

[PK90 3,569]

Or just keep your mouth shut and fill your freezer.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

Im just talking about a spur of the moment type of thing, not a nuisance bear.

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

Just to be clear, I've lived here 12 years and I've never seen a bear.

It just seems like every year there are sightings closer to me.

[pasu0115 200]

 

[T Bill 649]

I have had a female with three cubs three times and the biggest bruin yet twice so far this spring.  Chickens dive for cover as the bears head for the garbage can.  Each time the can was empty, so after a little "persuasion" hopefully they have moved on.

Read about the Division's policy here;

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm

[fishnut 2,358]

If you can articulate over 1000 bucks in damage then the state will come in and kill the bear. 

I do think there is some wording somewhere in the NJ laws that allows you to shoot any animal actively attacking your livestock. But I'm not 100% positive on that.  I know for a fact that your allowed to shoot a dog that is attacking your livestock. 

I'll see if I can find the law and ill post it up in the exact wording 

[revenger 473]

There's no shortage of stories in NJ of property owners who have been fined for doing that, A few years back I think it was Jefferson a homeowner shot a mother bear and a few of the cubs that were trying to gain access into his house. 

A encounter that I remember that has to be at least 20 years ago at bakery in Sussex county the couple were having a barbeque and a bear decided to show up,  the bear started towards the guys wife so he shot and killed it.    So the trooper shows up and pats the guy on his back and tells him good shot and that's that........until the fish and wildlife cops come and take the bear and have a necropsy done,   they say the bear was in fine health and proceeded to fine the guy and jam him up.  

My theory is to do what you have  to do as an adult,  your the one that's present when it happens not some Trenton bureaucrat .

 

[fishnut 2,358]

59 minutes ago, fishnut said:

If you can articulate over 1000 bucks in damage then the state will come in and kill the bear. 

I do think there is some wording somewhere in the NJ laws that allows you to shoot any animal actively attacking your livestock. But I'm not 100% positive on that.  I know for a fact that your allowed to shoot a dog that is attacking your livestock. 

I'll see if I can find the law and ill post it up in the exact wording 

Nope I was wrong the law is just written for dogs specifically. 

Honestly I wouldn't be worried about the horse. At work we have 2 donkeys that have lived in Califon for years without any issues and no electric fence to keep bears out and there is plenty of bears that come through that property including a mom with 4 Cubs. 

Chickens on the other hand.........I'd imagine a bear would mess up a chicken coop pretty bad if it wants the chickens. If your worried you might want to look into an electric predator fence as a first line of defence 

[Howard 538]

I had a bear in my backyard two years ago.  We heard terrible crying and then saw it up the tree and our puppy was missing.  When the bear finally came down and went in the woods I went out back with a .357 magnum revolver and went looking for the dog.  Turns out the crying was when she was smart enough to run through the electric fence.  My wife had called the cops and when they arrived I asked the officer about shooting the bear.  I explained I went out back looking for my dog and took the gun just in case the bear came back at me.  He told me that had I shot the bear there would be no issue as I was protecting myself or my dog.  He said it would be a different story if the bear was just out there and I shot it for shits and giggles.  He told me his dad had a similar situation just the week before.

[Slab Sides 20]

Drag them in your house.

http://www.nj.com/sussex-county/index.ssf/2015/12/trial_ends_for_nj_man_who_says_he_killed_3_bears_i.html

[fishnut 2,358]

1 hour ago, Slab Sides said:

Drag them in your house.

http://www.nj.com/sussex-county/index.ssf/2015/12/trial_ends_for_nj_man_who_says_he_killed_3_bears_i.html

Such bullshit. I hope he pays fines for the rest of his life.

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

This thought started with the police shooting the bear at the shore. I was listening to it the whole ride home from work that night. When I got home my kids went back to feed the horses. After they finished they said that one of the horses was bleeding and looked like she was bitten by something, and it was high up on her side near her butt.

So naturally when i went outside my gun was with me, and I was just thinking what could have happened?

[YankeeSC 1,204]

On 6/1/2017 at 9:01 PM, Averagejoeshmo said:

Just to be clear, I've lived here 12 years and I've never seen a bear.

It just seems like every year there are sightings closer to me.

My parents in Clinton Twp regularly have one in their back yard.  Bears have also been spotted in the last couple of years here in Lawrence.

[Oakridgefirearms 224]

I had a BBQ last Sunday with 20 or so people standing around outside and kids playing on the lawn when a 350 pounder decided to pay us a visit. It didn't come directly toward us but also didn't seem fazed by the amount of people out in the yard.

 

I've found the dumpster at my shop flipped on it's side already once this year - That's going to be a large bear doing that. The last one near my shop that flipped my dumpster was hit by a car on route 23 and killed - Fish and Game picked it up, it was over 600 pounds.

 

Here in NW Jersey, we don't worry non stop about bears, but you must always be vigilant about them and keep your trash inside until garbage pick up day.

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

A few years back when I had an issue with a fox killing my chickens. I called animal control, and the said they would give me a trap, but they would have to release the fox no more than a mile away. I just don't see the point in trying to trap it if that's the plan.

[fishnut 2,358]

30 minutes ago, Averagejoeshmo said:

A few years back when I had an issue with a fox killing my chickens. I called animal control, and the said they would give me a trap, but they would have to release the fox no more than a mile away. I just don't see the point in trying to trap it if that's the plan.

Well they were wrong kinda. If you can prove that the animal caused 500 bucks in damage they can be trapped and euthanized. 

[fishnut 2,358]

On 6/2/2017 at 3:57 PM, Averagejoeshmo said:

This thought started with the police shooting the bear at the shore. I was listening to it the whole ride home from work that night. When I got home my kids went back to feed the horses. After they finished they said that one of the horses was bleeding and looked like she was bitten by something, and it was high up on her side near her butt.

So naturally when i went outside my gun was with me, and I was just thinking what could have happened?

So was the horse bitten and bleeding? Or was it a scratch or something?

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

3 hours ago, fishnut said:

So was the horse bitten and bleeding? Or was it a scratch or something?

It seems like the wind closed an eight foot gate that goes from the barn to the arena. It's cattle fencing and it has a 1 inch diameter metal stud that catches into the lock. I believe as she squeezed back through the gate to the barn she got pinched between the wooden fence and the stud on that gate. There was a little tuft of hair on the wooden fence, so thats my theory.

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

4 hours ago, fishnut said:

Well they were wrong kinda. If you can prove that the animal caused 500 bucks in damage they can be trapped and euthanized. 

Chicks are only a couple bucks each, i lost about 20 over the course of a few days.

[fishnut 2,358]

7 minutes ago, Averagejoeshmo said:

Chicks are only a couple bucks each, i lost about 20 over the course of a few days.

Don't forget to add in the price of a quote from a contractor to repair the foxes entry point and burying fencing under ground to prevent further entry. You would be surprised how fast the bill can get up to 500 bucks

[Silence Dogood 468]

Having been through a backyard bear (and damage, but < $500 ) -

NJDivFW - http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm  aren't going to do anything unless you have a real nuisance bear that has maybe killed a couple of children.  Unless YOU do the wrong thing to the bear.   I've been to a NJDivFW Bear Facts seminar - you have to be in danger/fear for your life or the bear has to have broken the door down and entered your house.  Remember, they can throw the hunting regs at you too (150 feet from a dwelling, out of season, etc.).

[fishnut 2,358]

56 minutes ago, Silence Dogood said:

Having been through a backyard bear (and damage, but < $500 ) -

NJDivFW - http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm  aren't going to do anything unless you have a real nuisance bear that has maybe killed a couple of children.  Unless YOU do the wrong thing to the bear.   I've been to a NJDivFW Bear Facts seminar - you have to be in danger/fear for your life or the bear has to have broken the door down and entered your house.  Remember, they can throw the hunting regs at you too (150 feet from a dwelling, out of season, etc.).

With bears its 1000 dollars in damage not 500

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

I would have to be at the very back of my property to be clear of the 450 feet from an occupied structure 

[xXxplosive 823]

An unnamed homeowner called police on May 31 after she began to suspect someone had rummaged through her belongings while she was away.

But after inspecting the scene of the alleged crime, police began to suspect that the perpetrator wasn't even a human being.

Responding officers told the woman it appeared as though a foraging bear had entered through an open window in her kitchen and had taken some goodies from her freezer.

Surely enough, when the resident checked her home security cameras, she saw a large bear wandering around her condo.

To everyone's surprise, the footage also showed the curious bear briefly stop to "play" the woman's piano.

[JC_68Westy 1,024]

50 minutes ago, Averagejoeshmo said:

I would have to be at the very back of my property to be clear of the 450 feet from an occupied structure 

Your own property does not count for the 450' rule.  In addition, you can get permission from neighbors to hunt with 450'.  This has to be during a hunting season with a valid license, etc.

[Averagejoeshmo 11]

My neighbors house is set back further than mine. I was just talking about discharging a weapon, isn't that still 450 feet?

[JC_68Westy 1,024]

3 hours ago, Averagejoeshmo said:

My neighbors house is set back further than mine. I was just talking about discharging a weapon, isn't that still 450 feet?

450' is just for hunting.  Check your local ordinance to see if your town allows discharge of firearms.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Pardon the orientation. That big one was in Randolph. I heard a noise and went outside with my 9mm. Once I saw it was a bear I retreated inside and called the police. He asked if it had a tag, then gave me the number to wildlife control in case it came back. I promptly picked up a shotgun and slugs. Check your local ordinances. We have a discharge law, but there is an exemption to protect your home and property.