With the election of a Republican governor, Chris Christie, New Jersey restarting its bear war. The first hunt in five years will almost certainly scheduled for this December. The one percent of New Jersey residents who hunt  are eager to get started.

That’s right, only one percent of of New Jersey residents hunt. The latest National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreational of the Fish and Wildlife Service says that in a population of 7 million, only about 86,000 people hunt, or 1%. By contrast 1.5 million or 23% like to watch wildlife.

Does the 1% figure sound low? That’s because hunters like to exaggerate their numbers. Anthony Mauro, head of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, urged hunters to vote for Christie in part so they could shoot bear: “The outdoorsmen/women of NJ can make the difference – remember, there are 650,000 of us, which is approximately 15% of all voters.”

Who are these phantom hunters he’s talking about? NJ Outdoor Alliance claims in its “Just the Facts” section that the state has “562,000 hunters and anglers…among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $1 billion a year on hunting and fishing, according to a new report.”

What report are they citing? The same one I am. Only they are counting anglers. That’s people who fish, not hunt bear. There are eight times as many recreational fishermen than hunters. And that 15%? Who knows? That’s almost double the percentage of people who

Keep reading The One Percent of NJ Residents Who Hunt Aim For Bear This December