By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

If you’ve been following along on the New Jersey bear hunting saga, you know that hunters won a hard-fought battle last year to secure a bear-management plan that includes hunting seasons. This year, new Gov. Jon Corzine (who is openly opposed to bear hunting) along with new Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Jackson decided to simply scrap that plan and effectively cancel the state’s bear hunt to explore “nonlethal methods.”

In what the US Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation calls “a perplexing decision,” an appellate court ruled in November that sportsmen did not demonstrate how they would suffer ‘irreparable harm’ if no hunt occurs this year. So sportsmen’s groups brought the case to the New Jersey Supreme Court to seek an emergency injunction to restore the hunt. Yesterday, Chief Justice James Zazzali said, "Denied," refusing to hear the appeal.

From a USSAF press release:
“The state’s black bear management policy was adopted based upon recommendations made by the Division of Fish and Wildlife,” said [Rick] Story [USSAF senior vice president] . “There were open deliberations by the Fish and Game Council, and input and approval by the previous Commissioner. A new Commissioner cannot simply toss out the policy because she does not agree with it.

Sportsmen argue that Jackson’s decision was arbitrary and ignored sound science. Jackson and Gov. Jon Corzine . . . are stopping the hunt because it goes against their political beliefs, not because of scientific reasoning."

What’s your reaction?

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

“I just like to hunt deer,” Kim Harden told the Kirksville Daily Express. “It’s my favorite. That’s all there is to it.” And who can blame her with bruisers like this running around her folk’s property. But even as Harden shot the massive 26-pointer, she didn’t know just how big it was: “I thought it was just a small buck. The only thing I could tell at the time was that it had four points on one side.” Turns out it green scored at 218 1/8.

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

From The Colorado Springs Gazette:
Virginia Sen. George Allen, a Republican who narrowly lost to Democrat James Webb on Nov. 7, in one of the races that overturned control of Congress, seems intent on going out with a bang rather than a whimper. Allen last week unveiled S. 4057, a bill that would overturn the almost-total ban on personal firearms in national parks, an idea we strongly support because our constitutional rights don’t end at national park boundaries and there are sound reasons why Americans might want to be armed in these places.

What do you think? Should Allen’s bill pass? Or are the current restrictions needed to prevent poaching, as some park authorities say?

By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love

Long-time contributing editor and whitetail expert Scott Bestul has his finger on the pulse of the deer hunting world, and he’s always one of the first to know when someone bags a monster. He’ll be keeping us updated regularly, so keep an eye on this page.

Hey Dave: Here are a couple of beautiful bucks taken by the Kisky family from southern Iowa. This 140" buck was shot by teenager Kaleb Kisky.

His mom Kandi followed suit shortly after with this gorgeous 8-point she shot on her birthday.

Scott