Bear Incident Allamuchy State Park
Poor bear just minding it's own business.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2015/01/15/bear-shot-biting-dover-cop/21825741/
JrzyGirl88 
MommyinGreen If a mother bear (protecting four cubs) had you by the leg and wouldn't let go, and you were carrying a gun, you probably have two choices: a) shoot the bear; b) become a meal for the bear (and her four cubs). Obviously, everyone feels horrible for the bears, but thankfully a *human* did not lose his life.
Rebecka Poor bears. I wish the bears had all survived. Whatever that would have taken. We are so fortunate to have them in our area.
A good dayI agree with Rebecka. I'm a bear lover but if I ever encountered and felt threatened let alone bit by a bear, I can guarantee it would take me about a split second to reach for my gun and shoot. It was a sad and unfortunate accident. Luckily some of the cubs were rescued.
America 
5catmom How awful that 3 bears lost their lives because of an inattentive person.
Very sad.
Calico696 
kb2755 He stepped on and over a large fallen tree. The DEP spokesperson said it was an unfortunate event.
Yes, the DEP said it was an unfortunate event.
Of course it was.
The DEP also said it was a "deeply forested area".
Any person prowling around in such a dense forest area ..... full of wildlife ---- he was there afterall for a prime opportunity to "hunt" ........ should obviously be aware that wildlife can be at any turn.
All precautions should be taken, not the least of which is looking where you step.
janster 
Mark Mc. Why is this Dover cop in our woods? I know it's a state park but I feel invaded. I'm in those woods EVERy week and 4 days/week in the summer.
Holy mackerel! Now people are not allowed to go to state parks that aren't in the town they live in? Sigh......
botheredbyuu2 
Bessie i'm with you Hdhd!! And can people not from Rockaway stop going to the Rockaway Mall too!!! I feel so invaded everytime i am there!!!!
darwin Is everyone on this website actually from Hackettstown?
If we wanted to hear about Port Murray or Great Meadows life, we'd ask you! ;)
All of the above statements are truthful in some way. It is still sad. I didn't hear the extent of the leg injury that the bear bite caused.
just coach Article has to be wrong or the hunter was using an illegal weapon. Can't hunt in NJ with rifle.
mohepinoke "It was not a bear attack,"
How was it not a bear attack?
What was it a chipmunk attack?
Stupid state officials...
RU Just wait... soon all the crime in Trenton and Newark will just be described as an "unfortunate confluence of events" so the government can claim the cities are safe!
"Can't hunt in NJ with rifle."
You trust the media to know the differences between a shotgun a muzzle loader and a rifle, or their ass and their elbow?
The other option is this happened to an off-duty officer, so he's above the law.
(Just as an aside, you CAN hunt with rifles in NJ. Rimfire or small bore centerfire for small game like woodchucks, coyotes, and fox).
A muzzleloader is a rifle and there is a very long muzzleloader season in NJ for deer. You can also legally hunt for certain species with a .22 rifle. But as Mark pointed out above, I wouldn't put to much stock in a reporter's distiction of various firearms.
gadfly if you're going to walk in the woods in an area known to have bears and you are not hunting you should at least have the common sense to make some noise every now and then to alert potential animals of your presence and to try to avoid stupid situations like this. i remember my first trip to yellowstone where it was highly recommended by park staff that you clap you hands or loudly speak out every now and then or wear a little jingle bell on your shoe laces.
A mother bear denned up with cubs is not going to move just because you clap.
Check the law 
Blackcat How unfortunate!
...that all of the Bears were not grown up. We could have gotten five for the price of one!
btownguy This moron also didn't know one of the major rules which is to always look before you step. He should have looked over the tree or log first to see what's on the other side. Obviously this guy is a rookie hunter.
A muzzle loader is a smooth bore long gun. It is not a rifle, as it does not have rifling in its barrel.
How unfortunate!
...that all of the Bears were not grown up. We could have gotten five for the price of one!
If they were all grown~ perhaps the bears could have had the Dover cop and his friends for the price of one also!
Baci's mom "A muzzle loader is a smooth bore long gun. It is not a rifle, as it does not have rifling in its barrel."
Plenty of muzzle loaders are rifled - and have been throughout history. So technically, they are rifles, but the term is typically used now to differentiate those from a more modern firearm that fires a self contained cartridge loaded from the breech or under the receiver.
You can get rifled barrels for shotguns too, but they are still shotguns (usually called slug guns or slug barrels), not rifles.
I guess there's no way the cop was actually poaching or doing something else illegal? But I guess why would a cop lie and why wouldn't the DEP cover it up for a brother cop? Something doesn't sound right. Bears don't hibernate where they can stepped on. Just asking.
Redwing....my thoughts exactly! Sounds very fishy to me. Hunter or no hunter, you never hear of anyone 'stepping' on a bear. He's either a moron or a liar.....or both.
Redwing... actually bears do hibernate at bases of trees and in small ground depressions. I can see how if the bears were low in the ground alongside a downed tree. That they might not be seen while stepping over. I was told in the past by a park ranger to be careful around the base of trees when hiking in winter as they could be laying low covered by snow. Or even leaves. Read the part about hibernation in the link.
http://westernwildlife.org/black-bear-outreach-project/biology-behavior-3/
So, just to add onto my comment about rifle hunting for "small" game like coyote...
This is a 62 pound coyote that was taken in Morris County last year. Not so small, huh?
http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/forums/80-taxidermist-reviews-information/180913-62-lb-coyote-complete.html
Have fun hiking in the woods!
I found myself looking over fallen trees before stepping in Worthington forest this afternoon.
Seems that it could have been an avoidable circumstance. In there all the time, however do not want to judge or speculate. Deep forested area? cut me a break, its New Jersey and we are no less than a mile from the closest Quick Chek (yes even at Allamuchy). Whoever was involved will have to live with their decision to do what they did, and if they don't its equally as sad as the event itself.
jmo517 So true, jmo517.
By the way, since someone mentioned coyotes, they are a beautiful animal and not aggressive to humans. You are lucky if you get a glimpse of one. I saw one only once.
Allamuchy North has over 21 miles of marked trails, not including unmarked single track and woods roads, and is not bisected by any road but Rt 80. There is no short way to connect the Rt 517 entrance to Waterloo Rd, and definitely no manicured trails or opportunity to find a Quik Chek. Combined with Stephens and Deer Park there is about 10,000 acres of nearly contiguous land interrupted only by Waterloo Rd and the highway. The Scout camp adds another large parcel of natural area. North is completely forested with large rock outcroppings, rocky slopes, and absolutely plenty of places for bears and rattlesnakes to hide and I have seen more than a few of both animals there!
"they are a beautiful animal and not aggressive to humans"
Not *usually* aggressive towards humans, but there have been plenty of attacks (typically on small children).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_attacks_on_humans
It's actually quite a long list...
"plenty of places for bears and rattlesnakes to hide"
I'm more worried about copperheads, as they FAR outnumber any rattlesnakes in Allamuchy. Finding a rattlesnake there would be an extremely rare event since they are endangered in this state with only a few main areas having known populations.
Hey Mark.....
Coyote attacks on people are very rare.
More people are killed by errant golf balls & flying champagne corks each year than are bitten by coyotes.
Source --- the Humane Society.
For a person with a suitcase full of bullets, you sure are a scaredy-cat when it comes to wildlife.
What did your parents do to you that you are so frightened?
kepa, thanks for the education. I trail run, mtn bike and hunt there all the time(north and south of route 80). It is a beautiful place. We are very fortunate to have and be in such close proximity to it. I know most all of the marked and un-marked trails in Stephens and Allamuchy. My core point is that it is an accessible and shared resource. To that end we need to be aware of that we are just visitors, and need to demonstrate a mutual respect for the resource and the inhabitants.
"For a person with a suitcase full of bullets, you sure are a scaredy-cat when it comes to wildlife.
What did your parents do to you that you are so frightened?"
First of all, you really need to think of a new insult... do you think I'm embarrassed to have a lot of bullets? Just got some more shipped to me this week, and what I have definitely won't fit in a single suitcase.
Second, where did I say I was "scared" of wildlife? I just point out that your definitive statements such as "coyotes aren't aggressive" are demonstrably false, backed up by a list of hundreds of attacks on humans (that have been verified/recorded). Being "worried" about accidentally stepping on a copperhead is along the lines of being "worried" that my water pipes will freeze. Something I just don't feel like dealing with, but I don't cower in fear at the thought.
Third, I don't give a rat's ass what the Humane Society says about wildlife dangers compared to golf ball or cork dangers... we're at the top of the food chain, we kill things, some of them taste yummy and others are just invasive/pest species, get over it.
Mark,
It is a fact that coyotes are NOT agressive to humans.
To reiterate, I also said --- coyote attacks on people are VERY RARE.
That is a documented fact.
It's too bad you write things that aren't true.
"It is a fact that coyotes are NOT agressive to humans. "
Reality (via the link I posted) disagree with you.
"To reiterate, I also said --- coyote attacks on people are VERY RARE."
Only AFTER I called you out on it.
"It's too bad you write things that aren't true."
It's too bad you think people can't read up about 3 messages to see that I was correct.
Bears can't win. We go into their home territory and kill them. If bears come near human territory(homes) due to the human stupidity of leaving unsecured garbage cans and bird feeders, we kill them.
Good job humans!
What BS? I posted a link to Wikipedia that references scientific studies and verified reports of a "not aggressive" animal attacking humans... These are the facts that anyone doing the research you suggest will find.
Heck, right in the second paragraph it states:
"In the absence of the harassment of coyotes practiced by rural people, urban coyotes are losing their fear of humans, which is further worsened by people intentionally or unintentionally feeding coyotes. In such situations, some coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small children."
Just because it doesn't jive with your "Kumbaya" view of the world doesn't invalidate it.
Quoting Wikipedia?
In the FIRST paragraph it states:
"Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause injuries."
Give it up already.
And what's with the *Kumbaya* you keep mentioning? You're the only one that uses that word. Must have special meaning to you.
"In the FIRST paragraph it states:
"Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause injuries.""
Which is exactly what I ORIGINALLY said. I guess two statements concurring is BS to you? That doesn't negate the fact that a mere couple sentences later it says coyotes CAN be aggressive towards humans (and that it is becoming more frequent).
"And what's with the *Kumbaya* you keep mentioning? You're the only one that uses that word."
I'll stick with Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbaya
"it is also cited or alluded to in satirical or cynical ways that suggest false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
Describes you to a T. (Oops, is that reference too obscure for you too?)
By the way, I've only said it twice. GC is actually the most frequent user of that word here.
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/?q=kumbaya
"Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause injuries"
"Which is exactly what I originally said" ----- Mark Mc.
Really?
Unless my computer is defective, I don't see that written by you.
But I'm glad that you do agree that this is the truth!
Wikipedia: "Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause injuries"
Me: "Not *usually* aggressive towards humans, but there have been plenty of attacks (typically on small children)."
I know it's tough to comprehend, but "uncommon" is pretty dang close to "not usually". Yes, I also said "plenty" but that was backed up by an attached list of 160 verified attacks - with the disclaimer on Wikipedia that the list was KNOWN to be incomplete. One term describes the rate, one describes the quantity.
"But I'm glad that you do agree that this is the truth!"
I never said it wasn't I just said YOUR *definitive* statement that coyotes are not aggressive is false, which it is.
This is besides the point that my initial post had NOTHING factually wrong, and nothing directed AT you, but your very first response included a personal attack (as lame as it was) directed towards me.
THAT shows your (lack of) maturity level and why plenty of people dislike you around here. The question is, is that a common feeling?
"This is besides the point that my initial post had NOTHING factually wrong, and nothing directed AT you, but your very first response included a personal attack (as lame as it was) directed towards me."
Well, my first "response" on this thread was:
"How awful that three bears lost their lives because of an inattentive person. Very sad."
Unless you were the person who killed the bear, this was not a personal attack towards you.
Sorry you are so paranoid.
Wow, now you're grasping at straws. You know exactly what post I was referring to.
Sounds like you are the paranoid one, afraid to admit that what you said in your, let me see, 6th post (hapy now?) was uncalled for and childish - not that it isn't exactly what I expect from you.
CraftBeerBob Some people like killing. Sick. Even killing each other. It's a human trait I guess.
Old Gent Bears, coyotes, venomous snakes- I think we can all agree the wildlife here isn't dangerous unless you step on it.
This cop is not a real hunter, he is a poser. Walking in woodlands is not like walking at the mall. As Mark said, poisonous snakes are the greater threat and potent ones are in NJ.
If aliens ever came they would probably look at humans as a cancer. It is all about Point Of View...
iJay Yep, I simply posted a link to a factual website. She comes back (as she always does) with a personal insult. Of course I'm going to respond.
Geez, I think it's time for "happiest girl" to change her name to "crabbiest girl!" What a mean-spirited, sarcastic, judgmental comment.
Sheesh, take a Valium or something!
Heidi Guy got bit by a bear and shot it. Good for him. I dont hunt but people that do should go for it. Most of you sound like you would want to give the cute bear a hug if it was you being bit. Maybe since they have a higher right to the woods he should have done nothing and just allowed the bear to continue until the bone was picked clean. Humorous really. What a ridiculous position.
Coyotes need not be debated without looking to this summer when a coyote attacked twice in Chester. Luckily it wasnt children who were at the park and invading the innocent little critters space.
And yes I know, the poor coyote had rabies and was therefore forced to do something it didnt want to similar to Ole Yeller, but unless you have some sort of rabies kit on you and can test form afar you should stay away from them. The Chester attack was very fortunate that the hunter had a weapon on him and was able to kill it. I believe the first attack was against a mountain biker who happened to fight it off with his bike. If that was a kid, the attack would have still resulted in a fatality but not the coyote, the child.
Libtards. Really a dangerous group. More so than hunters.
So much for bears hibernating in hard to find dens in the winter...
(cue bleeding hearts saying that it's humans' fault for building in "the bear's land")
elliot Tired-thats exactly how you debate these folks who have no interest in facts. Well done. @good day-there are sorry rants here. Just not the one you think
Mrs. Pipes 
shady Facts really cause an issue don't they.
I believe that you should be very cautious around other people's dogs. Common sense really.
But to say that there is no danger around any wild animal, including coyotes is a ridiculous statement. Wild animals are wild animals. No getting around it, no matter your position.
Send your kids to play with the coyotes. I'll teach mine to respect wildlife and be cautious around them. After your kids are tossed around like a rawhide chewtoy, we'll talk again.
tired,, Don't lie about what I said. I never said there is no danger around any wild animal.
I said coyotes are not aggressive to humans and attacks are very rare.
"Send your kids to play with the coyotes" is a very stupid thing for you to say, not to mention the vile statement you wrote after that.
I went back and re-read my post and you are correct it was vile and for that I apologize. Please let me amend my former statement to tofu chewtoy. Again I am sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me.
yep so many 'yote attacks around here on the reg. You think someone would do something!!!
Ha-ha, that's right, Kepa.
We're all getting attacked by coyotes!! (NOT!)
But I'm sure many people know someone who was attacked or bitten by a dog.
Personally, I was, on the streets of NYC --- a dog got loose from his gated property and ran after me. I was innocently walking down a street in NYC and heard the rattling of his chain as he got closer and closer to me. He bit me on the thigh. I was walking to a train station at the time on my way to an audition
On the other hand, since living in NJ and going camping --- in tents and in open air in sleeping bags, I have crossed paths and had close encounters with much wildlife and have never been threatened, much less attacked.
You do understand the difference between incident *rate* and the numbers of incidents, right?
There are millions of dogs in homes across the country, with innumerable human interactions on a daily basis. Of course there will be bad interactions among those, as well.
I'll gladly take my chances walking up to any of my neighbors dogs to scratch their heads, pat their backs, and rub their bellies.
Would you try that with a coyote (i. e the non-domesticated canine)? If not you have to agree the potential danger with them is higher, regardless of the actual quantity of attacks (maybe due to the fact that they are more dangerous so people do their best to avoid crossing paths with them, or do so at a greater distance).
Kinda like most everyone would agree that skydiving is more potentially dangerous than riding a bicycle, yet bicycling causes ~20 to 30x more deaths each year - simply due to its higher participation .
"I'll gladly take my chances walking up to any of my neighbors dogs to scratch their heads, pat their backs, and rub their bellies. Would you try that with a coyote?"
----- Mark Mc.
No Mark, maybe you would, but I'm not stupid.
I never said, "go pet a coyote"
Good grief, what other ridiculous statement will you try ???
Once again, you state the ridiculous.
Here again, are the facts about coyotes:
"Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause injuries."
Your attempts to "scare" people to believing that coyotes are out to attack people are laughable.
Well wouldn't you have to have the same conditions (pet both dogs and coyotes of sufficient sample size) to fairly compare danger or agressiveness? The fact that you won't pet *any* coyote proves my point. I won't pet one either... not sure where you got the impression I would, except for your well documented history of trying to twist my words.
I'm not trying to scare anyone, just debunking your unsupportable assertion that coyotes are not agressive, when your own subsequent statements (and how you choose to interact with the animal) seem to indicate the opposite (not to mention the *scientific* studies I posted way back that documented an observed increase in their aggressiveness towards humans).
Your attempt to paint a picture that fits your argument is laughable.
No one said that we should be scared of coyotes but rather respect wild animals. You are the one trying to instill fear in domesticated dogs or wine corks or whatever else you are trying to muster up in your argument.
At the end of the day, which would you rather not see walking down your sidewalk. A domesticated dog or a coyote?
Your motive is predictable. I get it. Animals good. Man bad. Let's move on. No one is changing anyones mind and I have a nice venison steak getting cold. Gonna have a bear claw for dessert.
"I have a nice venison steak getting cold"
OMG, you Bambi killer! Just kidding... not a big fan of venison steak, but it makes nice ground meat for other dishes.
You know what will really get someone riled up? Coyote hunting is legal, but the only thing people want is the pelt. The rest is used as bait for the next coyote. Not really tasty as a game meat... you are what you eat so who wants a steak that tastes like garbage and rats?
Love4all --- I never said fear "dogs" or "wine corks". It's predictable that people like you constantly lie.
I'm really sorry that you resort to any stupid comment.
And you are so wrong, I have no motive, according to what you wrote.
("Animals good, man bad")
Sorry you think that.
All living creatures (man and animal ) are good.
It's just unfortunate that "man" has such a superior attitude that he is resistant to respecting animals.
Thats your problem. Man is superior. If we werent you would be nothing but an animal of prey. Human guilt. Get over it.
Other life has had almost a billion years head start (from the earliest form of life) to become superior to humans (from our earliest Homo habilis ancestors starting about a 2.3 million years ago).
It's not our fault they didn't invent any technology to "hunt" us more effectively... lazy animals.
Love4all-
(strange name for you...)
No, it's your unfortunate belief that man is superior.
Your problem is what you think "superior" is.
"It's not our fault they didn't invent technology to "hunt" us more effectively .. lazy animals." ------- Mark Mc.
Sorry you didn't realize it, but they don't need "technology" to hunt, Mark.
They do it without man-made weapons. They are superior to us in that respect.
Sorry you need to resort to juvenile comments like "it's not our fault they didn't invent any technology to "hunt" us more effectively .... lazy animals."
What a good laugh we can have at your expense.
there is just nothing left to say except this: http://youtu.be/PB-wmOYelnM
(no it's not a virus - it's safe)
So we're automatically superior to anything we can kill with our bare hands? Quite an interesting metric coming from someone who doesn't like to kill things.
What about our superiority in saving lives? I don't see many hospitals and pharmacies popping up in the middle of the woods.
I'm sure the coyotes are very saddened by my juvenile comment on a website... I expect to be hearing from their lawyers any minute now, as soon as they can email their concerns
"I'm sure the coyotes are very saddened by my juvenile comment -- I expect to be hearing from their lawyers any minute now, as soon as they can email their concerns." .... Mark Mc
I expect the only email you will be getting will be from your therapist, Mark.
(ps ... animals know how to cure their ailments naturally with vegetation --- they don't need a pharmacy ---- LOL )
"I expect the only email you will be getting will be from your therapist, Mark."
Ah, there's another gem from hapiest girl.
I said nothing factually inaccurate about you (unless you are embarrassed that you don't like to kill things?) yet you resort to the personal insults again. Because I would just have to be *crazy* to disagree with you, right?
Grizzly, polar bears, wild boar, and hippos (!) are animals you would really need to be concerned about encountering in certain situations. NOT the black bear, coyote, or bobcat of our state unless the rare chance of a rabid animal or an unfortunate misstep, or provoked situation occurs. Even rabid opposums can be aggressive and even the family dog can be driven to bite.
There is no regular danger in our natural areas from these animals, as thousands of outdoorspeople in NJ can attest to.
The open mindedness crowd has predictably taken a closed mind stance. The train wreck is over. Move on. Nothing more to see
The only animal that makes me really, really nervous and worries me especially when camping and I absolutely never, never want near me no matter what. Skuuuuuuuunk!!. I think we all can agree these little pests need to be avoided at all costs. Yikes!!
auntiel Sorry to hear that Baci's mom. Were the cubs born this year? If you happen to know. They would be quite small.
the good book teaches that God created the animals for mans use, that's what the book says anyways,
man was created last and (according to the good book) and was given dominion over the animals by god the creator -
now that can mean different things to different people, for sure,
the honorable hunters that i have hunted with give respect to the animals that they hunted for food for their families, that's a good thing, correct?
i am unsure of how much respect was given to the young man by the black bear who killed him and partially ate him in the north woods of NJ last fall
BrotherDog When I am alone in the woods..I am more concerned about bumping in to a stranger than a wild animal.
All animals and humans are unpredictable, whether you're in the woods or not.
Can't give up living and what you enjoy, because some things in life are beyond our control.
positive I agree with you too, positive.
And there is much more to fear from humans than animals.
That's obvious to all.
Mark -
You are the only one who used the word *crazy* to define yourself.
If you have those feelings, that's too bad, but don't blame others for it.
No one used that word except you!
I will remind you that YOU said you are waiting to hear from the lawyers representing the coyotes.
'You are the only one who used the word *crazy* to define yourself."
Where did I say that word defined me? I was simply asking for clarification on why you think I have and/or need a therapist - hence the question mark after that sentence.
"I will remind you that YOU said you are waiting to hear from the lawyers representing the coyotes."
Considering you think they are a superior species compared to humans, I just figured they'd have at least the same level of legal representation. I mean, they apparently figured out medicine (according to your post above) and that's a 5 year program for people. Law school is only 3 years long, so what's the problem, too easy for them?
Some people just like to argue/debate...entirely missing the point. However I find you two quite entertaining and maybe a little chemistry going on? Lol!
Nope positive.
He is a dirt-bag.
What point are you missing?
He is an animal hater.
"You ARE nuts."
"He is a dirt-bag."
Wow, who's keeping score here? You're only undermining what little credibility you had when you joined this site by hurling all of these insults.
"He is an animal hater."
On the contrary... I love animals. Especially with some barbecue sauce.
"maybe a little chemistry going on"
That chemistry would certainly require some ipecac in the lab kit.
Hey, at least that's vegetarian.
This literally breaks my heart. What a sad thing to happen, I would definitely have defended myself as well, but this really is heartbreaking.. poor little babies of hers.
Brittany84 one of the cubs has died - I thought, as they usually do, that it would have been placed with another mom who has cubs - Kelsey from the state - usually does that - anyway it's sad..........
5catmom - where are you finding this information - I would like to know more details.
azgirl69 so very sad....
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/story_of_mike_the_orphaned_bear_cub_comes_to_a_sad.html#incart_river
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