Restless Native

"The black bear population in New Jersey is exploding. Years and years of not hunting them contributed to the fact they established a foothold in northwestern New Jersey that has become the thickest in North America. 80% survive to adulthood. It's a unique habitat for these bears. And people think suburbia is not a great habitat for bears, but they need food, water and shelter. Dumpsters provide all of those things for black bears in New Jersey."— Cody McLaughlinNew Jersey's black bear population is the densest in North America. But in 2017, the last year public lands were open and one of the highest harvest years on record, more than twice as many bear cubs were born as were killed in the hunt that year. More than 80% of New Jersey's black bear cubs survive to adulthood. And the breeding rate for black bears in NJ is more than twice that of other areas, with litters averaging 4-5 cubs. Cody McLaughlin is with the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, which is taking a lawsuit against the curr