New Jersey ranks near the lowest of all states for this …
We may be at or near the bottom of the list of states for things like business-friendly climates or affordable tax rates, but this one, many people might actually like.
New Jersey is famously anti-gun. Not only the government, but most of the population will clutch their pearls if you tell them that you own a firearm.
What makes New Jersey residents even more uncomfortable is "da da da" (cue scary music)...hunting!
If you mention you're a hunter lots of people treat you like you're some kind of evil demon. Really!
For people from other states, it's shocking to see or hear New Jerseyans' views on guns or hunting.
The Garden State ranks 47th out of all 50 states when it comes to registered hunters.
My dad and uncle took me hunting when I was about 9 years old. Fortunately, we were in Pennsylvania where it's almost like getting a driver's license or learning how to ride a bike.
I did some hunting when we moved to New Jersey when I was 12. When I was 16, I would come home from school, tell my mom where I was going, grab my shotgun and walk about a mile away at the edge of our development and go hunting in the woods.
We would have our orange vests filled with shotgun shells and we carried our guns in cases right through our neighborhood and no one batted an eye. I have long since given up hunting.
Not for any other reason than it's so difficult and uncomfortable to hunt here. Lots has changed here in New Jersey and the most obvious thing is the overpopulation of deer in our state.
That's led to auto accidents, with injuries and even deaths, property damage, and perhaps a decline in the health of the deer population.
Mother nature is far crueler than hunters, but that doesn't matter to the anti-hunting crowd. They just need other humans to be mad at. Congratulations you got your way!
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.