Four anti-bear hunting protesters were arrested Monday to start the festivities of bear season here in the Garden State. They were angry at Governor Murphy for not keeping his promise to end the bear hunt when he was campaigning last year. He blocked it from state lands which is legally (or not) all he can do. Most of the authority for hunting lies with Fish and Game. But facts or reality rarely matters to protestors. They just want what they want and behave like petulant children until they get it, no matter what the realities of the situation are. Hunters' groups are also mad at the Governor for blocking hunting on state land, which they claim they have legal access to, since much of their licensing fees and taxes on sporting equipment goes to maintain the lands.

This year's numbers were about on par with last year, 34 were killed in 2017 on the first day, compared with 36 taken on Monday. As angry as the activists are at those mean hunters, mother nature is much more cruel and inhumane, as you can see by these pictures. If the population of any species grows beyond what nature can accommodate, the result is not pretty.

These bears are in neighboring Pennsylvania where mange is spreading through the bear population there. That could easily spread here and if you think seeing a few dead bears on the flatbed on some hunters pick up truck is upsetting, the site of bears suffering with mange will undoubtable leave you feeling far worse. But as most things in our public discourse today, it's not about facts or natural truths, it's about emotion. The inability to harness that emotion rationally or temper it with logical thinking. Happy hunting and happy protesting!

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