The battle over bear hunting reached the New Jersey Supreme Court last year as hunters and animal rights groups fought over a proposed bear hunt. It was cancelled by New Jersey Department of Environmental Commissioner Lisa Jackson weeks before the scheduled opener.

All across North America, bear hunters are finding themselves in the crosshairs of animal rights groups. Oregon hunters lost the opportunity to hunt bears with bait and hounds in 1994, and in 2003, Virginia Democratic Congressman Jim Moran introduced a bill that would have banned bear baiting on federal land. Ballot initiatives were introduced in both Maine and Alaska in 2004 that would have banned certain bear hunting methods. Hunters won in both states, but the battle over bears is far from over.

Few subjects stir up so much emotion and controversy as bear hunting. Doug Jeanneret, vice president of marketing for the United States Sportsmen's Alliance, figured bear hunters are high on the hit list of antihunting groups because they are a relatively small fraction of all hunters, especially in states like New Jersey.

"The nonhunting public knows very little about bears and bear management. Bears aren't like deer, which are the source of thousands of car accidents every year, and bears don't wander through suburban neighborhoods and eat expensive landscaping. Bears are virtually invisible to most people," he said.

As well, black and even grizzly bears are often portrayed as cute, harmless animals, thanks largely to the entertainment industry and antihunting groups. They aren't, of course; and in places where humans and bears meet, bad things can happen. There have been at least seventeen fatal bear attacks in North America since 2000, including a six-year-old girl who was killed in Tennessee last April. Attacks on humans may be rare, but nuisance complaints are growing where hunting is either strictly limited or banned completely.

Dr. Terry Quinney, an Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters biologist, said the reasons we hunt bears are as diverse as the bear hunters themselves. However, he said bears are no different than deer, moose or gamebirds.

"Bears are a renewable resource. I see no reason why we should distinguish bear hunting from any other type of hunting. The meat is excellent and there is the added bonus of a wonderful hide that serves as a reminder of a great hunt," he said. "Science has clearly demonstrated that the harvest of bears is compatible with sound management principles."

That hasn't swayed antis, who not only target bear hunting in general, but the methods used to hunt the animals. Baiting and chasing bears with hounds are two of the most controversial and divisive subjects, even among hunters. Jeanneret, however, says how a hunter chooses to pursue game is a personal decision.

"If a state wildlife agency determines that baiting is compatible with its management plan, then it should be up to the individual to decide how he should hunt, not the general public or an antihunting organization," he said.