Union, New Jersey – After his lawsuit against the Fish & Game Council lost at the Appellate Division, Former Senator Ray Lesniak has changed his strategy. His fight to restructure the composition of the Fish & Game Council is now going to the legislature, where he is working closely with NJ legislators Senator Brian Stack and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano and on a new bill to stop the hunt.

Lesniak will unveil the bill to save the New Jersey Black Bears at the upcoming Teterboro Bear Hunt Protest—taking place from 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm on Saturday, October 4th.

“I might have lost in court, but I will not be stopped. I am taking my fight to the New Jersey Legislature—where I served for 40 years. This legislation is the next step in my fight to restructure the New Jersey Fish & Game Council composition and to ban the black bear hunt,” said Lesniak.

He will be protesting alongside animal protection organizations like the Animal Protection League of New Jersey in opposition to the senseless killing of New Jersey’s native wildlife, which begins on October 13th, 2025.

“The Fish & Game Council––responsible for the state’s wildlife management––is primarily composed of hunters, making decisions based on their own self-interests. In the last two years, almost 1000 bears have been slaughtered. What was once a push for wildlife management is now a mere trophy hunt,” states Lesniak. “What they refuse to admit is the lack of bear-smart policies in place to co-exist with our wildlife. Instead of protecting these creatures, our state allows hunters to partake in a massacre––and it must be stopped.”

Senator Ray Lesniak invites all animal welfare advocates to join him on Saturday, October 4th, as he promotes the legislation that will end the bear hunt.