Hunters killed 368 bears during the first part of New Jersey’s annual bear hunt, a decrease compared to the same time last year, data from the state Department of Environmental Protection shows.
The bears were killed during six days of hunting between Oct. 13 and Oct. 18. Half of the bears were killed in Sussex County.
Last year, 397 bears were killed during the first segment of the hunt in October.
The hunt is limited to archery during the first three days in October, while both guns and archery are permitted during the final three days.
A second segment of the annual hunt will be held Dec. 8 to Dec. 13. Hunters will be limited to guns during that week.
Under a provision in the law, the hunt can be extended into a third December segment if less than 20% of the estimated bear population is culled.
If the state calculates 30% of the bears have been killed, the hunt will be stopped early.
It’s unclear exactly how many bears are in New Jersey, but some state Department of Environmental Protection estimates put the population at around 3,000.
However, the state uses the number of tagged bears when calculating the percent of the population culled during the hunt. Only 15.7% of the tagged population was culled during the first segment, state officials said.
The bear hunt has been deeply controversial in New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy blocked the hunt on state lands between 2018 and 2020, and the hunt was not held at all in 2021.
The hunt started late in 2022, when a last-minute move by a judge allowed it to start in the final hours of the second scheduled day.
The hunt will take place through at least 2027. A set of emergency rules that allows the hunt to take place will expire before the 2028 hunt. The state Fish and Game Council would need to reauthorize the hunt before the 2028 season could commence.
A recent court ruling upheld the state Fish and Game Council’s authority to make decisions on the hunt’s future.
Katie Kausch
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