UPDATE: Bear hunt resumes this week
93 bears killed last week; 49 in Sussex County
| 14 Dec 2022 | 04:06
A dead bear hangs from chains at the check-in station at the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County. It was brought in late Saturday afternoon, Dec. 10. (
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New Jersey Fish and Wildlife officials weigh a bear brought to the check-in station late Saturday afternoon, Dec. 10 at the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County. (
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New Jersey’s black bear hunt will continue for four days this week because the target number to be harvested was not reached last week, state officials said Monday, Dec. 12.
The bear hunting season will reopen a half-hour before sunrise Wednesday, Dec. 14 and continue through a half-hour after sunset Saturday, Dec. 17. Zone permits were available for purchase as of Monday morning.
The goal of the hunt was a minimum of 20 percent of the bears tagged this year. Last week, 11 tagged bears were killed, or 6 percent.
Wildlife biologists affix tags to bears whenever one is handled for research purposes or is captured in response to a nuisance complaint.
New Jersey’s bear hunting regulations say the hunting season must end when 30 percent of tagged bears have been killed.
Ninety-three bears were killed between Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6 and a half-hour after sunset Saturday, Dec. 10.
More than half, 49, were taken in Sussex County, according to state data. Twenty-four were killed in Warren County, 14 in Morris and six in Passaic.
The hunt originally was scheduled to begin Monday, Dec. 5 but a Superior Court judge issued a stay suspending the hunt. On Tuesday morning, Dec. 6, the Appellate Division lifted that stay, allowing the hunt to proceed.
In the state bear hunt in 2020, a total of 410 bears were killed, including 190 in Sussex County.
New rules
According to new rules adopted last month when the bear hunt was reinstated, hunters may not kill bears that are less than 75 pounds live weight or 50 pounds dressed as well as adult bears accompanying young bears. The rules also prohibit the hunting of bears within 300 feet of a baited area.
A public hearing on the New Jersey Fish and Game Council’s proposed 2022 Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy and amendments to state regulations about black bears will be held from 1 to 8 p.m. Jan. 18.
The proposed changes are the rules being used in the current hunt.
Residents may comment on the proposed changes online through Feb. 3.
The New Jersey Sierra Club, which is among the groups opposing the hunt, is urging its members to register their comments.
Anjuli Ramos-Busot, director of the New Jersey chapter, called the decision to reinstate the bear hunt “extremely disappointing.”
“The 2017 black bear hunt killed 63 bears on its opening day. The state must consider a non-lethal and public education-focused management plan, rather than continue with the easy way out by reopening the violent and outdated hunt.”