NJ Bear Activity Has Tripled As They Enter Active Fall Period

NEW JERSEY — Reported bear activity in New Jersey has tripled this year, and they're not done yet. State officials advised that this part of the year marks an active period for black bears as they forage for food and prepare for hibernation.

Bear sightings and nuisance reports have surged in the first full year since Gov. Phil Murphy ended New Jersey's bear hunt, which has prompted criticism from hunting advocates. Murphy said the 2020 hunt would be the last under his administration, suspending the annual hunting period last year.

This year, state officials have logged 1,971 bear incidents — 433 sightings and 1,538 reports of damage and nuisance. During that timeframe in 2021 (Jan. 1 to Oct. 21), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection tallied 647 incidents, including 190 sightings and 457 damage-and-nuisance reports. (The state's bear activity reports include sightings and complaints relayed to the DEP. The reports don't include incidents handled by police without DEP assistance.)

And they're not done yet, as this part of the fall represents a busy period for bears as they prepare for the denning season. State environmental officials warned residents and outdoor enthusiasts throughout the state to eliminate or secure potential food sources from black bears.

"Black bears are preparing to den up for the winter season and need to consume substantial amounts of food in the fall," said DEP Fish and Wildlife Assistant Commissioner David Golden. "If you live in or visit areas frequented by bears, it is important to ensure they will not find food near your homes, as bears will naturally take advantage of easy meals by searching through unsecured garbage cans and commercial trash bins or raiding bird feeders."

Black bears have been sighted in all 21 New Jersey counties. But state officials say most of the bears live in New Jersey's northwestern portion, particularly in Morris, Sussex, Warren and northern Passaic Counties, along with portions of Hunterdon, Somerset and Bergen Counties.

Here's where bears have been spotted most last year and this year (from Jan. 1 to Oct. 21) in New Jersey:

• Sussex County: 238 incidents in 2021, 701 this year
• Morris County: 103 incidents in 2021, 411 this year
• Warren County: 77 incidents in 2021, 272 this year
• Passaic County: 33 incidents in 2021, 186 this year
• Hunterdon County: 59 incidents in 2021, 128 this year

Shifts In Bear-Mitigation Strategies

Despite the surge in bear activity, the Murphy administration has maintained that it won't re-instate the bear hunt. State officials have pursued nonlethal management methods, such as public education, black bear research and monitoring, trapping and behavioral conditioning, and euthanizing bears that pose a public-safety threat.

The state budget for fiscal year 2022 included $1.5 million for the DEP to expand nonlethal strategies, "which has enabled DEP to significantly increase public education and outreach efforts, including the development and implementation of a statewide multimedia outreach campaign," according to the agency. The current state budget maintains that funding level.

"In addition, DEP Fish and Wildlife is finalizing the hire of a program specialist to further educate the public about black bears in New Jersey and how to avoid conflicts with them," the DEP said in a news release. "The specialist will work directly with municipalities to provide guidance for reducing human-bear interactions and assist with developing a comprehensive program addressing how to manage garbage and reduce its attraction to bears as a potential food source."

Most of New Jersey's bear reports this year have not involved violence or property damage. State officials have reported one human attack, five unprovoked attacks on dogs, 52 attacks on protected livestock and five incidents involving property damage. But several incidents have prompted calls for a return of the hunt or a shift in strategy.

A bear attacked a woman May 11 in Lafayette, Sussex County, while she checked her mail. She was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries to her right arm and buttock, according to a state DEP spokesperson. Environmental officials set a trap for the bear to euthenize it. Read more: NJ Woman Attacked By Bear While She Was Getting Mail

Elsewhere in Sussex County, two dogs were killed in January in Sparta, and an 81-year-old woman was injured in a different bear attack in the township.

The attack on the woman checking her mail drew significant attention around the state. A Murphy administration spokesperson told Patch in May that the incident "further emphasized the need for a robust and comprehensive approach to bear management."

"The Murphy administration continues to support nonlethal bear management strategies that are backed by science and centered around community education and training for local officials," said Bailey Lawrence, the administration's deputy press secretary. Read more: NJ Bear Attacks Won't Prompt Gov. Murphy To Restore Hunt

But some Republican lawmakers have called the Murphy administration's position "reckless."

"Without a responsible hunting policy, the bear population is exploding," State Senator Steven Oroho in a statement with New Jersey's 24th District legislators. "Regretfully, that will mean we will continue to see more dangerous interactions like yesterday's (May 11's) attack. This latest incident was a close call that could have been much worse, and it is inevitable that more residents will encounter dangerous situations if Murphy doesn't re-evaluate his reckless position."

What Residents Should Do

During the active fall season, the DEP offered the following tips for minimizing conflicts with bears:

• Secure trash and eliminate obvious sources of food such as pet food bowls, easy-to-reach bird feeders or food residue left on barbecue grills.
• Use certified bear-resistant garbage containers if possible. Otherwise, store all garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids and place them along the inside walls of your garage, or in the basement, a sturdy shed or another secure area.
• Wash garbage containers frequently with a disinfectant solution to remove odors. Put out garbage on collection day, not the night before.
• Avoid feeding birds when bears are active. If you choose to feed birds, do so during daylight hours only and bring feeders indoors at night. Suspend birdfeeders from a free-hanging wire, making sure they are at least 10 feet off the ground. Clean up spilled seeds and shells daily.
• Immediately remove all uneaten food and food bowls used by pets fed outdoors.
• Clean outdoor grills and utensils to remove food and grease residue. Store grills securely.
• Do not place meat or any sweet foods in compost piles.
• Remove fruit or nuts that fall from trees in your yard.
• Properly install electric fencing as an effective way to protect crops, beehives and livestock.

If you encounter a black bear in your neighborhood or outdoors while hiking or camping, the DEP says to do the following:

• Remain calm. Never run from a bear, as this may trigger its predatory instinct. Instead, slowly back away. Avoid direct eye contact, which may be perceived by a bear as a challenge. Make sure the bear has an escape route.
• To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, using a whistle, banging pots and pans, or blowing an air horn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
• Make bears aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, singing, clapping your hands or making other noises. If hiking through bear country, always make your presence known through loud talking or clapping of hands.
• If a bear utters a series of huffs, makes popping jaw sounds by snapping its jaws or swats the ground, these are warning signs that you are too close. Slowly back away and avoid direct eye contact. Do not run.
• If a bear stands on its hind legs or moves closer, it may be trying to get a better view or detect scents in the air. This is usually a non-threatening behavior.
• Black bears will sometimes "bluff charge" when cornered, threatened or attempting to steal food. Stand your ground, avoid direct eye contact, slowly back away and do not run.
• If the bear does not leave, move to a secure area, such as a vehicle or a building.
• Families who live in areas frequented by black bears should have a "Bear Plan" in place for children, with an escape route and planned use of whistles and air horns.
• Black bear attacks are extremely rare. If a black bear does attack, fight back.

You can report black bear damage or aggressive bears to your local police department or to Fish & Wildlife by calling 1-(877) WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).