Extended Bear Hunt Begins Wednesday In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — The second segment of a state-sanctioned hunt, that has already racked up 138 bears, resumes Wednesday as it has been extended for four more days.

The hunt reopens on Wednesday and runs through Saturday. The hunt is extended when harvest objectives are not met, NJDEP announced.

The hunt will take place in Sussex, Passaic, Somerset, Morris, Bergen, Hunterdon, Warren and Mercer counties.

Only guns may be used during the December hunt. Bows and arrows and muzzle-loaded weapons were allowed during the first six-day hunting period in October when 244 bears were killed.

The original last day of the hunt was supposed to be Dec. 9. The total number of bears killed was 138 in the second-segment of the hunt. A total of 68 bears were killed on the first day, 17 on the second, 12 on the third and 12 on the fourth.

The hunt is designed to control the state's black bear population. The animal is mostly common in the northern part of the state.

This is the 10th bear hunt in New Jersey since 2003. The hunt has been held every year since 2010. Last year was the first time in nearly 50 years hunters could use bows and arrows to hunt bruins in New Jersey.

(Image via Morguefile/Sgarton)

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