4-Day Long Extention Added To Bear Hunt Began Today

By DANIEL HUBBARD (Patch Staff)

A four-day long extension of the state-sanctioned black bear hunt kicked off this morning.

The hunt is being held in response to increasing incidents of black bears acting aggressive towards people and an ongoing effort to control the animal’s population in northwestern New Jersey.

“With the four-day extension, we will reach a harvest number that will keep the black bear population healthy and sustainable, while reducing the potential for conflicts with people,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin.

Twenty-four of the 472 bears killed in the six-day long hunt represent 18 percent of the 133 bears that were tagged to be harvested, numbers from the DEP show.

The state’s Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy allows for a season extension if the harvest rate during the six-day season finishes below 20 percent.

The hunt is scheduled to end 30 minutes after sunset Saturday. Most of the bears, 293, were killed in Sussex County. Only two have been killed in Bergen County. None were killed in Somerset County.