Nearly 400 Bears Killed In Hunt So Far

The North Jersey black bear population has been culled by almost 400 due to more of the animals being killed on the fourth day of the six-day hunt.

Twenty-four bears were killed Thursday, according to numbers from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, down from the previous day’s 54.

Of the 390 bears killed to date, 216 were killed on the first day, Monday; 20 of of the 133 bears that were tagged earlier this year have been killed.

The hunt is scheduled to end Saturday, but the state’s Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy allows the season to be extended four days if the cumulative harvest rate for tagged bears falls below 20 percent. It is currently at 15 percent.