Almost 100 Bears Killed On First Day Of Controversial NJ Hunt

NORTH JERSEY — Nearly 100 black bears were killed on the first day of the fall black bear hunt, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife officials said.

Ninety-four bears were killed on Monday, more than double the 42 that were killed on the first day of the hunt last year. Like last year, Gov. Phil Murphy has banned hunting on public grounds.

Nearly half of the bears were killed in Sussex County, although exact towns were not available. The five "hunting zones" where the bear hunt is conducted cover Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, and some of Bergen and Passaic counties. Hunters may kill one bear per hunt and no more than two each year.

During the first three days of the hunt, hunters are limited to bows and arrows. Rifles and archers are allowed on the last three days of the fall hunt, which wraps up on Friday.

An additional firearms-only hunt will take place in mid-December.

A total of 140 were killed during last year's fall hunt. In 2017, the last year the hunt was conducted on public lands, nearly 250 bears were killed in the first phase of the hunt.

Murphy has stood in opposition of the hunt, campaigning on ending it. Last August, he signed an executive order directing the state Department of Environmental Protection to close all public lands it oversees to bear hunting for the 2018 season. This includes all state forests, parks, recreation areas, historic sites, and State Wildlife Management Areas.

Murphy does not have the ability to unilaterally cancel a bear hunt. In order for a hunt to be stopped, the state Legislature must act or the Fish and Game Council must adopt new regulations that not include provisions for a hunt. The council has authorized bear hunts through 2021 through its regulatory authority.

The 2016 hunt was particularly controversial. A bear known for walking on its hind legs and affectionately nicknamed"Pedals" by locals is thought to have been killed on the first day of that year's hunt, sparking an outrage online. Officials were unable to confirm or deny his death. (See related: Pedals, The New Jersey Bear That Walked On Two Feet, Is Feared Dead

With repotting by Daniel Hubbard, Patch