Bear Hunt Expands to Mercer County Monday

By JASON KOESTENBLATT (Patch Staff)

Entering its sixth consecutive year, the bear hunt expands into Mercer County on Monday, Dec. 7. There are also new policies to encourage a larger harvest.

Hunters with valid permits can roam six separate territories in northern New Jersey between Monday and Dec. 12 and are allowed to cull one black bear.

This year, however, territories have expanded to include more hunting acreage (see map above) and an additional four days of hunting may be implemented in the case of inclement weather during the initial hunt.

The high water mark for the hunt came in 2010, when 592 bruins were killed. That number dropped drastically in each of the next two years, with 469 in 2011, and 287 in 2012. It dropped further in 2013 when 251 bears were hunted, and another 272 last year.

The DEP said more than 3,000 black bears are still roaming northern New Jersey, similar to the number that was tallied before the 2010 hunt began.

An explanation of the hunting zones seen in the map, from the DEP:

Black Bear Hunting Area No. 1: That portion of Warren and Sussex counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the Portland Bridge and the Delaware River at Columbia; then northward along the east bank of the Delaware River to the New York State Line; then east along the New York State Line to Rt. 519; then south along Rt. 519 to its intersection with Rt. 627; then south along Rt. 627 to its intersection with Rt. 626; then south along Rt. 626 to its intersection with Rt. 521; then southwest along Rt. 521 to its intersection with Rt. 94 in Blairstown; then southwest along Rt. 94 to the Portland Bridge, the point of beginning in Columbia. The islands of Labar, Tocks, Poxono, Depew, Namanock, Minisink and Mashipacong lying in the Delaware River are also included within this hunting area.

Black Bear Hunting No. Area 2: That portion of Sussex, Warren and Morris counties lying within a continuous line beginning at Portland Bridge in Columbia; then northward along Rt. 94 to its intersection with Rt. 521 in Blairstown; then north along Rt. 521 to its intersection with Rt. 626; then north along Rt. 626 to its intersection with Rt. 627; then north along Rt. 627 to its intersection with Rt. 519 in Branchville; then north along Rt. 519 to the New York State Line; then southeast along the New York State line to Rt. 517; then south along Rt. 517 to its intersection with Rt. 94; then south on Rt. 94 to its intersection with Rt. 23 in Hamburg Borough; then south along Rt. 23 to its intersection with Rt. 517 in Franklin; then south along Rt. 517 to its intersection with Rt. 15 in Sparta; then south along Rt. 15 to its intersection with Interstate 80 in Dover; then west along interstate 80 to its intersection with Rt. 94; then south along Rt. 94 to the intersection with the Portland Bridge and the Delaware River located in Columbia, the point of beginning.

Black Bear Hunting Area No. 3: That portion of Sussex, Passaic, Morris, and Bergen counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 80 and Rt. 15 in Dover; then north along Rt. 15 to its intersection with Rt. 517 in Sparta; then north along Rt. 517 to its intersection with Rt. 23 in Franklin; then north along Rt. 23 to its intersection with Rt. 94 in Hamburg Borough; then north along Rt. 94 to its intersection with Rt. 517; then north along Rt. 517 to the New York State Line; then east along the New York State Line to its intersection with Rt. 287; then south along Rt. 287 to its intersection with Rt. 80; then west along Rt. 80 to its intersection with Rt. 15 the point of beginning in Dover.

Black Bear Hunting Area No. 4: That portion of Sussex, Warren, Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Route 78 and the Delaware River; then north along the east bank of the Delaware River to the Portland Bridge at Columbia; then northeast along Rt. 94 to its intersection with Rt. 80; then east along Rt. 80 to its intersection with Rt. 287; then southwest along Rt. 287 to its intersection with Rt. 78; then west along Rt. 78 to the Delaware River the point of beginning.

Black Bear Hunting Area No. 5: That portion of Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Warren counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 78 and the Delaware River; then east along Rt. 78 to its intersection with Rt. 287; then northeast along Rt. 287 to its intersection with Rt. 202 in Oakland; then south along Rt. 202 to its intersection with Rt. 23; then south along Rt. 23 to its intersection with Rt. 80; then west along Rt. 80 to its intersection with the Passaic River; then west along the north bank of the Passaic River to its intersection with Rt. 80; the west on Rt. 80 to its intersection with Rt. 280; then south along Rt. 280 to its intersection with Rt. 632; then south along Rt. 632 to its intersection with Rt. 608; then south along Rt. 608 to its intersection with Rt. 124; then southeast along Rt. 124 to its intersection with Rt. 638; then south along Rt. 638 to its intersection with Rt. 531; then south along Rt. 531 to its intersection with Rt. 527; then south along Rt. 527 to its intersection with Rt. 533; then south along Rt. 533 to its intersection with Rt. 206; then south along Rt. 206 to its intersection with Rt. 518; then west along Rt. 518 to its intersection with Rt. 165; then west along Rt. 165 to its intersection with Rt. 179; then west along Rt. 179 to the Delaware River; then north along the east bank of the Delaware River to its intersection with Rt. 78, the point of beginning.

Photo Credit: New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife.