441 Black Bears Killed in First Hunt in Five Years

More than 440 bears have been harvested so far in New Jersey's first bear hunt in five years, according to data released by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The hunt has slowed considerably over the period from Monday to Wednesday—with 264 bears harvested on Monday and only 55 on Wednesday. The hunt continues through Friday in four officially designated bear hunt zones, all north of Route 78 and west of Route 287.

Any participant must complete a bear training seminar and possess a permit for one of the four zones; no hunter can receive a permit for more than one zone. More information is available from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Area 1 includes portions of Warren and Sussex counties; Area 2 includes portions of Sussex, Warren and Morris counties; Area 3 includes portions of  Sussex, Passaic, Morris and Bergen counties; and Area 4 includes portions of Sussex, Warren, Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has issued 6,680 permits for the week-long hunt, the state DEP said. The hunt is designed to reduce an overpopulation of black bears in the northwestern part of New Jersey, which has experienced a rising number of public complaints due to bear-human encounters. State wildlife biologists had predicted between 300 to 700 bears may be harvested during this hunting season, according to the DEP.

"We are looking forward to a safe and controlled black bear hunt, which is just one component of our Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy,'' DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said in a statement released by the agency earlier this week. "The overall goal is to reduce the number of bears to a more manageable number, while improving public safety by reducing bear encounters with people."

The New Jersey Fish and Game Council cited increasing damage to personal property and threats to public safety as key reasons for its decision to recommend a hunt part of the state's bear management strategy. But the hunt has attracted the attention of animal-rights groups that say it's unnecessary, and that question the methods used by the state Department of Environmental Protection to collect information weighing into its decision to approve the hunt. This weekend, a Supreme Court justice denied a request by the animal the Animal Protection League of New Jersey and the Bear Education and Resource Group to stop the hunt.

Most New Jersey residents approve of the upcoming bear hunt—at least if wildlife experts say the state has a bear population problem—according to the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll. .

The poll asked voters if they'd approve of the bear hunt "if wildlife scientists conclude that bears are exceeding their recommended habitat limits and are destroying private property." It found 53 percent of those agreed, 36 percent disagreed, and 11 percent were unsure.

A second version of the question—simply asking voters whether they approve or disapprove of a bear-hunting season, but without mentioning the opinion of wildlife experts—showed slightly less support for the hunt, but more approved than disapproved. FDU reports 49 percent approved, and 33 percent disapproved.  And far more people, 18 percent, were unsure whether they'd approve.