Black Bear Hunt Resumes in Morris and Northwest Jersey
Published on December 01, 2018
(From NJ DEP)
Bear Season Extended by State DEP Through Saturday (DEC. 12)
The December segment of the state's black bear hunting season in sections of Morris County and neighboring counties in Northwest Jersey will be extended by four days to achieve the state's management and bear population objectives.
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The next phase of Segment B of the season (Segment A was Oct. 8-13) begins a half-hour prior to sunrise tomorrow (Dec. 12) and will continue until a half-hour after sunset on Saturday, Dec, 15.
New Jersey's Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, which has been integrated into the Game Code, mandates that the Division of Fish and Wildlife extend the bear hunting season by four days should the harvest rate not achieve a 20-percent threshold. That harvest rate is deemed necessary to provide better ecological balance to the bear population and reduce the potential for bear-human encounters. The harvest rate for the season stands at 13.3 percent.
The total number of bears harvested in October was 140. The preliminary total for the number of bears harvested in December to date is 69 for a season total of 209.
Hunters must register their bears at the nearest check stations between noon and 7 p.m. Check stations include those at the Whittingham, Green Pond, and Pequest Wildlife Management Areas.
(JPG, 7KB)The hunting zone includes sections of Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Sussex, Warren, northern Passaic and western Bergen counties.
Black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. They are an integral part of the state's natural heritage and a vital component of healthy ecosystems.
Since the 1980s the Garden State's black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey's counties.
Division of Fish and Wildlife personnel use an integrated approach to managing New Jersey's black bear population, fostering coexistence between people and bears.
Consider these tips when dealing with bears.