More than 470 bears were killed during this year’s bear hunt in New Jersey, a slight decrease from last year, data from the state Department of Environmental Protection showed.
The 472 bears were killed during 12 days of hunting, split between October and December. The October segment ran from Oct. 14 to Oct. 19, and the December segment took place between Dec. 9 and Dec. 14.
There were 21 fewer bears killed this year compared to last year. But 2024 saw the second-highest number of bears killed since Gov. Phil Murphy took office after campaigning to end the hunt entirely.
The majority of the bears were killed during the October segment of the hunt, accounting for 397 deaths, state data shows. The hunt is limited to archery during the first three days in October, with guns and archery allowed the second three days. The December segment is limited to guns only.
Hunters are only allowed to bag one bear per segment.
Under a provision in the law, the hunt can be extended into a third December segment if less than 20% of the population is culled. If the hunt rate hits 30%, the hunt will be stopped early.
This year, 24.1% of the available bears were harvested during the 12-day hunt.
The bear hunt has been deeply controversial in New Jersey. Murphy blocked the hunt on state lands between 2018 and 2020, and the hunt was not held at all in 2021. It started late in 2022, when a last-minute move by a judge allowed the hunt to start in the final hours of the second scheduled day.
The hunt will take place through at least 2027, with the set of emergency rules that allow for it expiring before the 2028 hunt. The Fish and Game Council would need to re-authorize the hunt before the 2028 season could commence.
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Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch.
