New Jersey’s Black Bear Season Underway

Effectively, a day and a half was misplaced due to authorized maneuvers by varied animal rights teams that precipitated a halt to the already-approved December 5-10 hunt by way of a call by State Appellate Division choose Lisa Rose final week.

Nonetheless, after reviewing authorized briefs submitted by mentioned organizations and New Jersey DEP’s Fish & Wildlife, she, together with State Appellate Division choose Carmen Messano, dominated Tuesday that the hunt might proceed.

Little question the Backyard State gives among the greatest, primarily based on its measurement, searching alternatives for black bears within the northeast and, from this nook, most certainly one of the best.

Actually, the Pope & Younger archery world document was taken with bow and arrow in 2019 on personal land in Morris County by Jeff Melillo and authorized in 2020. It weighed 700-pounds and had a cranium measurement of 23-5/16.

There are 5 bear searching zones in northern New Jersey. Along with personal property, all state lands, together with wildlife administration areas (WMAs) and state parks and forests, in addition to federal properties together with the Delaware Water Hole Nationwide Recreation Space, and varied county and municipal properties and recreation areas, and pure areas are open if searching is allowed.

The bear searching zones map is accessible at www.njfishandwildlife.com.

The hunt will lengthen by way of half an hour after sundown Saturday, December 10. Within the occasion that the administration purpose of 20% tagged bruins isn’t met, there will likely be a further three days of searching, Wednesday, December 14 by way of Saturday, December 17.

Bear searching permits ($2) can be found by way of the aforementioned website or at license-issuing brokers. Two permits might be bought, however the season restrict is one bear at least 75-pounds dwell weight or 50-pounds dressed weight.

Solely these holding permits who didn’t harvest a bear throughout the first week will likely be eligible to hunt throughout the extension.

It is a shotgun (10-12-16 and 20 gauge; slugs solely; adjustable sight required) and muzzleloader (single shot; not lower than .44 caliber) hunt. If searching with the latter, a legitimate rifle allow have to be in possession.

Along with the scale restrictions, there are a number of new legal guidelines governing the hunt. These embrace the prohibition of capturing an grownup bear touring with cubs lower than 75-pounds, and possessing a loaded firearm inside 300 toes of a baited space. Be aware: baiting on federal lands is prohibited.

Upon downing, a bruin, affix the tag and get it gutted as quickly as potential (reproductive organs should stay intact). By regulation it may be quartered however mentioned organs and tag should stay with the carcass.

Any bear harvested have to be taken to one of many necessary test stations. These embrace the Pequest Trout Hatchery (605 Pequest Street, Oxford/Warren County); Inexperienced Pond Golf Course (765 Inexperienced Pond Street, Rt. 513, Rockaway/Morris County); the Black River WMA (275 North Street, Chester/Morris County)*; the Flatbrook-Roy WMA (Walpack Street, Rt. 615/Sussex County) and the Whittingham WMA (148 Freedom-Sprindale Street, Newton/Sussex County). Hours are noon-7 pm. (*The Black River WMA test station will likely be open on December 10 solely).

If it’s too late to convey it to a test station, telephone the DEP’s northern area regulation enforcement workplace at (908) 735-8240.

By all means, get ice within the carcass and get it to a butcher as quickly as potential. Bear meat is scrumptious however, owing to the winter fats layer, can spoil rapidly if the carcass isn’t skinned and refrigerated. Two well-known institutions that pores and skin, butcher and wrap bruin cuts are Tom the Butcher (193 Concord Brass Citadel Street, Washington/Warren County), and Sport Butchers LLC (1221 NJ-31 southbound, Lebanon/Hunterdon County).