New Jersey
New Jersey’s week-long black bear hunt begins Monday
SUSSEX COUNTY, N.J. – New Jersey’s controversial week-long black bear hunt began Monday.
Officials from the Department of Environmental Protection say the regulated hunt is necessary to control the state’s growing bear population.
While black bear sightings have been confirmed statewide, the DEP says the best environment for bear habitats is primarily in Sussex, Passaic, Warren and Morris counties.
At the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County, hunters began bringing in their kills. Bears were weighed to make sure hunters follow state regulations, which prohibit taking bears weighing less than 75 pounds.
“Animals will get infected and die. [Chronic wasting disease] is killing deer. If we don’t harvest them and keep them in control, they are going to go extinct,” one hunter said.
Fish and Wildlife officials said the hunt is needed to protect residents and manage New Jersey’s bear population, which is estimated to be at around 4,000.
Officials say dangerous human-bear encounters increased by more than 200% between January and October 2022 compared to the year before.
“Lots of times it’s associated with pets. Pet interacts with bears, human tries to intervene,” NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Assistant Commissioner David Golden said. “Then they find themselves where they’re now interacting with the bear.”
Animal rights group call the hunt inhumane.
“It’s a recreational trophy hunt for rugs, wall mounts, foot stools – that’s all it is,” Doreen Frega of the Animal Protection League of New Jersey said.
She wants residents to be “bear smart.”
“They need to be able to take their bird feeders away. They need to control their garbage. They need to have bear resistant containers,” Frega said.
The DEP says the hunted bears have to be eaten, and the hunt is limited to archery for the first three days, with muzzle loaders added on Thursday. The hunt is just one part of the state’s bear management program, the DEP says.
“We have a large education campaign that helps promote safety and proper behavior around bears,” Golden said.
The hunt ends on Saturday. The next one begins in early December, when hunters will be able to use firearms. DEP officials said if they don’t reach a 30% harvest rate by the end of the December hunt, it will be extended by four days, which happened last year.
This year, 4,200 permits have been issued.
This story originally appeared on 6abc.
Bear hunting season has begun in New Jersey – a controversial decision that state officials say is intended to curb the population of black bears interacting with humans.
Segment A of bear hunting season began on Monday and will last through Oct. 19, with the first three days open for bowhunters only. The final three days, from Oct. 17-19, will be open for bowhunters and muzzleloader rifles, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJFW).
For Segment B of black bear season, lasting Dec. 9-14, bear hunting will be permitted in New Jersey for shotgun and muzzleloader rifles only, according to the NJFW. Hunting hours during both segments begin 30 minutes before sunrise and end 30 minutes after sunset.
Hunters are limited to one bear over 75 pounds – or 50 pounds dressed – per segment, regardless of the number of permits the hunter holds, according to the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Hunters are not permitted to harvest black bears weighing less than 75 pounds live or 50 pounds dressed, nor can they hunt any adult bears in the presence of cubs.
The NJFW also said they may close the season early or extend it, depending on the number of bears harvested.
If the cumulative harvest rate reaches 30% of bears tagged in 2024, the season will be closed, according to the division. If the harvest rate doesn’t reach 20% for the period, the hunt will be extended to Dec. 18-Dec. 21.
This year marks the third opening of bear hunting season in New Jersey since 2022, when the NJFW’s Fish and Game Council voted unanimously to reinstate the state’s annual bear hunt, citing a significant increase in bear sightings around the state.
Animal conservationists criticized the decision at the time, telling ABC News that the measure wouldn’t lead to a decrease in human and bear interactions.
“New Jersey’s reactive bear management approach is ineffective, as it focuses on managing the bears, not managing the source of the problem,” Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey director of the Sierra Club, said in a statement in December 2023, after the bear hunting season was extended.
The black bear population in New Jersey has been increasing and expanding its range since the 1980s, with sightings in all 21 counties in the state, according to the NJFW.
In 2020, there were more than 3,150 black bears in the region north of Interstate 78 and west of Interstate 287 alone, a roughly 30% increase from the 2019 estimated population of 2,208 for the same region, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), which further notes that the population is expected to grow to 4,000 bears by 2027.
Two New Jersey lottery players took home $200,000 recently playing $5 scratch-off tickets.
A ticket purchased at John’s Liquors & Deli on Devon Street in Kearny won $200K playing the $5 Triple Golden Cherries Scratch-Off game, the New Jersey Lottery posted on social media Monday.
Another $200K was hit playing $5 20X Cash Blitz Scratch-Off game at the Acme supermarkert on Newman-Springs Road in Lincroft (Monmouth County), the lottery posted on Sunday.
“Keep scratching, NJ!” the NJ Lottery proclaimed in one post.
The New Jersey Lottery offers a variety of scratch-off games from $1 to $30 with top prizes from $500 to $4 million.
More: Detour and patience turns into $1 million win for New Jersey lottery player
Gambling too much? You can get help by calling 1800-GAMBLER or clicking on www.800gambler.org
2-minute read
NJ elections: How to register to vote in New Jersey
With Primary Election Day and Election Day coming up, here is everything you need to know about registering to vote in New Jersey.
Miguel Fernandez, NorthJersey.com
New Jersey voters will elect representatives for Congress in all 12 congressional districts in Nov. 5’s general election.
Here is a look at who is running in New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District:
NJ Congressional District 8
Democratic candidate: Rep. Rob Menendez*
Republican candidate: Anthony Valdes
What to know
The district includes part of Newark, Elizabeth and 11 towns in Hudson County.
Menendez, 38, was first elected in 2022. Before being elected, he was a lawyer and a member of the board of commissioners at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He has two children.
Valdes, 43, is a building inspector for the state’s Department of Community Affairs.
The district voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and for Biden in 2020.
*Asterisk denotes incumbent.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
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