Bear Hunt Kills Down From 2010

State officials say New Jersey's second state-sanctioned bear hunt resulted in 128 fewer kills than a year ago.

The state Department of Environmental Protection says 464 bears were killed during the six-day hunt in northern New Jersey that ended Saturday. The 2010 hunt yielded 592 bruins. More than half the bears were killed last Monday, on the hunt's first day.

DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese says preliminary examination of the bears shows they are healthy overall and appear to be thriving on the acorns and berries found in the northwestern part of the state.

State wildlife researchers will spend the next several weeks taking blood, hair and DNA samples to learn more about migration and feeding patterns.

New Jersey is estimated to have about 3,400 black bears within its borders.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)