NJ black bear hunt: Officials post day 1 death count

🏹 NJ has opened the first of 2 hunting segments for black bears

🏹 Hunting is underway in 8 counties

🏹 Officials expect hundreds of bears to be harvested by the end of 2024

In Sussex County alone, 36 black bears were killed in New Jersey on the first day of the hunting season, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The bowhunting portion of the black bear hunt kicked off on Monday, to reduce the population of the species in the Garden State.

According to NJDEP, 90 black bears were harvested on Monday. The department updates its statistics daily.

Hunting is underway in eight counties: Sussex, Warren, Passaic, Morris, Bergen, Hunterdon, Somerset, and Mercer.

Bears harvested by county on Oct. 14:

⚫ Sussex: 36

⚫ Warren: 25

⚫ Morris: 23

⚫ Passaic: 3

⚫ Hunterdon: 2

⚫ Bergen: 1

⚫ Somerset: 0

⚫ Mercer: 0

NJ bear hunt rules

The first three days of the controversial hunt are open to bowhunters only. Starting Thursday, hunters with muzzleloader rifles can join in.

"Segment B" of the black bear hunting season in New Jersey will occur from Dec. 9 to 14, for shotgun/muzzleloader users only.

Legal hunting hours run from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset.

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According to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, hunters are limited to one bear over 75 pounds (or 50 pounds dressed) per segment, regardless of the number of permits the hunter holds.

Hunters are prohibited from killing an adult black bear that's in the presence of cubs.

State officials expect about 500 bears to be harvested across the two hunting segments this year.

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