In a stunning reversal, Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) reinstated the black bear hunt after banning it several years ago.
Due to a 237% increase in bear-related incidents, Murphy—who aggressively campaigned against black bear hunting in 2017—conceded bear management is necessary to address this growing problem.
The New Jersey Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted to reinstate the season, citing this spike in human-bear conflicts. This action will amend the current Game Code and adopt a new Comprehensive Black Bear Management Plan (CBBMP) to reduce human-bear conflicts.
“The facts on the ground have shown that we cannot rely on nonlethal methods alone to protect New Jersey residents from a growing black bear population,” Governor Murphy said in an official statement. “Today’s actions will facilitate the reinstatement of a regulated black bear hunt this year to help limit dangerous interactions between people and bears to protect public safety.”
The highly-regulated hunt will commence on December 5th and end on December 10th, 2022. A total of 11,000 black bear permits “will be available to properly licensed hunters and farmer hunters” per NJ’s wildlife agency.