Latest NJ bear reports show increases in incidents statewide

Encounters between black bears and humans, as reflected in calls to the Department of Environmental Protection, continued to show significant increases in the latest monthly reports from the department with Sussex County having a 187% increase this year, compared to last.

However, the report shows that incident reports from Morris County had a 320% increase in the period from Jan. 1-Nov. 21; Hunterdon County went up 120%; Somerset up more than 60%; and Middlesex more than doubled.

With the exception of Hudson County — home to Jersey City and flush against the Hudson River — every county in New Jersey has had at least one reported black bear incident since Jan. 1. In 2021, Hudson County had one incident, but this year Salem and even Cape May counties had reported incidents where they had none last year. And, with the exception of Essex County (18 reports in 2021, 13 this year), every county in New Jersey had an increase in incidents reported to the state.

Not included in the state's monthly reports are those calls received and handled by local police departments and the State Police in areas where troopers are the prime law enforcement agency.

On a statewide basis, the most recent report showed 2,156 incident reports from Jan. 1 through Nov. 21 this year, just over triple the 712 reported last year.

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For the month from Oct. 20-Nov. 21, there were 11 counties with reported incidents this year, compared with just eight last year. The state categorizes black bear encounters in one of three levels of seriousness, ranging from attacks on humans, serious property damage and livestock kills to least serious, such as sightings of both live and dead bears, urban bears (those seen in highly human-populated areas) and vehicle strikes.

In a report as part of the state's response to a lawsuit filed in early December to halt this year's bear hunt, DEP assistant commissioner Dave Golden, who heads the Division of Fish and Wildlife, said the number of Category I and II incidents correlates to the increase in bear population and how the number of bears in an area is increasing from northwestern New Jersey southward across the state.

Golden's report also included comparison maps of the state showing how the number of complaints has increased southward with that bear population expansion. "There is a strong correlation between Category I and II complaints and (bear) population growth."

What can be done to curb bear incidents?

"A managed, well regulated, immediate and successful bear hunt is the only feasible way to reduce the black bear population ahead of bears entering their winter dens and the population increasing yet again in latewinter-early spring 2023," Golden wrote in his report to the court.

He also noted that a spring bear hunt is not reasonable for New Jersey and noted: "Population growth for black bears is exponential, and black bears in New Jersey are some of the most productive in the country, with an average litter size of 2.7 cubs, with a first-year cub survivorship of 70%."

The state won the court case, filed by anti-hunting and animal welfare groups, and Segment B (shotgun season) went on from Dec. 7-10, four days of what was to have been a six-day hunt, cut short because of the court case. During that four-day hunt, a total of 93 bears were killed.

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The purpose of the hunt is to obtain a "harvest rate" of between 20-30% of the estimated black bear population within the area where black bear hunting is allowed. Because the harvest rate was only about 6%, a supplemental hunt was scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday of this week.

In addition to a scheduled hunt, designed to slow the rate of black bear population increase, Golden said the department is also encouraging better trash management and enforcing the garbage and trash-handling laws on the books.

In New Jersey, mandating so-called "bear proof" garbage cans must be handled on the local municipal level. Past efforts to require those containers have fallen flat. There are some regulations for commercial haulers and businesses which conservation police officers enforce.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: New Jersey reports bear encounters tripled since 2021