Gov. Phil Murphy: 2020 Bear Hunt May Be NJ's Last

NEW JERSEY - Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday said that New Jersey's bear hunt may be finished now that the state Fish and Game Council has proposed an amendment that will suspend it at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

“This means, drum roll, that the 2020 bear hunt – already limited to a few days in October and December and, pursuant to my 2018 executive order, not permitted on state lands – will be the last bear hunt under my administration,” Murphy said during Monday's COVID-19 briefing.

The New Jersey Fish and Game Council has proposed an amendment to the Game Code that will:

• Suspend the bear hunt following the conclusion of the 2020 season
• Remove the current Comprehensive Black Bear Management Police from the Game Code

While campaigning for governor, Murphy said he would work to stop the bear hunt and while he hasn't done so, he has curtailed it. He signed an executive order directing the state Department of Environmental Protection to close all public lands it oversees to bear hunting in 2018. That included all state forests, parks, recreation areas, historic sites, and State Wildlife Management Areas.

Last year, nearly 100 bears were killed on the first day of the hunt, more than double the 42 that were killed on the first day of the hunt in 2018. Nearly half of the bears were killed in Sussex County, although exact towns were not available. The five "hunting zones" where the bear hunt is conducted cover Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, and some of Bergen and Passaic counties. Hunters may kill one bear per hunt and no more than two each year.

During the first three days of the hunt, hunters are limited to bows and arrows. Rifles and archers are allowed on the last three days of the fall hunt, which wraps up on Friday.

An additional firearms-only hunt will take place in mid-December.

Murphy does not have the ability to unilaterally cancel a bear hunt. In order for a hunt to be stopped, the state Legislature must act or the Fish and Game Council must adopt new regulations that not include provisions for a hunt.

Murphy said Monday that suspending the bear hunt allows the Council and Department of Environmental Protection to engage in a thorough and complete review of current scientific data in developing a new black bear policy that promotes public safety and welfare while protecting important wildlife with a focus on non-lethal bear-management techniques.

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