NEW JERSEY — New Jersey wildlife officials have released updated harvest figures following the four-day extension of the state’s December black bear hunting season, showing the statewide total increased to 466 bears.
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife reopened the hunt from Dec. 17 through Dec. 20 for shotgun and muzzleloader hunters after harvest goals tied to public safety and population management were not fully met during the regular season.
According to updated data, hunters harvested an additional 12 bears during the extension period, raising the overall total from 454 to 466 bears statewide.
Segment A of the 2025 hunt, held Oct. 13 through Oct. 18, accounted for 368 bears statewide. Segment B, which ran from Dec. 8 through Dec. 13, resulted in 86 bears harvested. The four-day extension added another 12 bears.
Sussex County again recorded the highest overall harvest, with 230 bears taken during the season, including 45 during Segment B and the extension period. Warren County followed with 125 bears, including 43 during Segment B and the extension. Morris County recorded 65 bears, Passaic County 29, Hunterdon County 14, Bergen County two and Somerset County one. No bears were harvested in Mercer County.
During the extension alone, Sussex County accounted for seven bears, Warren County for five, while no additional bears were taken in the remaining counties.
State officials said the extension was authorized under existing regulations that allow additional hunting days when management objectives are not achieved during scheduled segments.
