The November Full Moon is called by some people the Deer Rutting Moon and you may have seen signs or news stories about being extra careful driving during this time. Though deer are very much a part of rural and suburban life in New Jersey, increasingly so are black bears.
On June 21, 2021, New Jersey's Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy (CBBMP) expired, and as such, there is no black bear hunt in 2021. In accordance with the Supreme Court ruling on September 27, 2007, no black bear hunt may occur without a properly-promulgated CBBMP proposed by the New Jersey Fish and Game Council and approved by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
This time of year is also the time when black bears in our state are feeding at an intense rate in preparation for hibernation. In many areas of our state, food in garbage cans is the easiest source for bears. Intentionally feeding bears is illegal in the state and can result in fines up to $1000. But unintentional feeding by leaving out food waste in containers that bears can easily access can lead to unintended encounters with humans and property damage.
You should report nuisance or aggressive bears and damage to local police, and the state's Wildlife Control Unit 908-735-8793 or the 24-hour DEP Hotline 1-877-927-6337
Black bears are the largest land mammal in New Jersey. Since the 1980s, our black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey's counties.
The American black bear is native to New Jersey. Prior to European settlement, black bears lived in forested regions throughout the state, but as towns grew, loss of habitat and indiscriminate killing caused the black bear population to sharply decline throughout the 1800s. In 1953, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council classified the black bear as a game animal, affording it protection from indiscriminate killing.
Today, bear management includes research, monitoring, non-lethal and lethal control of problem bears, public education on how to coexist with bears, enforcement of laws designed to reduce bear-related conflicts, and bear population control.
Attacks on humans by black bears are rare, especially in NJ, but they do occur throughout black bear habitat in North America. In September 2014, a fatal predatory black bear attack occurred in West Milford, Passaic County, resulting in the death of a 22-year old male. It is the first documented bear fatality in New Jersey's history.
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