Autumn Bear Encounters

When can you see a bear in new Jersey? Well, almost any time of the year, but the best chance to see an active bear is September, October and early November. Bears are most active during this period, preparing for winter.

The American black bear is native to New Jersey. Prior to European settlement black bears lived in forested regions throughout the state. As European settlement progressed, forests were cleared for towns, farming and lumber. Black bears were killed indiscriminately by settlers to protect their crops and livestock. 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. Limited hunting was legal for black bear until 1971 when the Council, based on an assessment by Fish and Wildlife biologists, closed the hunting season.

Fish and Wildlife biologists began conducting research on New Jersey’s black bears in 1980. Over the years, the Garden State’s black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. The population has grown due to increased black bear habitat as agricultural land reverted to mature forests, protection afforded by game animal status, and bears dispersing into New Jersey from increasing populations in Pennsylvania and New York. Additionally, the state’s black bears have some of the largest litters and highest reproductive rates in the nation. Today, black bears can be found throughout the state.

Black bears are not true hibernators and may be active all year long. 

During the winter, black bears enter a state of winter dormancy called torpor. While in the state of torpor their heart rate and respiratory rate slow and their body temperature slightly drops, but not as much as in true hibernators (such as those chipmunks and woodchucks in your backyard). They live off of their body fat, which is metabolized to produce the calories and water that they need to survive. They generally lose between eighteen percent (18%) and twenty percent (20%) of their body fat while in their dens and they are able to maintain their bone and muscle mass. While in torpor black bears are capable of being easily awakened if disturbed and they may leave their dens on mild winter days in search of food.

Black bears begin entering their winter dens in the fall to avoid periods of food shortage and severe weather. Impregnated females typically enter dens first, during the last week in October. Males may not enter dens until December. Den sites generally include ground nests, excavation sites, brush piles, hollow trees, rock cavities and sometimes beneath houses and other buildings. The den sites are typically small in size to retain body heat and ensure that black bears stay well insulated.

In Fiscal Year 2022, Fish and Wildlife enhanced and expanded nonlethal bear management strategies to reduce the number of human interactions with bears. DEP dedicated $1.5 million to hire additional conservation officers for bear management, to train local officials and to increase public education and outreach, among other enhancements.

More information at dep.nj.gov/njfw/bears/