What is New Jerseys historical bear population and how has it changed over time?
A. Prior to European settlement, bears were numerous and occurred throughout the entire state. By 1900, settlers had practically eliminated New Jersey’s black bears by clearing nearly all the state’s forests for lumber, fuel and agriculture, and by killing bears indiscriminately as “vermin”. As a result of the protection provided by “game animal” status, population increases in Pennsylvania and New York, and forest maturation providing improved habitat, NJ black bear numbers have been increasing and their range expanding since the 1980s. Q. Was the black bear always a game animal in New Jersey? A. No. The Division and the Fish and Game Council have managed black bears as a game animal since 1953. A black bear hunting season for New Jersey was established in 1958. Q. Weren’t black bear numbers kept low in New Jersey through extensive hunting? A. No. The population remained small throughout most of the 20th century due to limited amounts of suitable habitat. There were legal hunting seas
