Should the Nj Bear season be closed a few years?

[Palawman30]

Is it time to close the North Jersey Bear season a few years? Or maybe time to cut back on the number of tags issued to get those bears?  As you can see the harvest has steadily dropped the last few years. Some will say weather or pressure but the fact remains the same number of tags and bear hunters are still going after them. Anyone have the latest population estimate?

 

2010     592

 

2011-    469

 

2012-    285

 

2013-    235

[Axiom]

Hunter are getting less and less enthused about bear hunting. Spending countless hours year after year pursuing them only to come up empty handed takes the wind out of their sails IMO...

 

I dont know about anywhere else but, bears are definitely on the increase where i live in Morris County.. In fact so much so i MAY for the first time take out a bear permit and bag one next year...

[pinecone1]

No I think the state needs to do away with the bear season during 6 day and open up a archery season for a week for them either spring or early fall

[Axiom]

 

No I think the state needs to do away with the bear season during 6 day and open up a archery season for a week for them either spring or early fall         

 

 

 I pretty much agree pinecone.. I think Palawman is a little off base suggesting fewer tags or closing the season..

[Rutting Buck]

No there are tons of bears out there, but the state needs to have the season earlier (September or October).  Whether they decide to open it with archery I don't care but having the hunt late and the same week as 6 day firearm is part of the problem.

[BHC]

The bear population has dropped, the harvest records proves it. The first few years most of the NJ's bears kind of got caught off guard so to speak, now the bears over the last few years have gotten smarter with less bears. I don't think the season should be stopped, it should be held somewhat earlier, maybe less permits per zone. Nothing will happen in 2014 the hunt will continue as it has the last 4 years, 2015 and beyond is anyone's guess as to what will happen

[Bowhunter444]

Remember bear season is just in place to reduce the population and the declining numbers is proving that it is working. The total nuisance complaints are down from when the first season opened which is another indication that it's also working. I can pretty much tell you now there is almost no chance of an archery bear season happening in this state.

[Rayorsa]

The declining numbers only tell part of the story. Weather killed the opportunities this year. Yes bear numbers are down after 4 consecutive years of hunting, and those bears left know they are being hunted...all things that are supposed to happen in a management plan. Complaints pre hunt were down also...proving the hunt is doing what is intended.

Should the state shut down the bear hunt? That's not going to happen as management needs to continue to take place. If I were to call the next step to encourage an increase in hunter participation and an increase in the bear take, I would expect an earlier start of the season utilizing muzzle loaders.....some time in Late November. 2015 should prove very interesting.

Time will tell.

[BowTechExperience]

I'm definitely in support of an Archery Spring Season. I would schedule a week off and stay at the Forest Motel up in Sussex like I used to when I hunted deer in Walpack.

Not being a gun hunter (not that there is anything wrong with it  ) , I'm biased towards anything archery related.

 

 

C'mon F&G!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Spring Archery Bear Season...... :up: :up: :up:

[thefirstndsecond]

I am sure if people attend the federation meetings they will have accurate information about the population and ways to continue to have a productive hunt while controlling the population.

 

I know in the beginning when I used to go we had biologists and representatives from the meetings there with stats.

[redneck]

No keep it going, Remember this is a control hunt, there are a lot of bears that can not be gotten to, so numbers are most likely where they will be for a while.  I do think they should add a spring hunt if they want numbers to go up.

bear hunting is hard work, the average guy does not want to keep doing it. do it one time then that's it. Just like most that try predator hunting.  so numbers of hunters are low.  second maybe the harvest has a lot to do with the bears getting smart.  lets face it bears make deer look dumb.  a older bear that has lived through the few hunts we have had soon knows what all the people in the woods means just like that big old 5 year old buck.  where I go for the past 3 years we have 6 to 8 bears being seen right up to the Sunday before the season and then disappear. only to show back up next spring, we have one that is easy 500 plus that just disappears. they go nocturnal. last season he was coming out at night well after dark.   also the weather is rough cold  the sows and a lot of bears go to sleep for a little time.  My guess is we will from this point on see 300 + - counts for this season from now on just like we see the same round about averages with the deer harvest every year.  it settles into a average, the easy bears are gone, now it will be the dumb and careless bears taken from this point on.   If they want more bear killed it has to be done in the spring. if they do not want higher numbers it will stay in 6 day.  remember they do not manage for hunting, but use hunting to manage.

Edited December 15, 2013 by redneck

[LittleM]

Because 2014 is the 5th and final year under the current management plan, the following as all moot until 2015, but here goes anyway:  I can't see a reduction in available permits since not all permits are sold.  I can't see a reduction in available permits since the percentage of successful hunters per number of permits that are sold, is relatively low.  I can't see going from a 6-day very late fall to a spring archery bear hunt in one fell swoop.  Optimistically, I would hope for an early/longer season.

[Palawman30]

Bears are notorious for being escape artists.

 

We hunted them 4 solid days in Pa cutting fresh track after fresh track only to have them disappear. I jumped a sow with 2 cubs on the last day of the season and then tracked for over a mile in a driving snowstorm never catching up to them before light disappeared.

Fast forward to a week later while pushing a small patch I had already been in 2 other times before even the day before I get a small 100 lber run right between thefirstnsecond and me cutting back through no more than 20 yards from me.

 

 

Jerseys issue I believe is more to do with season timing than any other factor.

Bears are solely dependent upon available food sources. If the food drys up the bear sows, cubs and young boars will go to sleep for a while. With the season so late it appears that this may be happening to a degree.

I wouldn't mind seeing a early to mid nov. bear hunt.

[jerseyhunter]

Like Axiom said more than enough Bears in Morris co. They just hide during 6 day unless you let a deer lay over night. See them all the time and signs of them during fall Bow.

[CJ3a]

I like the bear hunt during the 6 day season. I like the idea of having a bear tag while deer hunting. Adds some fun to the hunt.