The 2018 Black Bear Season was held during two segments: the archery/muzzleloader Segment A October 8-13 and the firearm Segment B December 3-8. Segment B was extended for four days the following week, December 12-15, when the harvest rate objective of 20% was not met. A total of 225 bears were harvested. Summaries of the harvest by Bear Hunting Zone and county are provided below. Sex, age and class data are available as well.
Hunters were required to check all harvested bears at check stations staffed by Division of Fish and Wildlife personnel. Data, including sex, weight and size were collected, and a tooth was extracted for aging by Matson's Lab, a wildlife laboratory offering cementum (tooth) aging.
The document linked below provides sex, age and class information on harvested bears. The bears are listed according to the number on the Possession Seal attached to each bear's ear at the check station. The seal numbers are listed numerically. Tooth ages marked N/A are the result of the lab being unable to determine an exact age due to various reasons:
2018 Black Bear Harvest Data (pdf, 90kb)
For more information on the black bear hunting season in New Jersey, visit the Black Bear Season Information page; for information on black bears in the state, visit the Know the Bear Facts page.
Summaries of the harvest by Bear Hunting Zone and county are provided below.
Black Bear Harvest by Bear Hunting Zone
| Bear Hunting Zone |
Bears Harvested in Segment A, 2018 |
Segment A Total |
Bears Harvested in Segment B, 2018 |
Segment B Total |
Season Total |
| 10/8 |
10/9 |
10/10 |
10/11 |
10/12 |
10/13 |
12/3 |
12/4 |
12/5 |
12/6 |
12/7 |
12/8 |
|
12/12 |
12/13 |
12/14 |
12/15 |
| Zone 1 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
6 |
34 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
56 |
| Zone 2 |
20 |
14 |
4 |
3 |
16 |
13 |
70 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
31 |
99 |
| Zone 3 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
27 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
22 |
49 |
| Zone 4 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
21 |
| Zone 5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
42 |
22 |
11 |
10 |
34 |
21 |
140 |
16 |
15 |
6 |
8 |
11 |
14 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
85 |
225 |
Harvested Bears
Tagged This Year |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
17 |
Cumulative Harvest Rate*
|
4.2% |
5.8% |
5.8% |
5.8% |
7.5% |
9.2% |
9.2% |
10.8% |
10.8% |
11.7% |
11.7% |
12.5% |
13.3% |
13.3% |
13.3% |
13.3% |
14.2% |
5.0% |
14.2% |
*Based On 120 Tagged Bears Available for Harvest
Black Bear Harvest by County
| County |
Bears Harvested in Segment A, 2018 |
Segment A Total |
Bears Harvested in Segment B, 2018 |
Segment B Total |
Season Total |
| 10/8 |
10/9 |
10/10 |
10/11 |
10/12 |
10/13 |
12/3 |
12/4 |
12/5 |
12/6 |
12/7 |
12/8 |
|
12/12 |
12/13 |
12/14 |
12/15 |
| Sussex |
19 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
23 |
12 |
78 |
6 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
46 |
124 |
| Warren |
8 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
31 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
21 |
52 |
| Passaic |
7 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
10 |
23 |
| Morris |
8 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
16 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
22 |
| Bergen |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Hunterdon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| Somerset |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Mercer |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
42 |
22 |
11 |
10 |
34 |
21 |
140 |
16 |
15 |
6 |
8 |
11 |
14 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
85 |
225 |
Back to Bear Hunting Season Information
