The 2013 Black Bear Hunting Season, held December 8-13, 2013, resulted in a total legal harvest of 251 black bears. The season was held concurrently with the 6-Day Firearm Deer Season and was open in the area north of Rt. I-78 and west of Rt. I-287.
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 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. A blank weight category indicates the bear was not dressed and its live weight was recorded. Tooth ages marked N/A are the result of the lab being unable to determine an exact age due to various reasons.
2013 Black Bear Harvest Data (pdf, 95kb)
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.