HuntingNet.com Forums - 2003 NJ Bear Season Results

There's also a 24 page report in PDF format on the Fish and Game website if you have some time to kill. The way its looking, thats about all you'll be killing this year, time.

2003 NJ Black Bear Hunting Season Results

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's
Division of Fish and Wildlife, a total legal harvest of 328 black bears
were taken during the 2003 Black Bear Hunting Season that was scheduled torun concurrently with the 6-Day Firearm Buck Season, December 8-13. Bears were harvested in five of the seven counties open to black bear hunting.

Sussex County led the harvest with a total of 233 bears, followed by 48
bears in Warren County, 26 bears in Passaic County, 20 in Morris County,
and one bear in Bergen County. These results were expected by Division
biologists, based on land area and bear density. Hunters recorded bear
harvests in 36 of the 105 municipalities open to black bear hunting with
Vernon Township, Sussex County tallying the highest with 38 bears taken.

More than 80% of hunters utilized a shotgun to harvest their bear. Of the
bears harvested, 137 (42%) were taken on private property, 117 (36%) onstate property, 50 (15%) on federal property and 24 (7%) on county or
municipal land.

The average field-dressed weight of females over one year old was 190
pounds with a range of 99 to 350 pounds. The largest adult female bear hadan estimated live weight of 413 pounds (350 pounds dressed) and was taken in Frelinghuysen Township, Warren County. The average field dressed weight of male bears over one year old was 299 pounds with a range of 116 to 573 pounds. The largest adult male had an estimated live weight of 675 pounds (573 pounds dressed) and was taken in Green Township, Sussex County.

No hunting accidents were reported during the entire season.