No Avoiding N.J. Bear Hunt It is critical that New Jersey resume hunting to deal with an explosive growth in the black bear population in the state, writes James Ahearn of The Record. Human encounters with bears have become increasingly common this year in the Garden State, but hunting as a solution has been met with opposition. “Without hunting, the bear population will continue to increase, and quite rapidly. The distraught opposition here is not matched in Pennsylvania and New York. In both, an annual bear hunt is an accepted part of rural life, prompting no intervention by governors or courts,” writes Ahearn. In 2003, the state held its first bear hunt in over 30 years, which reduced the bear population and the number of bear-human incidents.