The first segment of the 2025 New Jersey bear hunt ended with a total slightly below last year's, according to state data released over the weekend.

There were 367 bears killed over the six-day hunt from Oct. 13 to 18, as reported by the state Division of Fish & Wildlife . The total is roughly 90% of the 397 recorded during last year's October hunt , which was the highest mark in nearly a decade.

More than half of the bears killed in the first part of this year's hunt, 185, were in Sussex County, followed by 82 in Warren County and 61 in Morris. The remaining totals were 27 in Passaic, nine in Hunterdon, two in Bergen and one in Somerset.

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The hunt started with 55 bears killed on the first day — a seven-year low for day one that may have been affec

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