The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters that over-the-counter sale of leftover and unclaimed black bear hunting permits will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 21. Hunters can possess two permits each for a different zone - but the bag limit is still one bear.

A total of 10,000 black bear hunting permits, allocated by black bear hunting areas, were initially available to properly licensed hunters and farmer hunters. The numbers of permits which will be available when the OTC sale begins are as follows:

Bear Hunting Area 1:    328
Bear Hunting Area 2: 1,729
Bear Hunting Area 3: 1,817
Bear Hunting Area 4: 1,286

A current, valid NJ Firearm or All-around Hunting License is required to purchase a permit. Sales will continue until the season ends or the permit quota is reached. There is a non-refundable processing fee of $2.00 per permit.

Permits can be purchased online at https://nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales or at license agents. If a hunter wishes to purchase two permits they must be purchased in two separate transactions - we apologize for this inconvenience. Those purchasing permits online need to allow sufficient time for the mailed permits to arrive (up to 7-10 business days) or pay for expedited shipping.

NOTE: It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that their purchase is for the correct area(s). All permit sales are final, with no exceptions.