Black Bear Management and Nuisance Abatement

DIVISION: Fish and Wildlife
GENERAL PHONE NUMBER: (908) 735- 8793
FAX NUMBER: (908) 735-6161
WEB SITE

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) is responsible for the management of the state's black bear population. As part of this management, DFW assists local governments and residents with any questions or concerns they may have about the black bears in their community. This is done via the telephone, educational programs or on-site visits. In cases where bears are becoming a nuisance or pose a threat to public safety, the division does assist in controlling these issues through a variety of trapping and aversive conditioning techniques. The division also assists in removing wayward bears from urban settings when they become confined and unable to extract themselves from the town. In addition, training is offered for local police officers, which focuses on basic bear biology and management practices as well as how to handle nuisance bear activity within their community. The officers are also trained to aversively condition bears and euthanize them if the need should arise.

MONETARY ASSISTANCE PROVIDED:

None

PERMITTING RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE:

The DFW web site has a number of publications that can be downloaded. These publications range from basic bear information in pamphlet form to nuisance bear report forms.