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Dec 11, 2005 11:43 pm US/Eastern
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N.J. Hunters Killed At Least 297 Bears During Hunt
TRENTON (AP) ―
Government officials said 297 black bears were killed during a state-sanctioned hunt to thin their numbers although that number could increase slightly.
The six-day season started last Monday and ended Saturday evening. Hunters who killed a bear Saturday evening may still be bringing the dead animals to stations where the bruins are weighed and inspected.
"A few hunters may have killed a bear late last night and not gotten them to a check station until late last night or this morning," said Karen Hershey, a spokeswoman for the state's environmental protection department.
The state's second black bear hunt in 35 years came up short of the 328 bears killed during the last hunt in 2003. Officials said snowy weather and the fact that fewer hunters registered to take part in the hunt were to blame for the lower numbers.
State authorities say the hunt is needed because the number of bear-related complaints in the northwest of the state keeps growing. But animal rights groups and some environmentalists tried to block the hunt, saying the state needs to do more to keep the bruins away from populated areas like implementing stricter garbage control standards.
(© 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)