So looks like I'm drawing a blank this year... First year I've never seen a bear during bear season... Last year I passed on 5 or 6... For having a bear population that is growing in leaps and bounds, you would think this is strange... However lack of bear activity during the past fall and early hibernation can be attributed to one thing: LACK OF NATURAL FOOD... There were no acorns,beech nuts etc. this year... You could not find a single acorn in any of the Northern Jersey woodlands... Therefore when a bear uses more energy to find food than he gets out of it, his body automatically shuts down... Similar to your driving 20 straight hours without sleep, eventually you fall asleep at wheel... So totals for the second half of the season were 68 bears harvested, bringing the grand total for the 2 segments to 404 bears harvested.... I'm sure the state will extend it another 4 days next week, however with a major snowstorm predicted for Wed. I doubt many more will be harvested.... But it is a good time to take a walk and if you cut a fresh set of tracks, get on them and follow, eventually you may catch up....
It was fun while it lasted, but with Denture Man at the helm, it could be our last bear hunt for awhile..
