Total number of animals taken this year closing in on 500 Watch video
FREDON -- Just three bears were killed Thursday, the second day of a four-day extension of the state's annual bear hunt, the Department of Environmental Protection reported.
The total number of black bears killed as of the hunt's eighth day stood at 492. The take on Thursday, when there were heavy rains throughout much of the state, was the lowest daily tally of the 2015 firearms season.
The hunt was originally scheduled in several counties, mostly in the north and west, from Dec. 7 through Dec. 12. Wildlife officials added four more days, beginning Wednesday, when totals fell short of what the state had hoped for.
Two of the animals Thursday were killed in Sussex County and the third was taken in Passaic.
The hunt was re-introduced in 2010, a year when 592 animals were harvested, the highest total reached ever since. The following year, 469 animals were killed, while in 2012 287 animals were harvested. The totals for 2013 and 2014 were 251 and 272 respectively, according to state figures.