The New Jersey Supreme Court has effectively ended the chance there will be a bear hunt this year in the state. The decision came earlier this week when the high court ruled against three hunting groups that wanted to overturn a decision made by Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson to cancel the hunt, which had been scheduled to begin Monday. Some questions and answers about the issue: Q: Why did the commissioner decide to cancel the hunt? A: Jackson was asked by Gov. Jon S. Corzine to review the state’s “Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy,” which was approved in 2005 and included the controversial hunt. After reviewing the policy, the commissioner rejected it, saying it didn’t include enough non-lethal methods of dealing with black bears such as educating the public about how to contain their garbage so as not to attract the bruins. Q: What did the state Supreme Court decide? A: Since it often takes a long time for a case to wind its way through the courts, the hunting groups asked the courts to give them an emergency ruling so that a hunt could go forward this December. The Supreme Court rejected their plea, effectively ending the chance for a black bear hunt in New Jersey this year. However, the overall lawsuit brought by the hunting groups will still go forward. Jackson also said there are still some outstanding legal issues. Q: How many bears live in New Jersey? A: There are varying figures on how many bears call New Jersey home. Previous estimates have put the number at anywhere between 1,600 and 3,200. John Watson, deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, declined Wednesday to give a current estimate on the bears’ numbers. He said state biologists are studying the issue to determine how many bears there are in the state. Q: What’s the history of bear hunting in the state? A: New Jersey stopped allowing black bear hunting in 1970 because the bears’ numbers had dropped so low about 100 were believed to be left in the state. The bears began to rebound and a hunt was held in 2003 and another in 2005. Q: How many bears have been killed in hunts? A: In 2003, 328 bears were killed. In 2005, hunters killed 298. Q: Why does this issue keep going to the courts? A: People both for and against the bear hunt have extremely strong feelings on whether one should be held. Both the 2003 and 2005 hunts spawned lawsuits and a hunt that was scheduled for 2004 was called off days before it was to be held when the state Supreme Court ruled that New Jersey had to come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the bears. Q: Who wants the bear hunt and who doesn’t? A: Hunting groups, the New Jersey Farm Bureau and many legislators from the northwestern part of the state support a hunt. Many environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and animal welfare groups, such as the Bear Education and Resource Group and the Humane Society, oppose it. Q: Does New Jersey have a problem with black bears? A: In the 1970s and 1980s, when residents in northwestern New Jersey saw a bear, it was considered a novelty. Now they’ve become almost commonplace and in some instances a downright nuisance. Bears are omnivores and will eat just about anything. They’ve been known to kill livestock, forage through trash containers, empty birdfeeders and break into cars and houses to get to food. Q: Has anyone been hurt by bears? A: No one in New Jersey has been killed by a bear and black bear attacks on humans are rare. Three years ago a West Milford man was bitten and clawed after he tried to rescue his dog from a bear. In another incident last year a camper at High Point State Park was bit in the leg by a 142-pound bear that was later killed by a state biologist. Q: Is hunting the only way to control the number of bears in the state? A: That depends on who’s talking. Hunting groups argue that the only way to control the bears’ numbers is to have an annual hunt. They say bear birth control is too expensive and not effective. People opposed to the hunt say the biggest problem is garbage. If people control the bears’ access to garbage using bear-proof containers and only putting out garbage the morning it’s picked up then the animals won’t equate houses with an easy meal. Hunt opponents say that when it comes to pregnancy, female bears self-regulate, meaning if there’s not a lot of food around they’ll have fewer cubs. Q: How many other states have bear hunts? A: Twenty-eight states, including neighboring New York and Pennsylvania, currently allow bear hunting in some form.