
And, in New Jersey ...
Christian Davidson, an 11-year-old from Kearny, shot his first bear yesterday, according to the Jersey Journal.
The young boy has been accompanying family members on hunts since he was 6 years old and obtained his youth hunting license last year. "He's been shooting for a while now," said his father, Lawrence Davidson. "He can handle a shotgun and rifle pretty well."
Using a 12-gauge shotgun, Christian shot a 200-pound, 31/2-year-old female black bear shortly after 8 a.m. in Jefferson Township, about 43 miles west of Hudson County, reports say.
The kill was recorded about an hour after New Jersey kicked off a six-day bear hunt in seven counties. State officials estimate there are 3,400 bears in New Jersey, double the population from 2001. Officials expect the hunt to remove as many as 700 animals.