There were 55 reported incidents last year of bears breaking into New Jersey homes.
Of this year's complaints, there were 40 instances of bears breaking into homes, and 19 attempted break-ins.
Among the reported problems were 29 bears breaking into homes, up from 3 in 1995, and 28 bears rummaging around campgrounds and parks, up from 5 in 1995.
Amid increased complaints about bears breaking into houses and garages and acting aggressively toward pets and people, the state Fish and Game Council voted last week to approve the state's first bear hunt in 33 years.
Now, however, the population is robust, and in recent years there have been steadily increasing complaints about bears breaking into houses, intruding on campgrounds and picnic areas, and killing sheep and goats.
Those who met with Mr. Campbell talked of anxieties aroused by bears breaking into homes, roaming in backyards, frightening schoolchildren on playgrounds and near rural bus stops, and killing goats, rabbits and chickens.
Of the 1,659 bear complaints it received in 1999, 29 involved bears breaking into homes, up from 3 in 1995, and 28 involved bears rummaging around campgrounds and parks, up from 5. The council chairman, John W. Bradway, said recently that safety was the primary reason for the proposed hunt.
"Normally, you'll get reports of the Dumpster divers and trash divers, but bears breaking into cars is different," Lt. Stevenson of the South Lake Tahoe department, told the New York Daily News.
ONE bear broke into a luxurious mountain home and ate freshly baked brownies on the kitchen counter.
