It was the plan from the beginning.

If the death toll remained below 700 black bears after six days of hunting, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would decide whether an ongoing bear hunt in the state of New Jersey should be extended by several additional days.

The first day of the hunt resulted in the deaths of an astonishing 216 bears, and if this year's hunt is like previous years, that number includes mothers, yearlings and cubs.

The hunt ended as scheduled, 30 minutes after sundown on Saturday. It was then time to tally the deaths.

In the course of only six days, 472 black bears were legally shot and killed in New Jersey.