If the court permits the six-day hunt, set to begin tomorrow, it will be New Jersey's second in 35 years.

How the decisions will affect the six-day hunt, set to begin Dec. 6, is unclear.

New Jersey will hold a six-day hunt next month to reduce the state's bear population after an increase this year in complaints about problem bears.

Opponents of the six-day hunt complained in midweek that hunters were killing cubs.

Then, as the commissioner sat and watched, the council voted 7-to-3 to schedule a six-day hunt.

Mr. McHugh, of the Fish and Wildlife Division, said about 5,300 hunters had received final state clearance to participate in the six-day hunt.

The officials said 297 bears were killed during the six-day hunt.

Martin J. McHugh, director of the state's division of fish and wildlife, disagreed, calling the six-day hunt a "conservative" one.

But few recent animal rights conflicts have raised tensions here as much as a six-day hunt of black bears planned here for December.

He said state officials had no plans to stop the six-day hunt before its scheduled end Saturday.