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HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania Game Commission employees processed a total of 1,691 black bears through its 25 check stations on the first day of season. That opening day harvest compares with 1,006 on the opener in 1999; 1,500 in 1998; and 1,169 in 1997.
"The state’s bear harvest record of 2,598 was set in 1998," said Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist. "The take by hunters yesterday is already ahead of 1998’s first day harvest. If good hunting weather prevails and hunter effort follows past trends for the remainder of our season, hunters are on pace to set a record harvest in the first year of this new century."
Snow cover over portions of the northern tier is improving tracking conditions and has made bears more visible. Hunters are also reporting that acorns and beechnuts are still very abundant in forests, which has kept bears from denning.
"With fall food conditions being what they are, and cold, but stable, weather expected for the reminder of the season, we expect bears to continue to be available," Ternent said. "Hunters should try areas where there is heavy cover and traditional bear hunting hot spots There’s still a good chance to find a bear."
Mark Ternent
The Northcentral Region led all others with a harvest of 829 bears (up from 448 on the 1999 opener). Following were the Northeast with 476 (181); Northwest, 132 (137); Southcentral, 127 (88); Southwest, 99, (134); and Southeast, 28 (18). Clinton County is far and away the top bear harvest county with hunters taking 145 bears there, more than they took in the entire 1999 season (129). Other top counties on the opening day were: Lycoming, 118; Pike, 110; Potter, 107; McKean, 91; and Tioga, 90.
The top three bears taken by hunters on the opening day were harvested in Pike County. All were males that weighed more than 550 pounds (live weight). The largest bear processed by PGC personnel at check stations was a 622-pounder taken by Rick H. Druckenmiller, Northampton, at 10:30 a.m. in Greene Township. The second largest, a 594-pounder, was taken by Greg S. Guerrieri, Greentown, at 11:39 a.m., also in Greene Township. The third largest, a 572-pounder, was taken by Christopher Kaskel, Mountain Top, at 9:33 a.m. in Palmyra Township.
Another large male bear, the tenth largest on opening day, was taken just north of the state’s capital in Dauphin County’s Middle Paxton Township. Alvin M. Oberholtzer, Shippensburg, took the 550-pounder (live weight) at 1:30 p.m.
County harvests by region for the opening day were:
Northwest: Warren, 52; Forest, 36; Venango, 20; Jefferson, 18; Clarion, 5; and Crawford, 1.
Southwest: Indiana, 22; Somerset, 22; Cambria, 19; Armstrong, 13; Westmoreland, 13; and Fayette, 10.
Northcentral: Clinton, 145; Lycoming, 118; Potter, 107; McKean, 91; Tioga, 90; Centre, 78; Clearfield, 77; Elk, 59; Cameron, 53; and Union, 11.
Southcentral: Huntingdon, 46; Blair, 28; Bedford, 23; Mifflin, 14; Snyder, 8; Fulton, 6; Juniata, 1; and Perry, 1.
Northeast: Pike, 110; Monroe, 64; Wayne, 61; Sullivan, 50; Carbon, 45; Luzerne, 33; Wyoming, 32; Bradford, 24; Lackawanna, 24; Columbia, 16; Susquehanna, 9; and Northumberland, 8.
Southeast: Schuylkill, 17; Dauphin, 3; Lebanon, 3; Berks, 2; Lehigh, 2; and Northampton, 1.
For further comparisons to last year^s first-day bear harvest, please refer to Release #60-99 under "1999 News Releases."
Uploaded: 11/24/2000
Uploaded: 11/24/2000