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HARRISBURG -- Hunters took nearly 3,100 black bears and set a new state record bear harvest in the three-day season held Nov. 20-22, based on preliminary harvest information collected by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
A total of 3,070 bears were processed by the Game Commission at the agency^s 25 check stations, according to preliminary harvest reports. It’s a harvest that shatters the previous state high of 2,598 bears set by hunters in 1998.
"The record-setting harvest this year was made possible by three factors: ideal weather on all three days of the season; abundant food which kept bears from denning early; and a tremendous turnout of hunters," said Mark Ternent, PGC bear biologist. "The percentage of bears that head to den early depends on the availability of food. In seasons such as this year’s, when plenty of food remains available, more bears are moving about Penn^s Woods in November. When this availability is coupled with excellent weather, hunter-success rates typically climb, which is likely why our harvest increased this year."
Based on last year^s low bear harvest of 1,740, and Pennsylvania’s continued high reproductive rates for bears, Ternent said the state’s bear population will not experience a lasting decline as a result of the record harvest this year.
Mark Ternent
"The harvest did more to stabilize the population than to impact future bear hunting in the Commonwealth," Ternent said. "That’s why we hold bear season in late November: it ensures a significant number of bears – particularly pregnant females – den prior to the hunting season.
"Given Pennsylvania^s outstanding bear reproductive rates and the healthy population going into this year^s season, we will have a thriving bear population next year. However, we hope that this year^s harvest will reduce the number of bear-human conflicts in certain areas."
Clinton County posted the largest county harvest – possibly ever – with 248 and became the first county in a decade to lead the state in subsequent years. Lycoming County had the second best harvest with 222, followed by Potter, 203; Clearfield, 175; Pike, 170; McKean, 153; Tioga, 152; Centre, 151; Wayne, 112; and Elk, 108.
Only eight counties documented harvest declines in the 50 counties where bears were taken. Three counties posted huge harvest percentage increases: Carbon, 550 percent (13 in 1999, to 72 this year); Luzerne, 370 percent (19 to 72); and Potter, up 340 percent (59 to 203).
The preliminary harvest by region was: Northcentral, 1,526 (816 in 1999); Northeast, 814 (307); Southwest, 232 (217); Northwest, 231 (221); Southcentral, 213 (136); and Southeast, 54 (38). Preliminary county harvest results for the season, including 1999’s actual harvest results in parentheses, are:
Northwest – Warren, 64 (33); Forest, 58 (65); Jefferson, 43 (49); Venango, 43 (31); Clarion, 15 (30); Crawford, 5 (7); Butler, 2 (6); and Mercer, 1 (0).
Southwest – Somerset, 55 (70); Indiana, 45 (51); Cambria, 43 (30); Armstrong, 38 (12); Fayette, 26 (23); and Westmoreland, 25 (33).
Northcentral – Clinton, 248 (129); Lycoming, 222 (100); Potter, 203 (59); Clearfield, 175 (122); McKean, 153 (91); Tioga, 152 (81); Centre, 151 (115); Elk, 108 (58); Cameron, 94 (52); and Union, 20 (11).
Southcentral – Huntingdon, 64 (46); Blair, 53 (25); Bedford, 43 (32); Mifflin, 24 (10); Snyder, 12 (11); Fulton, 10 (10); Juniata, 5 (2); and Perry, 2 (0).
Northeast – Pike, 170 (73); Wayne, 112 (47); Monroe, 101 (48); Sullivan, 94 (29); Carbon, 72 (13); Luzerne, 72 (19); Wyoming, 50 (11); Bradford, 48 (30); Lackwanna, 35 (11); Columbia, 33 (15); Susquehanna, 19 (10); and Northumberland, 8 (2).
Southeast – Schuylkill, 35 (25); Dauphin, 7 (4); Lebanon, 6 (5); Berks, 2 (2); Lehigh, 2 (0); and Northampton, 2 (2).
The largest bear taken in the 2000 season was a 637-pounder, harvested by Lawrence E. Clow Jr. of Centreville, Maryland, at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, in Grugan Township, Clinton County. Rounding out the top ten bears for this year were:
625-pound bear taken by Paul Hoherchak of Jim Thorpe at 7:30 a.m. on the second day in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County.
622-pound bear taken by Rick Druckenmiller of Northampton at 10:30 a.m. on the first day in Greene Township, Pike County.
614-pound bear taken by James Hollen Jr. of Cresson at 12:15 p.m. on the first day in Cambria County’s Clearfield Township.
614-pound bear taken by Charles Snyder of Montandon at 3:30 p.m. on the second day in Clinton County’s Noyes Township.
594-pound bear taken by Greg Guerrieri of Greentown at 11:39 a.m. on the first day in Pike County’s Greene Township.
590-pound bear taken by Andrew Ney of Lykens at 9:30 a.m. on the first day in Potter County’s Stewardson Township.
573-pound bear taken by Gerald Maglio of Moscow at 8:30 a.m. on the third day in Lackawanna County’s Spring Brook Township.
572-pound bear taken by Christopher Kaskel of Mountain Top at 9:33 a.m. on the first day in Pike County’s Palmyra Township.
571-pound bear taken by Ken Snyder of Spruce Creek at 1:15 p.m. on the first day in Huntingdon County’s Franklin Township.
Final official bear harvest results and maps will be released later this year.
Uploaded: 12/5/2000
Uploaded: 12/5/2000