From staff reports
Today is the last day of Pennsylvania’s four-day black bear season, although limited seasons are set for certain areas within the state over the next few weeks.
After Monday’s second day, 1,330 black bears had been harvested, according to preliminary totals released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
This year’s two-day preliminary bear harvest compares to 1,622 bears taken during the statewide season’s first two days in 2018, the Game Commission said. In 2017, hunters took 1,310 bears over the same period.
That total harvest, which will continue to increase, already tops the total 2018 statewide bear harvest of 3,153, according to the Game Commission.
Expanded hunting opportunities provided by new special-firearms and muzzleloader bear seasons and an expanded archery bear season have helped push the 2019 bear harvest, the Game Commission said.
One bear exceeding 600 pounds was taken Monday on the 2019 general season’s second day. The top 10 bears processed at check stations over the season’s first two days were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 525 pounds or more, the Game Commission said.
The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pennsylvania hunting seasons.
Two-day preliminary black bear harvests by county in the Game Commission’s Northwest region are Venango, 27; Clarion, 25; Forest, 24; Warren, 53; Jefferson, 23; Crawford, 16; Butler, 15; Mercer, 4; and Erie, 1.