Coming off last year’s record bear harvest of 4,653 and with an estimated population of 20,000 bears across Pennsylvania, those unfamiliar with bear hunting might assume the sport to be much easier than it really is.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, bear hunters in Pennsylvania typically see a success rate of just 2-3 percent.
That probably won’t change much even with record numbers of hunters taking part. The commission sold a record 202,043 bear hunting licenses last year and reported that sales were 18 percent ahead of last year’s pace as of October 9.
Bear population density is rarely more than 1 per square mile, according to the commission.
But the species is widespread across most of the state. Last year bears were killed in 58 of 67 counties and 22 of 23 of the state’s wildlife management units.
Lycoming County led all other counties with a harvest of 284 bears. It was followed by Clinton and Tioga counties, both with 267. Other top counties for bear harvests in 2019 were Huntingdon, 180; Potter, 174; Luzerne, 163; Pike, 161; Bedford, 156; Centre, 146; and Warren, 146.
Harvests varied across the state’s slate of bear hunting seasons. Hunters took 1,340 bears in the partially concurrent new muzzleloader and special firearms seasons; 1,629 in the general season; 1,117 in extended seasons; and 561 in the archery season.
The new muzzleloader season led to a harvest of more than 1,000 bears, which was unexpected, noted Mark Ternent, a veteran commission bear biologist who currently serves as a regional wildlife biologist for the agency’s Northcentral Region Office. But the agency will closely monitor the season in coming years to ensure its contribution to the total harvest doesn’t impact opportunity in other bear hunting seasons.
“Last year’s record bear harvest removed 20 to 25 percent of the state’s substantial bear population, but it isn’t expected to produce significant declines in bear numbers,” he said. “We should have close to 20,000 bears statewide.”
The Game Commission in 2019 expanded hunting opportunities to manage bears more efficiently. Previous bear seasons, occasionally impacted by weather that limited hunter success, simply weren’t getting the job done. With a bear population hovering around 20,000 for several years – and with the potential to grow larger – the commission said it needed to increase pressure on the resource.
A record bear harvest followed.
Last year’s record harvest broke the previous record harvest set in 2011, when 4,350 bears were taken. In 2018, hunters took a total of 3,153 bears – Pennsylvania’s 11th best bear harvest. The only other year hunters took more than 4,000 bears was in 2005 when 4,164 were taken.
“Surely it’s hard for some to imagine that Pennsylvania has such a vibrant black bear population,” noted Tom Keller, supervisor of the commission’s Game Mammals Section. “But bears are incredibly adaptable. They can fit in almost anywhere that offers them cover and reliable food sources. It’s why bears are found in more places in Pennsylvania than any time in the Game Commission’s existence.”
“It’s hard to comprehend what’s happening in Pennsylvania bear hunting, especially if you can recall when the Game Commission was trying to resurrect the Commonwealth’s bear population back in the 1980s and 90s,” noted commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. "But here we are, on the cusp of another fall loaded with bear-hunting opportunities and a robust bear population.
“Pennsylvania bear hunting has never packed as much widespread opportunity and excitement as it does right now,” Burhans emphasized. “Today, bears inhabit most counties, providing closer-to-home hunting. But their populations also remain strong on their primary range in the northern tier.”
This year bear hunting in the state got underway on September 19 with early archery seasons in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. An early archery season also opened October 3 in WMU 5B.
The first statewide season, the bear archery season runs from October 17 through November 7, while the bear muzzleloader season runs from October 17-24.
A special-firearms bear season runs from October 22-24 for junior and senior license holders, active-duty military and certain disabled persons' permit holders.
The statewide general bear season will run November 21-24.
Extended bear seasons will be held in WMUs 1B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A November 30-December 5; and in WMUs 2B, 5B 5C and 5D from November 30-December 12.
If you harvest a bear in any of the 2020 bear hunting seasons and want to share a photo of you and your trophy, contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@comcast.net.
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