See all the statistics from the 2017 bear hunting seasons:http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2018/04/how_many_bears_did_pennsylvani_2.html. Of course none of these tips will guarantee smooth sailing bears like people are individuals and some are more trouble than others. And remember that penn's woods is the black bear's woods too. Pennsylvania's population increased 7 out of the 11 years between year 2010 and year 2021. es a really good-looking bear, she says, before offering something like a scouting report: fantastic body weight, no bony protrusions indicating malnourishment, no signs of mange, a great looking coat of black fur. Keystone State. Pennsylvania bear population Black bears are typically found across about 75 percent of. The latest county preliminary harvest totals for all seasons are: Northwest (535): Warren, 142; Venango, 79; Forest, 66; Jefferson, 65; Clarion, 61; Crawford, 56; Butler, 44; Erie, 15; and Mercer, 7. The current bear population across Pennsylvania is estimated at 16,268 by the commission. Its news the Game Commission preferred to share as soon as possible. When bears begin to associate people with food, they lose any fear of humans that they might have had. He said the bear jumped up very close to him, and he was able to quickly dispatch the 399-pound male. Their range begins in Alaska and northern Canada and extends south into central Mexico. Video above: From the WGAL archives, bears and bird feeders. Last fall, 215,219 hunters bought bear licenses resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the states 67 counties. The per capita income in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania is $43,036.00. Although black bears are typically cautious and avoid human interaction, do not underestimate their size and strength. The same area typically saw a harvest of 265 bears per year, when the season lasted only three days. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. They are the most common and well-known bears native to North America. Hunters on Nov. 27, the final day of Pennsylvanias statewide bear season, harvested 113 bears, raising the 2019 statewide general-season harvest to 1,611. Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Carrollo pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger. These provisional estimates are postcensal estimates, and the final estimates are intercensal estimates. USAFacts used the final intercensal estimates for 1970 through 2009 and the provisional postcensal estimates for 2010 and after. If you should come upon a bear on your property, dont try to handle the situation on your own. Bad weather negatively affected hunting conditions on key hunting days. On a summer morning in Tuscarora State Forest, Emily Carrollo crouches in front of a metal bear trap, pointing a small flashlight through the metal grating. Pennsylvania hunters take three 700-pound-plus bears in 2022, Well, it probably can't be labeled cheap entertainment, but watching the ever changing cast of feathered characters at your feeders is a great stress reliever until your little feathered friends turn into large furry ones. The black bear's scientific name is Ursus americanus, which means "American bear." And although there are three species of bears in North America, many wonder if there are bears in Pennsylvania.In 2015, the population of bears in the state was around 20,000. They have long brown snouts, short tails, and small brown eyes, although their eyes are blue at birth. Backyard barbecue grills are bear attractors. Luzerne County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 906 square miles (2,350 km 2), of which 890 square miles (2,300 km 2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km 2) is water.It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. Only 13 bears were harvested in 2021 with slugs in shotguns. They could be cinnamon or even blond. The retrieval took longer than the hunt. Here are the details on how to survive an encounter with a bear:http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2016/04/could_you_survive_a_pennsylvan.html. It is also unlawful to set out any food for wildlife that causes bears to congregate or become accustomed to a particular place. Longbow hunter describes his encounter with massive black bear in Bedford County, Hunters find three bears weighing more than 700 pounds as rifle seasons soon get underway, Here's your complete guide to the 2022 PA deer hunting season, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Reid R. Frazier covers energy for The Allegheny Front. Population trend and harvest levels are closely monitored annually," a statement on the Game Commission's website says. A stable population of bears occurs on the Fort Drum Military Reservation in Jefferson County. The state 's largest decline was between 2020 and 2021 when the population dropped 0.2%. A successful black bear hunter and a Pennsylvania Game Commission biologist talk Nov. 20, 2021, about the hunting season. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. In 2020 a 633-pound black bear was struck by a truck and killed in Potter County. They have an acute sense of smell, relatively poor vision and hearing thought to be close to that of humans. Although both bobcats and mountain lions are native to Rhode Island, today, the only existing wild cat species within the state is the bobcat. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Where's the best bear hunting in Pennsylvania? In addition to the bears harvested by hunters, the Game Commission has received reports that 639additional black bears were killed this year by motorists. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front. Since then, the population has taken off, to its current number of around 16,000. Keep a safe distance and avoid bear confrontations and battles at all costs. Pennsylvania's black bear population was much smaller in the 1970s, according to Carrollo. Black bears have large, more pointed ears than other bears. It has afflicted mammals around the world for centuries. For example: in 2003 a regulation was passed that makes it illegal to feed bears; a statewide database for documenting human-bear conflicts is now in place; and emphasis has been put on educational efforts to show people how to coexist with bears. His paws measure six inches wide. The following counties topped the state for most bears taken in the 2022 season. Because black bears eat so little meat, their teeth do not need to be as sharp and scissor-like as those of meat-eating animals like wolves and cats. Southcentral (718): Huntingdon, 177; Bedford, 148; Fulton, 80; Perry, 67; Mifflin, 54; Franklin, 47; Juniata, 42; Blair, 40; Cumberland, 27; Snyder, 24; Adams, 11; and York, 1. During this time, juvenile males will be more likely to roam as they are looking for to territory to establish themselves and, of course, females to mate with. In the most recent report by Pennsylvania Game Commission, more than 16,000 black bears live in Pennsylvania. In 2005, hunters set a record harvest by taking 4,164 bears in the regular and extended bear seasons. Take a look at an effort to understand the mange epidemic in Pennsylvania bears:http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2018/05/mange_epidemic_in_pennsylvania.html. Bear numbers in the state are down a bit in recent years, but there are still plenty of them. Bears were taken in 59 of 67 counties and 22 of Pennsylvania's 23 Wildlife Management Units in the 2021 seasons. And on Oct. 15, a hunter shot a 705-pound bear with a muzzleloader in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County. Adults typically average around 200 pounds, with males often weighing more than twice as much as females. Some counties are traditionally the top producers of black bears - notably counties in the northcentral and northeastern regions of the state - and generally can be expected to repeat with similar results in the coming hunting season. The two North American bear species that Pennsylvania does not have are brown bears/grizzly bears and polar bears. The large black bear that was captured in Lancaster County and relocated to Stony Valley in Dauphin County in June has followed its enthusiasm for travel to the bitter end. Black bears can be found in northern Middlesex County, Worcester County, and west to the Berkshires. Bear hunters harvested 3,438 black bears in Pennsylvania during the 2017 bear hunting seasons, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. For the majority of people, though, who dont live on a large acreage, the best thing to do is to store your grease drippings and food waste in the refrigerator until the day of your garbage pickup and then throw it away just before the garbage truck comes. ", Read about the experience of visiting a bear den in Pennsylvania:http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2016/01/baby_black_bears_being_born_al.html. He wanted to wait until the weather warmed up before heading out to the woods about noon. Nuisance bear conflicts have increased more dramatically in the northeast than anywhere else in the state. Northcentral (1,588): Lycoming, 283; Clinton, 267; Tioga, 261; Potter 173; Centre, 144; McKean, 125; Clearfield, 103; Elk, 100; Cameron, 78; and Union, 54. Black bears are thriving in Penns Woods today. Even though they are named black bears, their colors can vary from black, blue-grey, cinnamon, brown, blue-black, and on infrequent occasions, a black bear can even be white. Tioga County had the most bears at 153, and Lycoming County. We dont have all the exact variables, but we do know that 3659 bears were harvested in 2021, and the official estimated population for 2022 is 15,666 bears. Human population at last census: 1,223,348. Black bears walk in a shuffling, flat-footed way, but can run as fast as 30 miles per hour over short distances. Keep a safe distance and call your local game warden. If you store your pet food outside, keep it in a bear-proof container. The preliminary statewide season bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 11 (19 in 2018); WMU 1B, 49 (120); WMU 2A, 3 (5); WMU 2C, 75 (127); WMU 2D, 100 (125); WMU 2E, 43 (66); WMU 2F, 177 (213); WMU 2G, 321 (357); WMU 2H, 53 (65); WMU 3A, 87 (106); WMU 3B, 152 (129); WMU 3C, 59 (53); WMU 3D, 178 (153); WMU 4A, 82 (127); WMU 4B, 36 (55); WMU 4C, 60 (92); WMU 4D, 98 (123); WMU 4E, 24 (53); WMU 5A, 2 (5) and WMU 5C, 1 (0). lack bears are extremely docile, she says. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, A tag is placed in each ear to identify the bear if it is captured again, or taken during the bear hunting season. Whats more, the state bear population has seen two other similar drops following high bear harvests in recent decades. You know, they try and walk up and feed black bears because they think its cute. Their average height is around 30 inches at the shoulder. Pennsylvanias black bear population was much smaller in the 1970s, according to Carrollo. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Only 9 of the contiguous U.S. states dont have breeding black bear populations. If the idea of having bears in your backyard creeps you out, take down your feeders or at least take them down at night. As of 2018, both of these counties have grown their populations since the last census, with Philadelphia County increasing by 3.04% and Allegheny County by a more modest 0.30%. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Lycoming County was next best, producing 186 bears, followed by Tioga, with 185; Clearfield, with 158; Monroe, with 152; Clinton, with 150; Elk, with 140; Luzerne, with 125; Centre, with 117;. 13 August 2021 Episode24 December 2021 Episode. The American Geode website is www.americangeode.com. Southeast (39): Dauphin, 18 (26); Schuylkill, 14 (20); Berks, 6 (1); and Lebanon, 1 (7). The 500-pound black bear killed in a collision with a Honda Pilot on Wertzville Road in Silver Spring Township on April 8 is just one of 400 to 500 bears likely to die on Pennsylvania roadways this year. Its largest annual population increase was 1.5% between 2019 and 2020. "Notably, the harvest was spread out more evenly than ever before over four seasons. Montgomery County (820,656), Bucks County (626,751), and Delaware County (563,995) are all in the top five most populous counties in the state, and census statistics show that each of these have also had population increases of between 0.21% and 2.46% in recent years. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Black bears are extremely docile, she says. So she's offering a few tips first. To record the kills, the Game Commission pulls one of the bear's teeth to attain an accurate age, said Mollie Byrne, wildlife biologist with the Game Commission. However, areas that are largely agricultural or urban such as the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania and also parts of the western border, lack the forest cover that bears need. The latest county preliminary harvest totals for all seasons are: Northwest (535): Warren, 142; Venango, 79; Forest, 66; Jefferson, 65; Clarion, 61; Crawford, 56; Butler, 44; Erie, 15; and Mercer, 7. They really want nothing to do with people.. Thats why the census is important. In recent years the Pennsylvania Game Commission has estimated the statewide bruin population at about 20,000 animals, and this year the agency is predicting another solid season for hunters. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The latest preliminary bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit are: WMU 1A, 20; WMU 1B, 156; WMU 2A, 11; WMU 2B, 2; WMU 2C, 285; WMU 2D, 184; WMU 2E, 82; WMU 2F, 338; WMU 2G, 710; WMU 2H, 110; WMU 3A, 260; WMU 3B, 424; WMU 3C, 223; WMU 3D, 488; WMU 4A, 303; WMU 4B, 191; WMU 4C, 248; WMU 4D, 367; WMU 4E, 135; WMU 5A, 25; WMU 5B, 1; and WMU 5C, 13. 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