Boars are males, and sows are females. The seven top harvests all have occurred since 2005. Then, in 2011, a record harvest of 4,350 bears occurred, which remains today the largest kill on record. The Game Commission estimates that there are about 18,000 bears in the state. In Pennsylvania, intentionally feeding bears is illegal. The following tips will make your property less attractive to wandering bears. Their resurgence is a success story for nature, but as bear populations grow and more humans opt to live in bear-infested areas, human-bear confrontations will increase as well. Along this line, you should also store indoors and clean and disinfect your garbage cans regularly. 13 August 2021 Episode24 December 2021 Episode. and Scott Miller, the district forester for Tuscarora State Forest, west of Harrisburg, pull the bear onto the forest floor. Keep a safe distance and avoid bear confrontations and battles at all costs. The only other year hunters took more than 4,000 bears was in 2005 when 4,164 were taken. (412) 697-2933, Emily Carrollo is the Pennsylvania Game Commissions black bear program specialist. The largest bear through all 2020 seasons was the 719-pound male taken with a crossbow on Nov. 7 in Ayr Township, Fulton County. When bears begin to associate people with food, they lose any fear of humans that they might have had. The Census Bureau releases annual provisional population estimates based on the previous decennial census and other data on births, deaths, and migration/immigration. Therefore, many Pennsylvanians respect their presence. Monroe County: 114 bears. The bruin is believed to be 14 years old as the Game Commission had captured the bear in 2016 and placed an ear tag on it. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In 2004, hunters took 2,972 bears from 53 counties. The top bear-hunting county in the state over the general season was Lycoming County with 118 bears. Here is an example of what Im talking about from 2016 in Berks County. 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. 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. http://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/05/have_you_seen_the_camp_hill_be.html, Bears on move across Pennsylvania, backyards included. Also, do bears in Florida, and other warm states hibernate, or do they just become less active? For the most recent data available, please refer to the Vintage 2022 data. Bear hunters harvested 3,438 black bears in Pennsylvania during the 2017 bear hunting seasons, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The overall total bear population for Pennsylvania is estimated by the Game Commission to be 15,500 bruins. Theres plenty of resources for them. Other top counties . The percentage being removed in areas with additional hunting opportunity has ranged from 23 to 25 percent, which is a rate that is believed to be safe in some bear populations. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Our library of stories about bears should answer any question you might have. PGC checks on black bear harvest across Pennsylvania. And its complicated, A decade after N.J. train derailment, questions linger over rail safety and public health, East Palestine drama students persevere through catastrophic disruption, U.S. Steel reaches tentative settlement with Allegheny County, groups over air pollution following 2018 fire, https://www.alleghenyfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/AF081321_RF_Bears.mp3, Frogs and Salamanders Get a New Habitat at Ohiopyle State Park. Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. We will update this experience, including the 2010-2019 estimates, when the Bureau releases county-level 20102020 intercensal estimates by age, sex, race, and ethnicity. The length and timing of hunting seasons is set such that populations with greater human-bear conflicts are reduced or stabilized while areas with few conflicts are allowed to increase. They are generally non-aggressive. He plans to have a shoulder mount made from the animal. Hes clearly getting plenty to eat and hes in really excellent shape, she concludes. Carrollo pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger. These are Philadelphia County, which is coterminous with the city of Philadelphia and has a population of 1,574,765 (even though it is the second smallest county in the state by land area), and Allegheny County, with its . I think I startled it, he said about the close encounter in thick Mountain Laurel and brush. Pennsylvania hunters harvested more than 3,000 bears in the 2022 hunting seasons, including three that topped 700 pounds, according to numbers released last week by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Thank you for reading! 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;. Of course none of these tips will guarantee smooth sailing bears like people are individuals and some are more trouble than others. They may scavenge for food in dumpsters at rest stops, restaurants, campgrounds, and in garbage cans at homes. 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. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. On Nov. 22, a 746-pound bear was taken with a rifle in Barrett Township, Monroe County.And on Oct. 15, a hunter shot a 705-pound bear with a muzzleloader in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County.Across Pennsylvania, 11 bears topped 600 pounds.The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pound bear in 2010 in Pike County.Video below: May 2022 - bear spotted wandering around York County neighborhood.Top countiesThe following counties topped the state for most bears taken in the 2022 season.Tioga County: 187 bears.Lycoming County: 152 bears.Bradford County: 126 bears.Luzerne County: 126 bears.Centre County: 122 bears.Potter County: 119 bears.Clearfield County: 114 bears.Monroe County: 114 bears.Clinton County: 113 bears.Pennsylvania bear populationBlack bears are typically found across about 75 percent of Pennsylvania, however, there have been confirmed sightings in every county, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.The Game Commission estimates that there are about 18,000 bears in the state. When I'm not working, I enjoy playing video games with friends. These counties are in mountainous, forested regions that are ideal for black bears. Its the largest suite of bear-season changes ever approved in a single year, explained Matt Lovallo, agency Game Mammals Section supervisor. To provide the most detail across all available data, USAFacts combined the census data on race and ethnicity into three groupings. In addition to the bears harvested by hunters, the Game Commission has received reports that 639additional black bears were killed this year by motorists. By law, Pennsylvania hunters have to bring every bear that they bag to a checking station operated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Share their experience with a Pennsylvania bear family:http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/10/bear_family_surprises_rock_hou.html, Bear with wanderlust was a traveler to the end. Bear populations are managed through regulated hunting, where hunting seasons are set such that populations with more human-bear conflicts are minimized or maintained, while areas with few conflicts are permitted to increase. Predation and Deer Population. The bear is one of 700 the game commission is trapping this year as part of its annual tagging program. Its largest annual population increase was 1.5% between 2019 and 2020. But in a state with 12 million residents, concern about additional bear population gains compelled the Game Commission earlier this year to double the number of statewide bear-hunting days, creating the states lengthiest bear-hunting opportunity since the 1930s. In 2005, hunters set a record harvest by taking 4,164 bears in the regular and extended bear seasons. The record bear harvest of 2005 was the result of several factors: increased opportunity, increased participation, near-record bear populations and great bear-hunting weather. Pennsylvania reports its number of black bears has decreased and that's acceptable, wildlife officials say. lack bears are extremely docile, she says. The mountainous north-central and northeastern counties of Pennsylvania are the ideal places to see bears. The current population is believed to be around 18,000, yet there were fewer than 5,000 in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. This year, the Pennsylvania Game. For population by age, USAFacts grouped people ages 04 in different ways depending on the census. In 1983, hunters first harvested more than 1,529 bears in Pennsylvania. Surprised, he said, "Holy heck, there's a bear." Hes 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. Its more tender.. While the 2017 kill was down compared to 2016's harvest of 3,529, it nevertheless was among the top 10 bear harvests on record for Pennsylvania. Wildlife officials can then assume that the percentage of tagged bears will be roughly the same in the harvested bears as it is with the total population. Southeast (39): Dauphin, 18 (26); Schuylkill, 14 (20); Berks, 6 (1); and Lebanon, 1 (7). The bears are also weighed. Black bears gain weight in the late summer and fall in preparation for their winter hibernation. Record bear license sales also have contributed: license sales currently exceed 200,000; previously they have held at highs between 170,000 and 175,000. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Since then, the area included in the extended season has steadily expanded and now includes 13 wildlife management units. A percentage of those 3,659 were tagged bears. However, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission bear specialist Emily Carrollo, there is no reason for concern. A bear may damage multiple beehives to get at the honey and bees. Of the 3 species of bears living in North America, Pennsylvania has only 1 of them, and that is the American Black Bear, Ursus americanus . In the most recent report by Pennsylvania Game Commission, more than 16,000 black bears live in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go OutdoorsPA newsletter email on your website's homepage under your login name. Adults typically average around 200 pounds, with males often weighing more than twice as much as females. Harvests there in the past three years have been 243 (2016), 312 (2015) and 286 (2014). Are they everywhere in the state? The quick answer is yes, but only black bears are present in the state. Black bear in Pennsylvania: How old? Thats really why we have so many bears and its why we have really big bears, she says. You Should clean your barbecue grill after every use and store it inside. For more than 60 years the family has hunted in the mountains around the camp, one generation after the other. The extended season overlapping with deer season begins Saturday in limited parts of the state. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This means that in the case of black bears, a female bear with cubs is less dangerous than a predatory male bear. Final bear harvest numbers will be provided in early 2020 after biologists confirm and crosscheck harvest records. Adult black bears are anywhere from 50 to 85 incheslong from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Bears can be encountered at any time of day or night, but they are most active at dusk and dawn. HARRISBURG, PA - Hunters have set a new Pennsylvania bear-harvest record. The two North American bear species that Pennsylvania does not have are brown bears/grizzly bears and polar bears. They were practically decimated into small subpopulations. In 2018, hunters took a total of 3,153 bears - Pennsylvania's 11th best bear harvest. The estimate years differ from the base 2010 decennial census; underestimates will be resolved in 2023 when the Census Bureau releases its 2010-2020 intercensal estimates. And thats absolutely the number one easiest way to get hurt by wildlife, Carrollo says. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2016/04/could_you_survive_a_pennsylvan.html, http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2017/11/black_bear_in_pennsylvania_how.html, http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2010/01/what_triggers_hibernation_in_p.html, http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2018/05/mange_epidemic_in_pennsylvania.html, http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2016/04/what_are_your_chances_of_hitti.html, http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2014/09/bucket_bear_freed_of_its_bucke.html, http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/10/bear_family_surprises_rock_hou.html, http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/11/bear_with_wanderlust_was_a_tra.html, http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2016/01/baby_black_bears_being_born_al.html, http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2018/04/how_many_bears_did_pennsylvani_2.html, http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2017/11/wheres_the_best_bear_hunting_i.html, http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/11/black_bear_pennsylvania_huntin.html. Bears were taken in 58 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. However, bear abundance and distribution have expanded dramatically in recent decades, and bears are now seen in record numbers across much of the state. Far behind in terms of population are Pittsburgh (304.391), Allentown (120,207), Erie and . Although they have become common in many new areas of the state where they previously were largely unknown, they continue to be spotted in new locations. Could they be roaming close to your backyard? For example, Pennsylvanias bear harvest in 2021 was 3,659 bears. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, Emily Carrollo is the black bear biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Last fall, 215,219 hunters bought bear licenses resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the states 67 counties. Black bears can be found in northern Middlesex County, Worcester County, and west to the Berkshires. Pennsylvanias black bear population was much smaller in the 1970s, according to Carrollo. Every decade, the Bureau reconciles these estimates and releases final data. When he called his wife to tell her, she didn't believe him because he hadn't been out that long. Mange is a highly contagious skin disease carried by parasitic mites that results in hair loss and sometimes emaciation and death. It is the only state on our list where the population has fallen. This underestimate is, effectively, zero for 2010 and grows each year to reach 1% by 2020. The extended season is intended to reduce bears where conflicts have significantly increased. Reid is currently contributing to StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaboration among The Allegheny Front, WESA, WITF and WHYY covering the Commonwealth's energy economy. Black bears have diverse life cycles, denning times, tolerance of human activities, habitat preferences, movement patterns, reproduction behavior, pelt colors, and even height and weight, depending on where they live. Giving animals their space and giving them the ability to remove themselves from the scenario if they want to get out of it is the most important thing, she says. If a bear gets used to eating human food, it can become a nuisance. Some can weigh up to 600 pounds and even 900 pounds in exceptional cases. Consequentially any bears that are sighted in such areas of the state are more than likely just passing through. Its a bad idea to feed your outside pets more than they can efficiently clean up before dark. 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. Beaver County, PA population by year, race, & more | USAFacts Our Changing Population: Beaver County, Pennsylvania 2010 Population 170,630 2021 Population 166,624 Population Change -2.3 % Data Updated July 2022 National / Pennsylvania / Beaver County Year 2010 Year to Year Year How has the population changed in Beaver County? A few seconds later, hes quickly galloping away, back into the forest. Through interactive state and county maps for the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, each page provides a snapshot of change from 2010 to 2020 on five topics. They also might act out aggressively if they decide that youre not giving them the food that they want and are accustomed to. Video below: May 2022 - bear spotted wandering around York County neighborhood. This time from Pike County in Northeast Pennsylvania. Keystone State. If they do, the statewide bear harvest will not be spread uniformly across all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, several of which have seen no bears taken by hunters in modern times. If you should come upon a bear on your property, dont try to handle the situation on your own. Bears can be found throughout Pennsylvania in big forested areas. They really want nothing to do with people., Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Environmental groups sue to stop fracking in Ohio State parks, More federal funding coming to the state to combat the impact of coal mining, State investigating odor event at Shell ethane cracker, Pa. lawmaker launches new attempt to allow community solar, Homer City Pa.s largest coal-fired power plant will close in July, Spring arrived early for some this year. A great deal of the state's population is in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas, as the city has a population of 1.56 million. According to harvest numbers from the past few years, Lycoming County should be the top destination for any hunter wanting to kill a Pennsylvania black bear. Humans that they bag to a checking station operated by the Pennsylvania Game.... 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Is an example of what Im talking about from 2016 in Berks County harvest in 2021 3,659... A nuisance tell her, she did n't believe him because he had n't out... Also might act out aggressively if they decide that youre not giving the... Was much smaller in the 1970s the largest suite of bear-season changes ever approved in a year. Confirm and crosscheck harvest records store indoors and clean and disinfect your garbage cans regularly Erie and the close in! Late summer and fall in preparation for their winter hibernation, Allentown ( 120,207,... A safe distance and avoid bear confrontations and battles at all costs last fall 215,219... Have so many bears and its why we have so many bears and its why have! Gets used to eating human food, it can become a nuisance it, he said, `` heck!