Mark Ternent knows bears.
As the biologist who heads the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s black bear-management program, it is Ternent’s responsibility to observe, study, trap, tag and examine as many individual bears as possible from the estimated statewide population of 18,000. That research indicates the current population is the largest and healthiest since the PGC has been keeping records, and, as a bonus for hunters, a large percentage of that population contains some of the largest bears to ever roam the state.
Although bears were legal game during the statewide archery deer season in Special Regulation areas, most hunters will begin pursuing them during the upcoming five-day statewide archery bear season, Monday-Friday, and the four-day firearms season that opens Saturday and continues Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 24-26.
A limited bear season is held in specific Wildlife Management Units during all or part of the opening week of the statewide firearms deer season Monday-Saturday, Dec. 1-6.
Hunters took 58 bears in 2013 that weighed more than 500 pounds among the total of 3,510, ranking last year as No. 5 all-time in Pennsylvania. Topping the list was a boar with an estimated live weight of 772 pounds taken by Dan Beavers near his home in Lackawanna County on Monday, Nov. 25.
In addition, nine bears were taken that weighed more than 600 pounds, including one with an estimated live weight of 656 pounds by Nick Corridoni of Duryea in Luzerne County on Thursday, Dec. 5, during the firearms deer season. Derek Long of Yukon took a bear with an estimated live weight of 640 pounds in Clearfield County during the final day of the statewide bear season Wednesday, Nov. 27.
“Seeing large bears in the harvest speaks well to the health of our bear population, but it also shows the opportunity that exists to harvest a truly, trophy-sized animal,” Ternent said. “These totals provide further proof that there’s never been a better time to hunt bears in Pennsylvania.
“Unlike many years, when the top counties for bears came exclusively from the Northeast and Northcentral regions, the Northwest Region also was represented on the top five counties list in 2013. Meanwhile, one of the usual leaders, Clinton County, dropped from the list, but this shift is not permanent and hunting prospects for the county are excellent this year.
“Gains seen in places like Warren County reflect expansion of the state’s bear population into an area that once was considered on the fringe of the statewide range. This expansion has been followed by growth in the region’s bear population, and correspondingly, increasing harvests.”
Ternent said while hunter pressure and weather conditions are the two key factors for a successful bear season, he expects the recent trend of hunter success to continue. Hunters set the all-time record three years ago by taking 4,350 bears, while the total of 3,632 bears taken in 2012 ranks No. 3. What makes last year’s fifth-place total so unique was the amount of large bears taken.
Ternent said the extended bear seasons continue to play a significant role in the overall total for 2013. Statewide, 780 bears were taken during extended seasons, an increase to the 672 bears taken during extended seasons in 2012. Tioga County was the leader in extended seasons with 100 bears taken after the close of the general statewide bear season. For all seasons, bears were taken in 53 of the state’s 67 counties.
Bear numbers
Top 10 Pennsylvania Bear Seasons
1. 2011: 4,350; 2. 2005: 4,164; 3. 2012: 3,632; 4. 2009: 3,512; 5. 2013: 3,510; 6. 2008: 3,458; 7. 2006: 3,124; 8. 2010: 3,090; 9. 2000: 3,075; 10. 2001: 3,063
2013 PGC Region Bear Totals
Here are the results of the 2013 bear seasons by Pennsylvania Game Commission Regions, with the 2012 totals in parentheses:
Northwest (466) — Warren, 148 (94); Jefferson, 70 (51); Venango, 70 (62); Clarion, 59 (77); Forest, 50 (56); Crawford, 36 (6); Butler, 24 (11); Erie, 6 (7); and Mercer, 3 (1)
Southwest (335) — Somerset, 106 (94); Fayette, 67 (79); Indiana, 49 (24); Armstrong, 43 (35); Westmoreland, 41 (37); Cambria, 26 (11); and Allegheny, 3 (4)
Northcentral (1,430) — Tioga, 286 (227); Lycoming, 234 (341); Potter 196 (179); Clinton, 133 (265); Clearfield, 125 (102); Cameron, 108 (67); McKean, 108 (134); Elk, 103 (76); Centre, 96 (143); and Union, 41 (82)
Southcentral (273) — Huntingdon, 67 (125); Bedford, 55 (86); Mifflin, 31 (62); Blair, 29 (50); Juniata, 28 (37); Fulton, 19 (25); Snyder, 18 (14); Perry, 16 (32); Franklin, 9 (14); Cumberland, 1(2); and Adams, 0 (2)
Northeast (919) — Pike, 150 (108); Wayne, 127 (73); Sullivan, 105 (60); Luzerne, 98 (100); Bradford, 96 (86); Monroe, 79 (102); Wyoming, 66 (57); Carbon, 57 (67); Susquehanna, 55 (41); Lackawanna, 48 (37); Columbia, 24 (36); Northumberland, 14 (26); and Montour, 0 (3)
Southeast (87) — Schuylkill, 35 (39); Dauphin, 23 (48); Northampton, 18 (21); Lebanon, 7 (4); Berks, 4 (7); and Lehigh 0 (3)
2013 WMU Bear Totals
Here are the results of the 2013 bear seasons by Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Management Units, with the 2012 totals in parentheses. (Note that in 2012 WMU 2H was part of WMU 2G.)
WMU 1A, 16 (4); WMU 1B, 94 (38); WMU 2B, 4 (6); WMU 2C, 247 (268); WMU 2D, 171 (162); WMU 2E, 93 (50); WMU 2F, 309 (285); WMU 2G, 575 (829); WMU 2H, 87 (0); WMU 3A, 362 (342); WMU 3B, 364 (279); WMU 3C, 195 (146); WMU 3D, 393 (305); WMU 4A, 80 (139); WMU 4B, 67 (84); WMU 4C, 93 (163); WMU 4D, 275 (403); WMU 4E, 68 (110); WMU 5A, 0 (1); WMU 5B, 1 (2); WMU 5C, 16 (16)