HARRISBURG - Mark Ternent knows black bears.
More specifically, as a bear biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Ternent knows the bears that roam Penn's Woods - and sometimes Penn's city streets and residential developments. So, when he said most hunters have a better chance than ever of taking a bear close to home, his advice was worth considering.
Along those lines, PGC wildlife conservation officer Kevin Clouser reinforced Ternent's findings when he spoke at a meeting of the Schuylkill County Sportsmen's Association. Basically, the message that night was: "Bears? Yea, we got 'em."
Supporting Clouser's statement are the PGC's final official totals for the 2013 bear seasons that show Schuylkill County as the leading bear-producing county in the agency's Southeast Region with 35 bears and No. 1 for the last two years with 74. In 2012, Dauphin topped the region with 48 bears, but was No. 2 in 2013 with 23 for a two-year total of 71.
Locally, Luzerne County continued to be the leading bear-producing county with 98, for a two-year total of 198. In second place is Carbon County, which produced 57 bears for a two-year total of 124. That is followed by Schuylkill, Columbia, which produced 24 bears for a two-year total of 60, and Dauphin.
Statewide, the 3,510 bears taken ranks No. 5 all-time, continuing a trend of recent bear seasons taking their place in the record books. Four of the five highest harvests have occurred in the past three years, with the 4,350 taken in 2011 ranking No. 1, the 3,632 taken in 2012 ranking No. 3 and the 3,512 taken in 2009 ranking No. 4.
Once again, the Northcentral Region led the state with 1,430 bears and had the top three counties in Tioga (286), Lycoming (234) and Potter (196). Bears were taken in 53 of the state's 67 counties, and unlike many years, when the top counties for bears come exclusively from the Northeast and Northcentral regions, the Northwest Region also is represented on the top five counties list for 2013.
"What places 2013 in a class of its own is the number of large bears taken," Ternent said. "Hunters harvested 58 bears that weighed 500 pounds or more, and nine of those bears weighed 600 pounds or more.
"While 2012 saw a higher number of bears harvested statewide compared to 2013, fewer large bears were taken. Forty-five of the bears in the 2012 harvest weighed 500 pounds or more, with five of them weighing 600 pounds or more, so 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."
Dan Beavers of Lackawanna County took the heaviest bear, which had an estimated live weight of 772 pounds Monday, Nov. 25, during the regular statewide firearms season in his home county. Nicholas Corridoni, Duryea, took the No. 2 bear with an estimated live weight of 656 pounds Thursday, Dec. 5, during the extended season in Luzerne County, and Derek Long, of Yukon, took the No. 3 bear with an estimated live weight of 640 pounds Wednesday, Nov. 27, during the final day of the general season in Clearfield County.
Randall Tressler, of McVeytown, took the No. 9 ranked bear Wednesday, Nov. 20, during the five-day statewide archery season. He took a boar with an actual live weight of 598 pounds in Mifflin County, which was one of 197 bears taken during the statewide archery season.
Ternent said the gains seen in places like Warren County, which was No. 1 in the Northwest Region with 148 bears, reflect expansion of the state's bear population into an area that once was considered on the fringe of the statewide range. Meanwhile, counties farther north, like Tioga and Potter, continue to increase their totals because beech and cherry trees are more common. 2013 bear season facts
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 Local Bear Totals
Here are the results of the 2013 bear seasons for local counties, with the 2012 totals in parentheses:
Luzerne, 98 (100); Carbon, 57 (67); Schuylkill, 35 (39); Columbia, 24 (36); Dauphin, 23 (48); Northumberland, 14 (26); Berks, 4 (7); and Montour, 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); and WMU 5C, 16 (16).