State's hunters bag 2,553 bruins
73 killed with bow in first archery hunt

Pa. Game Commission check stations processed 2,553 bears during the recently completed three-day season. An additional 73 bruins were killed during the state's first-ever, two-day archery bear hunt.

Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist, called the 2006 bear harvest "typical" and in line with projections, on the heels of last year's state record 4,164 kills.

The top five bear harvest counties were: Clinton, 213; Lycoming, 196;

Potter, 180; Tioga, 142; and Clearfield, 130. Cameron County's bear kill dropped from 170 last year to 67 this season.

The heaviest bear taken this year was a 693-pound male shot by John D. Eppinette of Adamstown, in West Branch Township, Potter County.

Other large bears included a 621-pound male taken by Jonathan E. Kio of Ulysses, in Allegany Township, Potter County; and a 601-pound male taken by Andrew M. Miller of Mill Hall, in Greene Township, Clinton County.