Bear season draws closer

Black bears are plentiful in nearly every Pennsylvania management unit. Photo courtesy of PGC

A thriving black bear population awaits hunters in northcentral Pennsylvania this year.

"Our bear hunting should be excellent," said Mark Fair, the Pa. Game Commission wildlife conservation officer whose district covers Cameron and McKean counties.

"Even after a record harvest this past season, bear nuisance complaints continue to increase," Fair added. "Hunters should concentrate on the ridges that are producing hard mast, such as acorns and beechnuts."

Bear kill figures dropped off considerably in Cameron County last year to 70 after a harvest of 172 in 2005. Potter County hunters took 189 in 2006; they killed 214 the year before. McKean County held fairly steady at 139 last year and 146 the previous season.

Clinton (226) and Lycoming

222) counties produced the highest number of bears last season.

Pennsylvania has been supporting a bear population of roughly 15,000 since 2000. In recent years, an average of 3,500 black bears have been taken by hunters.

The principal bear season is Nov. 19-21, the three days preceding Thanksgiving. Pennsylvania also holds a bear archery season, Nov. 14 and 15, that includes the local wildlife management areas.

Stability of Pennsylvania's bear population is closely related to the widespread availability of habitat and good reproduction. The Game Commission operates a monitoring program to ensure problems don't develop.

Mark Ternent, Game Commission black bear biologist, said, "Big bears can be found almost anywhere in the state where there is good habitat and a bear has a chance to avoid hunters."

The state's seven largest black bear harvests -- all more than 2,600 -- have occurred over the past seven years. Prior to 1983, the state's annual bear harvests never exceeded 1,000.

Bear populations have substantially increased in size and distribution over the past two decades.