State Bear kill down, up in Cameron Co.

Pennsylvania's bear kill was down last year, even as the harvest in Cameron County rebounded.

The Pa. Game Commission reported a bear kill of 2,360, after a figure of 3,122 in 2006.

Cameron County's bear kill increased to 118; it had plunged to 70 in 2006. At the same time, Potter County's harvest dropped from 189 in 2006 to 106 last season.

The state's figure of 2,360 included 41 bears during the second archery bear season; 2,026 during the three-day regular season; and 293 bears during an extended season in select areas of the state.

In 2005, hunters set a record harvest of 4,164 bears. Other recent harvests were: 3,075 in 2000; 3,063 in 2001; 2,686 in 2002; 3,000 in 2003, and 2,972 in 2004.

"While this season's harvest pales in comparison to the past two years, we need to keep it in context with weather, food availability and historical trends," said Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist. "For the first day of the statewide season, fog significantly decreased visibility in some areas of northcentral Pennsylvania - - some of the state's best bear hunting territory -- at a time when we had the largest number of bear hunters in the woods."

Largest bear taken was a 727-pound (estimated live weight) male taken in Pike County. Nine bears weighed 600 pounds or more.

Overall, bear kills in Wildlife Management Unit 2G, including all of Cameron County, the bottom halves of McKean and Potter, were 545 in 2007 and 724 the year before.

In Area 3A, north of Rt. 6 in Potter, McKean and Tioga counties, 186 bears were taken last year and 242 the year before.

Bear kills in Clinton, Tioga, McKean, Clearfield, Elk and Centre counties all dropped last season.