Pennsylvania Game News - April 2016 - 42

Management Units (WMUs), and each
of the Game Commission's six regions
saw a larger harvest in 2015 compared
to the previous year.
The 68 bears harvested weighing
500 pounds or more represents a sharp
increase from 2014, when 41 bears
taken by hunters reached or exceeded
the 500-pound mark.
And 18 bears in the 2015 harvest
topped 600 pounds.
Two bears tied for heaviest in the
harvest, each weighing an estimated 713
pounds. The first was taken on the Nov.
21 statewide opener in Blair Township,
Blair County, by Richard A. Watt, of Gallitzin, Pa. The second was taken Nov. 23
in Granville Township, Mifflin County,
by Gregory A. Wilson, of Lewistown.
Rounding out the 2015 list of the
top 10 heaviest bears were an estimated
685-pound male taken Nov. 21 in Letterkenny Township, Franklin County
by Dustin J. Foust, of Orrstown, Pa.; a
652-pound male taken in Todd Township, Fulton County, on the Nov. 16
opener of the statewide bear archery
season by Garry E. Miller Jr., of McConnellsburg, Pa.; a 649-pound male taken
in Limestone Township, Warren County,
by Matthew B. Stanga, of Tarentum, Pa.;
a 648-pound male taken in Brush Creek
Township, Fulton County, by Andrew
D. Fischer, of Crystal Spring, Pa.; a
640-pound male taken in Weatherly
Township, Carbon County, by Kenneth
J. Mehlig, of Weatherly, Pa.; a 632-pound
male taken Nov. 24 in Worth Township,
Centre County by Chad A. Seeger of Port
Matilda, Pa.; a 631-pound male taken
Nov. 25 in Hillsgrove Township, Sullivan
County by Skyler M. Hubler, of Dushore,
Pa.; and a 629-pound male taken Nov.
24 in Greene Township, Pike County by
John Gilpin, of Newfoundland, Pa.
42

Lycoming County, perennially among
the top counties for bear harvests again
led the way with 312 harvests in 2014,
up from 286 the previous year. Among
other top counties for bear harvests in
2015 were: Clinton, 265 (179 in 2014);
Tioga 196 (275); Pike 180 (111); and
Centre, 162 (117).
The four-day general season again
set the pace for the overall harvest, with
2,724 bears being taken during that
season. But the extended seasons and
the archery bear season also contributed
to the totals.
Statewide, 803 bears were harvested
in extended seasons while 209 were
taken during the archery bear season.
Pike County claimed the highest
harvest in extended seasons, with 56
bears taken after the close of the general
statewide bear season.
Other top counties, and their harvest
totals during the extended seasons, were:
Wayne, 52; Tioga, 51; Lycoming, 50;
Luzerne, 49; and Bradford, 46.
Final county harvests by region (with
2014 figures in parentheses) are:
Northwest - 455 (394): Warren, 126
(100); Forest, 77 (41); Venango, 76 (71);
Clarion, 69 (54); Jefferson, 59 (56); Butler, 22 (28); Crawford, 13 (26); Mercer, 8
(5); Erie, 5 (13); and Beaver, 1 (0).
Southwest - 317 (312): Somerset,
102 (109); Fayette, 87 (103); Armstrong, 41 (35); Cambria, 31 (15);
Westmoreland, 27 (29); Indiana, 22 (19);
and Allegheny, 6 (2).
Northcentral - 1,436 (1,383):
Lycoming, 312 (286); Clinton, 265
(179); Tioga, 196 (275); Centre, 162
(117); Clearfield, 114 (72); Potter 97
(157); McKean, 95 (100); Elk, 79 (79);
Cameron, 78 (76); and Union, 38 (42).
Southcentral - 452 (391): Huntingdon, 120 (89); Bedford, 74 (70); Blair,
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - April 2016
