Pennsylvania Game News - October 2020 - 6

The state record remains an 875-pounder
taken in 2010 in Pike County. Seven black
bears with weights of at least 800 pounds
have been taken in the Commonwealth
since 1992.
"The number of bears in the 500-pound
or larger weight class has been constant
for some time," said Ternent, who added it
takes a bear about nine years to reach 500
or more pounds. "That we consistently
have these heavy bears in our annual
harvest suggests the bear populations are
healthy and stable."
Age-data from bear teeth collected at
bear check stations also shows Pennsylvania bears can have long lives.
The oldest bear taken in the 2018 harvest - 2019's was not available at presstime - was a female taken in Pike County
that was 25 years old. She was followed
by a 22-year-old female from Jefferson
County, and a 20-year-old female from
Cameron County. All three were taken in
the general firearms season.

PROSPECTS
Hunting bears this fall in Penn's Woods
surely packs the same excitement experienced in last year's record-setting slate of
seasons. And even if weather messes up a
few key days, there'll be plenty of others

MANGE IN BEARS

Last year, hair loss or scaly skin was noted for
277 of the 4,653 bears in the harvest, or 6 percent.
But only 42 had sufficient enough symptoms that
a comment was made on the check-station report,
and only a few cases were considered severe.
Still, mange is a common occurrence in the
state's bears, and it kills bears every year.
Pennsylvania's law prohibiting the feeding of
bears statewide helps to limit mange by reducing
sites where bears encounter one another and might
spread the disease.

FALL HUNTING
While bear hunting opens as early
as Sept. 19 in some areas, the statewide
seasons open Saturday, Oct. 17.
From Oct. 17-24, hunters can use
muzzleloaders or archery equipment, and
from Oct. 22-24, junior and senior license
holders, active-duty military and certain
disabled persons' permit holders also can
use firearms.
Then, from Oct. 26-Nov. 7, the season
continues, but only archery equipment is
allowed.
No Sunday hunting is allowed in these
seasons.
Next is the general firearms season,
which starts Saturday, Nov. 21 and continues
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Note that Wednesday has been removed
from the general season to compensate for
the addition of Sunday.
Finally, there is the extended season that
opens Monday, Nov. 30 and runs through
Saturday, Dec. 5 in WMUs 1B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C,
3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A; and through
Saturday, Dec. 12 in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D.
Note that bear hunting has been removed
from the first Saturday of deer firearms
season (Nov. 28) and is not open on Sunday,
Nov. 29.

available to hunters to make up for lost
time. Add to that the prospect of getting
close to a Pennsylvania black bear in a
population of about 20,000 that can be
accessed within 100 miles of every resident, and it's easy to see that bear hunting
is within your reach.
All you need is a license to go.
Just remember, though, even in last
fall's record bear harvest, the success rate
was only 2 percent. It's not easy to take
a bear, but if you get close enough to see
one during a hunt, you'll never forget the
moment for the rest of your life.
Bear hunting's like that.
It's always been.

Pennsylvania Game News - October 2020

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