HARRISBURG — After two days, 1,893 black bears have been harvested as part of Pennsylvania’s statewide bear season, according to preliminary totals released Monday by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Archery and other early bear season harvest data is not available at this time.
Bears have been harvested in 53 counties during the statewide season so far.
Four bears exceeding 600 pounds were taken on the season’s second day, Nov. 21. The top 10 bears processed at check stations on the season’s first two days were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 610 pounds or more.
The largest of those bears – a male estimated at 700 pounds – was taken in Barrett Township, Monroe County, by Chad D. Nauman, of Cresco, Pa. He took it with a rifle at about 7 a.m. on Nov. 19, the season’s opening day.
Other large bears taken in the statewide season – all with a rifle – include: a 666-pound male taken Monday in Leidy Township, Clinton County, by Ryan Grieb, of Leesport, Pa.; a 662-pound male, taken Monday in Homer Township, Potter County, by Grant Ruhl, of Lebanon, Pa.; a 642-pound male taken Saturday in Sterling Township, Wayne County, by Randy D. Elders, of Greentown, Pa.; a 635-pound male, taken Monday in Hebron Township, Potter County, by Andrew Tiffany, of Athens, Pa; a 622-pound male taken Saturday in Porter Township, Pike County, by Joseph M. Skutches Jr., of Nazareth, Pa.; a 621-pound male taken Saturday in Tionesta Township, Forest County, by Ronald J. Reitlinger, of Cranberry Township, Pa.; a 621-pound male taken Monday in Briar Creek Township, Columbia County, by Kerry Lauer, of Berwick, Pa; a 616-pound male taken Saturday in Tuscarora Township, Juniata County, by Arron J. Zimmerman, of Port Royal, Pa.; and a 610-pound male taken Saturday in Scrubgrass Township, Venango County, by John J. Ippolito, Gibsonia, Pa.
The 2016 two-day preliminary harvest is a decrease compared to 2,224 bears taken during the statewide season’s first two days in 2015. Hunters in 2014 harvested 2,040 bears on the season’s first two days.
The overall 2015 bear harvest was 3,748, the third-largest in state history. In 2014, hunters took a total of 3,366 bears – the seventh-largest harvest all time. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary two-day totals numbered 2,709.
The preliminary two]day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 23 (13 in 2015); WMU 1B, 53 (49); WMU 2A, 1, (0);WMU 2B, 0 (2); WMU 2C, 157 (162); WMU 2D, 66 (126); WMU 2E, 42 (35); WMU 2F, 230 (280); WMU 2G, 430 (547); WMU 2H, 68 (53); WMU 3A, 123 (79); WMU 3B, 142 (190); WMU 3C, 45 (56); WMU 3D, 138 (195); WMU 4A, 96 (96); WMU 4B, 62 (72); WMU 4C, 54 (72); WMU 4D, 127 (175); WMU 4E, 34 (22); WMU 5A, 1 (0); and WMU 5C, 1 (0).
The top bear-hunting county in the state over the first two days of the season was Clinton County, with 143.
Opening-day harvests by county and region are:
Northwest (312): Warren, 81 (103); Venango, 61 (55); Forest, 55 (67); Jefferson, 47 (49); Clarion, 38 (50); Crawford, 15 (10); Butler, 6 (13); Erie, 5 (2); and Mercer, 4 (6).
Southwest (171): Somerset, 63 (58); Fayette, 40 (43); Westmoreland, 25 (17); Indiana, 19 (17); Cambria, 13 (21); Armstrong, 11 (30); and Allegheny, 0 (1).
Northcentral (821): Clinton, 143 (190); Lycoming, 132 (208); Tioga, 125 (103); Potter, 100 (60); McKean, 75 (80); Clearfield, 66 (89); Elk, 59 (63); Centre, 57 (87); Cameron, 54 (69); and Union, 10 (24).
Southcentral (224): Bedford, 50 (51); Huntingdon, 42 (76); Fulton, 27 (27); Perry, 25 (16); Juniata, 24 (18); Mifflin, 19 (16); Blair, 16 (22); Franklin, 11 (15); Snyder, 7 (12); Cumberland, 3 (3).
Northeast (324): Luzerne, 46 (56); Pike, 42 (90); Bradford, 36 (37); Monroe, 39 (48); Wayne, 31 (38); Susquehanna, 22 (20); Sullivan, 34 (37); Lackawanna, 20 (17); Carbon, 20 (25); Columbia, 16 (15); Wyoming, 16 (23); Northumberland, 1 (2); and Montour, 1 (1).
Southeast (41): Dauphin, 18 (18); Schuylkill, 15 (20); L
