1ST DAY BEAR RESULTS ========
PRELIMINARY FIRST-DAY BEAR HARVEST RESULTS
The first day of Pennsylvania’s statewide bear season resulted in a harvest of 1,623 black bears, according to preliminary totals released Monday by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Archery and other early bear season harvest data still is being entered into the Game Commission’s database, and is not available at this time.
Bears have been harvested in 52 counties during the statewide season so far.
The top 10 bears processed at check stations by Monday were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 540 pounds or more.
The largest of those bears – a male estimated at 677 pounds – was taken in Pittsfield Township, Warren County, by James M. Hultberg, of Pittsfield, Pa.
Other large bears include: a 623-pound male taken in West Buffalo Township, Union County, by Fred F. Stoltzfus, of Lewisburg, Pa.; a 598-pound male taken in Muddy Creek Township, Butler County, by Jeffrey L. McClymonds, of Slippery Rock, Pa.; a 574-pound male taken in Tyrone Township, Blair County, by Ray E. Golden, of Tyrone, Pa.; a 560-pound male taken in Black Township, Somerset County, by Derek J. Wheeler, of Uniontown; a 559-pound male taken in Delmar Township, Tioga County, by K.L. Sarangoulis, of Reading, Pa.; a 558-pound male taken in West Branch Township, Potter County, by Colton P. Group, of Landisburg, Pa.; a 557-pound male taken in Portage Township, Cambria County, by Brett A. Robine, of Irwin, Pa.; a 552-pound male taken in Bradys Bend Township, Armstrong County, by Travis J. Crawford, of Kittanning, Pa.; and a 540-pound male taken in Leidy Township, Clinton County, by Thomas E. Fahringer, of Landisburg, Pa.
The 2014 first-day preliminary harvest is an increase compared to the 1,320 bears taken during the 2013 opener. Hunters in 2013 harvested a total of 3,510 bears – the fifth-largest harvest in state history. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary first-day totals numbered 1,936.
Other first-day harvest totals were 1,751 in 2010; 1,897 in 2009; 1,725 in 2008; 1,005 in 2007; 1,461 in 2006; 2,026 in 2005; 1,573 in 2004; 1,454 in 2003; 1,348 2002; 1,812 in 2001; and 1,691 in 2000.
The preliminary first-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 6; WMU 1B, 54; WMU 2C, 162; WMU 2D, 84; WMU 2E, 21; WMU 2F, 171; WMU 2G, 365; WMU 2H, 49; WMU 3A, 101; WMU 3B, 133; WMU 3C, 44; WMU 3D, 105; WMU 4A, 66; WMU 4B, 67; WMU 4C, 44; WMU 4D, 132; WMU 4E, 15; WMU 5A, 3; and WMU 5C, 1.
The top bear harvest county in the state on the first day of the season was Lycoming County, with 143.
Opening day harvests by county and region are:
Northwest (248): Warren, 69; Venango, 42; Clarion, 35; Forest, 32; Jefferson, 30; Crawford, 15; Butler, 11; Erie, 11; and Mercer, 3.
Southwest (171): Fayette, 62; Somerset, 61; Armstrong, 21; Westmoreland, 15; Cambria, 7; and Indiana, 5.
Northcentral (708): Lycoming, 143; Tioga, 130; Clinton, 91; Potter, 64; Centre, 60; McKean, 60; Cameron, 54; Elk, 46; Clearfield, 36; and Union, 24.
Southcentral (204): Huntingdon, 45; Bedford, 43; Perry, 29; Mifflin, 22; Blair, 20; Fulton, 19; Juniata, 10; Snyder, 9; Franklin, 6; and Cumberland, 1.
Northeast (258): Pike, 49; Sullivan, 37; Bradford, 31; Luzerne, 26; Monroe, 25; Susquehanna, 23; Wayne, 19; Carbon, 18; Wyoming, 13; Lackawanna, 9; Columbia, 6; and Northumberland, 2.
Southeast (34): Schuylkill, 17; Dauphin, 13; Berks, 2; Lebanon, 1; and Northampton, 1.