Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire PA Black Bear Harvest

Hunters harvest 3,170 bears in 2022; 3 over 700 lbs., 11 topped 600 lbs.

Pennsylvania hunters harvested some tremendous black bears in the 2022 seasons, including three of more than 700 pounds and 11 more that topped 600 pounds.

Those were among 3,170 taken overall — down from 3,621 in 2021 — but still enough to rank the harvest as the 14th largest all time.

Hunters in 2022 took bears in 58 of the state’s 67 counties and 22 of its 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).

Hunters took 737 bears in the archery season, 712 in the muzzleloader/special firearms season, 1,051 in the general season and 663 in the extended season. Another seven were taken in the early season.

In 2022, 213,639 individuals — 203,922 Pennsylvania residents, 9,717 nonresidents — bought a bear license. That was the third-most ever.

The largest taken in 2022 was the 755-pounder harvested by Cory Bennett, of Toms River, N.J. He got it with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County.

The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pennsylvania hunting seasons.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/20...n-2022-3-over-700-lbs-11-topped-600-lbs/

1.5% success rate, but some real pigs in those numbers.

Yeah, but how big were they?

🤔

Wish they would grow that big in Colorado. 300 pounds is big bear here. PA has more abundant and diverse feed. Same with the transplanted elk there.

I hunted every legal hour of this year’s PA bear season. No luck. But had 2 shot within 300 yards of me in Oil Creek State Park.

Seems like the guys who put on drives 20-25 people at a time have the best odds.

Here’s a link to the detailed harvest data

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Hun...ackBearAgeHarvestData/Pages/default.aspx

Interesting on the age differences, with some bears over 15 years old harvested. The other thing noticeable is males are much larger than females. I didn’t realize that 200lb is about all the bigger females get.

Out of state PA hunting licenses are $102. This includes 1 buck, and unlimited small game. Out of state bear is over the counter - with no limit on number of sales. I believe it was around $30.

Skull size over 20" is exceptional

Over 18" is good.

For eastern black bear.

That 1.5% success rate has meant exactly two opportunities for me in 35 years of hard hunting for them

Very hard to draw a tag in my area of Michigan

We have to chase them off the picnic table

God forbid you leave out some garbage or clean fish

Damn nuisance like raccoons here

I've hunted bears in PA 3 times in the last 10 years, first time one of our party shot one about 500 yards from me but it ran towards me in a swamp and I heard its' death moan, second time I did not see a thing, the third time I heard some branches breaking in the laurel and it was either a bear or noisy deer. It seems like somebody I know gets one every year somewhere in PA.

I hope to devote time to it once I retire, definitely on my bucket list though, along with a moose.

I've killed too many whitetails to count and am lucky enough to killed have 2 caribou and 2 bull elk with a bow (5X5 and 6X5). If I don't get a bear soon I might have to pay for a hunt up in Maine.

It seems all they report from PA is weight.

Are there even tags available down there?

I've been stockpiling preference points since the last time I hunted bears in 2004. I probably have 15 or so points now and am being cautious about when to spend the for a tag.

That's all we care about. Nobody ever talks skull size

My county (Centre) has a high harvest count, but the norther tier counties are even better.

Im in the BALDWIN bear unit

Few tags

Lots of nuisance bears

They only report weight because they are using data from field dressed bears at the check station. Skull measurement are used in the PA record books.

How are you allowed to hunt in MI? Baiting? Hounds?

In PA neither baiting or hounds are legal, which makes hunting harder, but everyone gets a chance.

Spent several days in muzzleloader and three days in rifle season in Clinton county. Good bear area.

Never heard a shot. Only saw two other hunters in the rifle season.

Rough year for me. But I know I'm in the right spot. I'm right at 10% success rate after this past season lol. So I'm due for another in about four years.
-Jake

SupFoo gets an A+ on this news report.

Pa black bears are the biggeat youll find. Some absolute monsters here. Have seen many, many bears, but only 2 were easily 500lb plus

Here in the northeast the population has really took off. Ten years ago it was really rare to see a bear. Two years ago I saw 14 different bear throughout the summer. Last summer there was a mother with 4 cubs living on a farm we rent.

I've killed 3 bear, and had opportunities on a couple more. A guy who hunts my farm has killed three in the last four years.

Not even hide square?

Can’t come out in pieces?