Bear hunting tallies
bc-PGC-bear-harvest-data 12-16
STK IN SPT SU SVY POL TO OUTDOORS AND STATE EDITORS:Preliminary Bear Harvest Now Ranks SecondHARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With an additional 342 bears taken during the extended bear season that was open last week in certain parts of the state, Pennsylvania Game Commission preliminary harvest reports accounted for 3,499 bears, which moves this year's harvest into second place in state bear harvests. Updated preliminary results also now show that the two-day archery bear season resulted in a harvest of 114, and the statewide three-day season resulted in a harvest of 3,043.Official total bear harvest figures for all three seasons won't be available until early 2010, after a detailed review of each harvest report is completed.In the 2005 bear season, hunters harvested a record 4,164 bears. Other recent bear harvests include: 2,598 in 1998; 1,740 in 1999; 3,075 in 2000; 3,063 in 2001; 2,686 in 2002; 3,000 in 2003; 2,977 in 2004; 3,124 in 2006; 2,362 in 2007; and 3,460 in 2008.The preliminary three-season bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with 2008 figures in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 8 (21); WMU 1B, 36 (67); WMU 2C, 246 (227); WMU 2D, 127 (166); WMU 2E, 77 (117); WMU 2F, 282 (246); WMU 2G, 1,024 (738); WMU 3A, 254 (313); WMU 3B, 291 (390); WMU 3C, 73 (177); WMU 3D, 272 (199); WMU 4A, 125 (145); WMU 4B, 43 (43); WMU 4C, 141 (94); WMU 4D, 441 (448); WMU 4E, 57 (52); WMU 5B, 1 (0); and WMU 5C, 1 (1).The leading top five bear harvest counties this year all come from the Northcentral Region. The top county was Clinton, with 294 (139 in 2008); followed by: Lycoming, 280 (251); Tioga, 215 (236); Cameron, 214 (75); and Potter 181 (294).Preliminary county harvests by region for the three seasons (with 2008 figures in parentheses) are:Northwest: Warren, 101 (59); Forest, 60 (60); Jefferson, 59 (62); Clarion, 48 (65); Venango, 33 (64); Butler, 13 (13); Crawford, 8 (31); and Mercer, 3 (6).Southwest: Somerset, 72 (103); Fayette, 71 (43); Westmoreland, 65 (37); Armstrong, 44 (50); Indiana, 32 (66); and Cambria, 19 (40).Northcentral: Clinton, 294 (139); Lycoming, 280 (251); Tioga, 215 (236); Cameron, 214 (75); Potter 181 (294); Centre, 148 (125); McKean, 142 (141); Clearfield, 134 (113); Elk, 120 (92); and Union, 50 (57).Southcentral: Huntingdon, 110 (134); Bedford, 65 (80); Mifflin, 64 (56); Blair, 44 (51); Juniata, 33 (22); Snyder, 23 (44); Fulton, 16 (13); Perry, 8 (14); and Franklin, 5 (0).Northeast: Pike, 115 (73); Bradford, 74 (102); Monroe, 75 (54); Sullivan, 68 (134); Carbon, 66 (32); Luzerne, 56 (59); Wayne, 49 (107); Wyoming, 44 (55); Lackawanna, 32 (39); Susquehanna, 30 (40); Columbia, 27 (24); Northumberland, 5 (6); and Montour, 1 (1).Southeast: Schuylkill, 37 (36); Dauphin, 24 (19); Lebanon, 8 (0); Berks, 7 (1); Northampton, 5 (4); and Lehigh, 2 (2).According to preliminary reports, the top 10 legal bears processed at check stations that were taken during the all seasons all had actual or estimated live weights that exceeded 610 pounds, and 38 bears exceeding 500 pounds were legally harvested. Edward L. Bechtel, of Lykens, Dauphin County, harvested the largest bear, which was a male that had an estimated live weight of 668-pounds. The bear was taken in Jefferson Township, Dauphin County, at 3:50 p.m. on Dec. 3.Other large bears included: a 655-pound male (estimated live weight) taken in Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, by David S. Kohnow, of Morrisville, at 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 24; a 654-pound male (actual live weight) taken in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, by Terence J. Burkhardt, of Jim Thorpe, at 4:35 p.m., on Nov. 23; a 654-pound male (estimated live weight) also taken in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, by Michael J. Wimmer Jr., of Jim Thorpe, at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 23; a 644-pound male (actual live weight) taken in Todd Township, Fulton County, by Travis L. Crouse, of Chambersburg, at 9:06 a.m. on Nov. 23; a 644-pound male (estimated live weight) taken in Todd Township, Huntingdon County, by Max L. Hess, of Huntingdon, at 1 p.m. on Nov. 23; a 640-pound male (estimated live weight) taken in Barrett Township, Monroe County, by Howard G. Dietsch III, of Greentown, at 2 p.m. on Nov. 25; a 621-pound male (estimated live weight) taken in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, by Albert G. Beisel, of Lackawaxen, at 11:25 a.m. on Nov. 25; a 612-pound male (estimated live weight) taken in Brown Township, Lycoming County, by Lawrence T. Jagielski, of Reading, at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 24; and a 610-pound male (actual live weight) taken in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, by David T. Frey, of Harrisburg, at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 23.Note to Editors: If you would like to receive Game Commission news releases via e-mail, please send a note with your name, address, telephone number and the name of the organization you represent to:
PGCNewsstate.pa.us SOURCE Pennsylvania Game Commission-0- 12/16/2009/CONTACT: Jerry Feaser of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, +1-717-705-6541,
PGCNewsstate.pa.us//Web Site:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us / CO: Pennsylvania Game Commission ST: Pennsylvania IN: SPT SU: SVY POL PR -- DC27455 -- 1905 12/16/2009 15:59 EST