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.

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.

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 in 2002; 1,812 in 2001; and 1,691 in 2000.

The top bear harvest county in the state on the first day of the season was Lycoming County, with 143.

Opening day harvests in the area by region and county:

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.