Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, Emily Carrollo prepares for tagging and taking measurements and samples from a captured black bear. Also, do bears in Florida, and other warm states hibernate, or do they just become less active? This means that in the case of black bears, a female bear with cubs is less dangerous than a predatory male bear. If they do, the statewide bear harvest will not be spread uniformly across all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, several of which have seen no bears taken by hunters in modern times. Hunters also harvested 4,164 in 2005. Share their experience with a Pennsylvania bear family:http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/10/bear_family_surprises_rock_hou.html, Bear with wanderlust was a traveler to the end. According to Emily Carrollo, who is the Pennsylvania Game Commissions black bear biologist, the state trapped, tagged, tattooed, and released around 700 black bears last year in 2021 in its yearly program. Black Bear numbers have increased substantially in Pennsylvania, from around 4,000 in the 1970s to around 18,000 today. Bears can be encountered at any time of day or night, but they are most active at dusk and dawn. Theres plenty of food. It weighed 875 pounds. A smaller bear with tags in its ears. The combination of forests and wetlands with sparse human population provides excellent black bear . Its more tender.. There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Conversely, many counties in Pennsylvania have populations of fewer than fifty thousand residents. In Pennsylvania, there are breeding populations of black bear in over 75% of the state, and bear sightings have been reported in all 67 of its counties. Bears that were eating around 8,000 calories per day start taking in up 20,000 calories per day when they enter hyperphagia. Depending on the year, the bear harvest has increased 20 to 80 percent in areas open to extended hunting. The most recent county-level data available by age, race, sex, and ethnicity are the Vintage 2020 Population Estimates (census.gov) for 2010 to 2019 and the Vintage 2021 Population Estimates (census.gov) for 2020 and 2021. When he called his wife to tell her, she didn't believe him because he hadn't been out that long. They really want nothing to do with people.. I think I startled it, he said about the close encounter in thick Mountain Laurel and brush. These provisional estimates are postcensal estimates, and the final estimates are intercensal estimates. USAFacts used the final intercensal estimates for 1970 through 2009 and the provisional postcensal estimates for 2010 and after. This is a rather big drop. In most of the state, were going from 14 or 16 days of bear hunting to 32, from three Saturdays to seven, and we started hunting bears almost two weeks earlier.. The snow really helped us out, and Im really thankful for my harvest, he said. And its complicated, A decade after N.J. train derailment, questions linger over rail safety and public health, East Palestine drama students persevere through catastrophic disruption, U.S. Steel reaches tentative settlement with Allegheny County, groups over air pollution following 2018 fire, https://www.alleghenyfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/AF081321_RF_Bears.mp3, Frogs and Salamanders Get a New Habitat at Ohiopyle State Park. The bear wandered into the trap sometime over the last 24 hours, lured by about a dozen stale donuts Carrollo left inside as bait. We are biologists, but in reality, were mostly managing people, making management plans that help kind of construct rules and regulations and how to get people to behave, to be able to interact with wildlife so we can maintain these populations and preserve them for future generations, Carrollo says. They now cover more than three-quarters of the state, with sightings reported in every county. Black bear attacks are uncommon, especially when compared to attacks by other bear species, but these creatures are nevertheless dangerous. You Should clean your barbecue grill after every use and store it inside. Even though they are named black bears, their colors can vary from black, blue-grey, cinnamon, brown, blue-black, and on infrequent occasions, a black bear can even be white. Some people take for granted that they dont need to be cautious around them. On Nov. 22, a 746-pound bear was taken with a rifle in Barrett Township, Monroe County. Lycoming County was next best, producing 186 bears, followed by Tioga, with 185; Clearfield, with 158; Monroe, with 152; Clinton, with 150; Elk, with 140; Luzerne, with 125; Centre, with 117;. The state tags these bears as a way to estimate the overall bear population, which has recovered in recent decades. Black bears are extremely docile, she says. Keep all food or empty containers that have had food in them out of your vehicles. The quick answer is yes, but only black bears are present in the state. Potter leads the way with 179 points, Pike comes in second with 167 points, Tioga comes in third with 165 . Bears were taken in 59 of 67 counties and 22 of Pennsylvania's 23 Wildlife Management Units in the 2021 seasons. Their average height is around 30 inches at the shoulder. Most of these consist of mixed hardwood forests with blackberries and blueberries growing beneath the forest canopy. es a really good-looking bear, she says, before offering something like a scouting report: fantastic body weight, no bony protrusions indicating malnourishment, no signs of mange, a great looking coat of black fur. With the help of his friends, it took about five hours to move the bear out of the woods. Although they have become common in many new areas of the state where they. Predators kill white-tailed deer. Black bears have large, more pointed ears than other bears. The latest county preliminary harvest totals for all seasons are: Northwest (535): Warren, 142; Venango, 79; Forest, 66; Jefferson, 65; Clarion, 61; Crawford, 56; Butler, 44; Erie, 15; and Mercer, 7. How many bears did Pennsylvania hunters kill in 2017? As you can see, black bears are not non-aggressive all the time. What triggers hibernation in Pennsylvania black bears? Carrollo pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger. The previous record occurred in 2000, when . All of this data hair, blood, teeth samples will help wildlife scientists better understand the bear population down the road and even help fight diseases like mange. See, The average size of home ranges for adult male bears in Pennsylvania is 20 square miles, while the average size for females is 6 to 8 square miles See. The black bear's scientific name is Ursus americanus, which means "American bear." And although there are three species of bears in North America, many wonder if there are bears in Pennsylvania.In 2015, the population of bears in the state was around 20,000. The latest county preliminary harvest totals for all seasons are: Northwest (535): Warren, 142; Venango, 79; Forest, 66; Jefferson, 65; Clarion, 61; Crawford, 56; Butler, 44; Erie, 15; and Mercer, 7. In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2017-2021: 62.9%: In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2017-2021: 58.8%: Total accommodation and food services sales, 2017 ($1,000) 28,849,427: Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000) 116,621,778 According to harvest numbers from the past few years, Lycoming County should be the top destination for any hunter wanting to kill a Pennsylvania black bear. Here are the details on how to survive an encounter with a bear:http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2016/04/could_you_survive_a_pennsylvan.html. In the wild, they can live up to 25 years. In the first 11 days of this hunting season, 212 bears have been harvested in Lycoming County. For the majority of people, though, who dont live on a large acreage, the best thing to do is to store your grease drippings and food waste in the refrigerator until the day of your garbage pickup and then throw it away just before the garbage truck comes. Population Growth of Black Bears Black Bear numbers have increased substantially in Pennsylvania, from around 4,000 in the 1970s to around 18,000 today. Reid is currently contributing to StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaboration among The Allegheny Front, WESA, WITF and WHYY covering the Commonwealth's energy economy. The total number of bears taken was 3,170, which was down from the 2021 total of 3,621. How many? The following counties topped the state for most bears taken in the 2022 season. Contiguous woods with bogs, marshes, mountains, and a well-established forest understory make up prime bear habitat. They are agile, able to stand and walk erect on their hind feet, capable climbers and strong swimmers. The Census Bureaus Population Estimates Program data by county includes details like counts by age, race, or ethnicity and goes back for decades. When I'm not working, I enjoy playing video games with friends. A few minutes later, the bear stumbles to his feet. In the most recent report by Pennsylvania Game Commission, more than 16,000 black bears live in Pennsylvania. Black bears that have been habituated to human food or garbage, as well as black bears that are in a hyperphagic state as they prepare to go into their winter den, can be especially dangerous. These counties are in mountainous, forested regions that are ideal for black bears. Comparison pages include footnotes explaining that pre-2000 and post-2000 data comparisons will result in lower values for the separate race categories in proportion to the expected two or more race population. The Pennsylvania firearms hunting season for bear opens Saturday, November 17, and speculation is running high on whether this will be the year that hunters top the existing record of 4,350 bears harvested in 2011. Please enable scripts and reload this page. They can feed for up to 20 hours a day during this period, consuming up to 20,000 calories. Pritts is looking forward to the meat: I like it better than beef. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, On a summer morning in Tuscarora State Forest, Emily Carrollo crouches in front of a metal bear trap, pointing. Bears are drawn to beehives, especially when they emerge from hibernation in the spring and when honey production is highest in the late summer and fall. The length and timing of hunting seasons is set such that populations with greater human-bear conflicts are reduced or stabilized while areas with few conflicts are allowed to increase. The Pennsylvania Game Commission's preliminary report reveals that hunters killed 1,010 bears in the rifle season and 1,451 in the variety of early seasons. However, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission bear specialist Emily Carrollo, there is no reason for concern. Through interactive state and county maps for the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, each page provides a snapshot of change from 2010 to 2020 on five topics. 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. Also, here are the harvest numbers by county from 2016, as well as the size of each county and the number of humans living there. Black bears gain weight in the late summer and fall in preparation for their winter hibernation. Corrected numbers for the general season appear below. Property damage, the likelihood of serious human injury, personnel resources within the Game Commission who respond to conflicts, and public tolerance for further growth of the bear population all have been impacted by the increase in bears. Predation is a natural form of mortality for white-tailed deer. However, between 2001 and 2021, black bears killed 28 people in North America. Pennsylvania's population increased 7 out of the 11 years between year 2010 and year 2021. The largest bear taken in Pennsylvania in the 2022 hunting season was a 755-pounder in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County. Bears can be found throughout Pennsylvania in big forested areas. Montgomery County (820,656), Bucks County (626,751), and Delaware County (563,995) are all in the top five most populous counties in the state, and census statistics show that each of these have also had population increases of between 0.21% and 2.46% in recent years. Tagging the bears to create a census will also help guide management decisions to limit human and bear interactions. The 500-pound black bear killed in a collision with a Honda Pilot on Wertzville Road in Silver Spring Township on April 8 is just one of 400 to 500 bears likely to die on Pennsylvania roadways this year. They are generally non-aggressive. The only other year hunters took more than 4,000 bears was in 2005 when 4,164 were taken. Northeast (1,214): Luzerne, 161; Pike, 161; Monroe, 130; Wayne, 130; Bradford, 125; Carbon, 87; Sullivan, 85; Susquehanna,82; Wyoming, 82; Lackawanna, 75; Columbia, 64; Northumberland, 25; and Montour, 7. The per capita income in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania is $43,036.00. Another seven were taken in the early season," a statement from the game commission said.Video below: May 2022 - bear spotted near a busy grocery store in Lancaster County.The biggest bearsThe largest bear taken in Pennsylvania in the 2022 hunting season was a 755-pounder in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County. Hes a really good-looking bear, she says, before offering something like a scouting report: fantastic body weight, no bony protrusions indicating malnourishment, no signs of mange, a great looking coat of black fur. At about 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1, 2014, just off Rt. The total population in Bear Creek is currently 2,744 people. Black bears are thriving in Penns Woods today. Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. HARRISBURG, PA - Hunters have set a new Pennsylvania bear-harvest record. The following is a list of the 67 counties of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Monroe County: 114 bears. It helps the state manage the fall bear hunt, which yields around 3,700 bears a year with a goal to keep bears away from areas with lots of people. None have increased by more than 6%, with Cumberland County topping the list at 5.09%, closely followed by Centre County at 5.06%. The Game Commission estimates that there are about 18,000 bears in the state. Bear populations are managed through regulated hunting, where hunting seasons are set such that populations with more human-bear conflicts are minimized or maintained, while areas with few conflicts are permitted to increase. See. Although they have become common in many new areas of the state where they previously were largely unknown, they continue to be spotted in new locations. It weighed 875 pounds. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. It is the only state on our list where the population has fallen. In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2017-2021: 62.9%: In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2017-2021: 58.8%: Total accommodation and food services sales, 2017 ($1,000) 28,849,427: Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000) 116,621,778 Adults typically average around 200 pounds, with males often weighing more than twice as much as females. Some counties are traditionally the top producers of black bears - notably counties in the northcentral and northeastern regions of the state - and generally can be expected to repeat with similar results in the coming hunting season. The largest bear through all 2019 seasons is the 813-pound male taken with a rifle on the opening day of the general season in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Victor M. Vassalluzzo, of Kintnersville. Whats more, the state bear population has seen two other similar drops following high bear harvests in recent decades. Of course none of these tips will guarantee smooth sailing bears like people are individuals and some are more trouble than others. How many of them are out there? Bears have adapted well to the expansion of human settlement and even live in suburban settings. Bears provide recreation for hunters, wildlife photographers, and those who enjoy viewing animals. A bear may damage multiple beehives to get at the honey and bees. Read more of the explanation of hibernation in bears in Pennsylvania:http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2010/01/what_triggers_hibernation_in_p.html, Epidemic of mange is killing Pennsylvania bear. If a bear gets used to eating human food, it can become a nuisance. They are omnivores, and in some cases, 96% of their diet is plant material. The race and ethnicity of the population in Bear Creek can be very important for social research, economics, and marketing to a multi-culturial society. They are the most common and well-known bears native to North America. "Notably, the harvest was spread out more evenly than ever before over four seasons. Southcentral (718): Huntingdon, 177; Bedford, 148; Fulton, 80; Perry, 67; Mifflin, 54; Franklin, 47; Juniata, 42; Blair, 40; Cumberland, 27; Snyder, 24; Adams, 11; and York, 1. The top bear-hunting county in the state over the general season was Lycoming County with 118 bears. PGC checks on black bear harvest across Pennsylvania. These are Philadelphia County, which is coterminous with the city of Philadelphia and has a population of 1,574,765 (even though it is the second smallest county in the state by land area), and Allegheny County, with its 1,227,553 residents. Consequently, sometimes humans find themselves living in close proximity to bear country. For six years, I have worked as a professional writer and editor for books, blogs, and websites, with a particular focus on animals, tech, and finance. Therefore, many Pennsylvanians respect their presence. On rare occasions, they will eat animals, Carrollo said, like very young and unprotected fawns. Longbow hunter describes his encounter with massive black bear in Bedford County, Hunters find three bears weighing more than 700 pounds as rifle seasons soon get underway, Here's your complete guide to the 2022 PA deer hunting season, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. With an estimated 18,000 black bears wandering across most of Pennsylvania, your odds of seeing a bear are higher now than at any other time in the states history. They really want nothing to do with people., Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Environmental groups sue to stop fracking in Ohio State parks, More federal funding coming to the state to combat the impact of coal mining, State investigating odor event at Shell ethane cracker, Pa. lawmaker launches new attempt to allow community solar, Homer City Pa.s largest coal-fired power plant will close in July, Spring arrived early for some this year. On a summer morning in Tuscarora State Forest, Emily Carrollo crouches in front of a metal bear trap, pointing a small flashlight through the metal grating. His work has taken him as far away as Texas and Louisiana to report on the petrochemical industry and as close to home as Greene County, Pennsylvania to cover the shale gas boom. Carrollo takes his temperature, measures his head and torso, and shaves a patch of hair off the bears ears, which she will pierce to place tags. Human population at last census: 101,407 Berks County 2017 bear kill: 7 2016 bear kill: 2 Square miles: 866 Human population at last census: 411,442 Lebanon County 2017 bear kill: 8. To learn more please visit - From Under the Deck Bear Feeding Ban. After weighing each bear, a tooth is pulled, which is used to determine the age of the bear. Any comparison with the 1990 census to newer data will include the white, Black, and two categories added that year: American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian or Pacific Islander.. See all the statistics from the 2017 bear hunting seasons:http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2018/04/how_many_bears_did_pennsylvani_2.html. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. For more than 60 years the family has hunted in the mountains around the camp, one generation after the other. The American Black Bear is a widely distributed North American mammal that holds spiritual significance for many different cultures. Seven bears from Potter, Bedford, Clearfield, Clinton, Luzerne, Centre and Monroe counties were heavier than 600 pounds. Our goal was to offer more hunting opportunities and prevent Pennsylvanias bear population from increasing, noted Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. They really try and avoid any kind of conflict with people, they look at us as a threat. Consequentially any bears that are sighted in such areas of the state are more than likely just passing through. Today, harvest during the extended season accounts for 30 to 40 percent of the total harvest in those areas. Although harvest has greatly increased, it has remained within acceptable limits. The Game Commission keeps a database of every tagged bear. As of the 2020 census, the population was 325,594, making it the . Bears have a keen sense of smell. fighting with other males because its breeding season, Carrollo says. This increase in bear numbers and range, however, has also brought an increase in conflicts with bears. His paws measure six inches wide. We will update this experience, including the 2010-2019 estimates, when the Bureau releases county-level 20102020 intercensal estimates by age, sex, race, and ethnicity. The black bears scientific name, Ursus americanus, means American bear in English. In 1987 the second largest black bear by Boone and Crocket measurements was killed by a poacher in Lycoming County. Pennsylvania has a relatively small surface area. The retrieval took longer than the hunt. Breeding bears are also present on the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis and Oswego Counties, although bear abundance is considered fairly low at this time. lack bears are extremely docile, she says. In 2015, the population of bears in the state was around 20,000. If you live on a large property, dispose of your grease drippings and food waste in an area far away from your home. No bears were harvested in 2017 in Beaver, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Fulton, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Washington or York counties. They could really only be found in the north-central and the northeast part of the state.. The record bear harvest of 2005 was the result of several factors: increased opportunity, increased participation, near-record bear populations and great bear-hunting weather. Population in Bear Creek by Race and Ethnicity. To provide the most detail across all available data, USAFacts combined the census data on race and ethnicity into three groupings. By law, Pennsylvania hunters have to bring every bear that they bag to a checking station operated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Pennsylvania's black bear population peaked about four years ago, estimated at over 20,000 bears, and stayed that way until 2020, when it began dropping. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Use caution when interpreting population changes that use different postcensal version estimates. Here's a deeper dive into all things bear in Pennsylvania:http://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2017/11/black_bear_in_pennsylvania_how.html. Black bears range is large they live from Canada to Mexico and eat a varied diet of plants, nuts, and berries. Since then, the population has taken off, to its current number of around 16,000. These are Philadelphia County, which is coterminous with the city of Philadelphia and has a population of 1,574,765 (even though it is the second smallest county in the state by land area), and Allegheny County, with its . A white blaze or V can be seen on the chests of many bears. He was hunting Saturday in Stewart Township. The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder . It weighed 275 pounds at the time it was caught in August six years ago. Nuisance bear conflicts have increased more dramatically in the northeast than anywhere else in the state. A black bear chased a dog into a Perry County home in 2011 and then attacked and injured the couple . On the other hand, bears have expanded their range and now thrive in 50 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties. In the 1970s, there were fewer than 5,000.Video below: Bear runs across Route 30. Cory Bennet, of Tom's River, New Jersey, took it with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15. With ample food availability, Pennsylvanias bears are able to grow to their full genetic potential. The Commonwealths previous record bear harvest occurred in 2011, when hunters took 4,350 through a slate of bear seasons. 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