PRELIMINARY THREE-DAY PA 2018 BEAR HARVEST RESULTS

A hefty 780-pound male was taken with a rifle Nov. 19 by Michael J. Rubeo,
of Mercer, in Howe Township, Forest County.

Hunters during the third day of Pennsylvania’s statewide bear season harvested 211 bears, raising the three-day total to 1,833 – a 12 percent increase over the 1,628 bears taken during the 2017 season’s first three days.

Bears have been harvested in 54 counties so far during the statewide season, which closes today.

The top 10 bears processed at check stations by Wednesday were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 600 pounds or more.

Two huge bears overtook the state’s largest harvested bear, which wasn’t easy, considering it weighed 704 pounds.

A hefty 780-pound male was taken with a rifle Nov. 19 by Michael J. Rubeo, of Mercer, in Howe Township, Forest County.

A day later, a 708-pound male was taken by Timothy J. Weaver, of Dallas, Pa., with a rifle in Harvey’s Lake Borough, Luzerne County.

Other large bears taken over the season’s first two days – all but one taken with a rifle – include: a 704-pound male taken Nov. 17 in Goshen Township, Clearfield County, by Mickey L. Moore, of Clearfield; a 697-pound male taken Nov. 19 in Chapman Township, Clinton County, by Scott Yorty, of Bloomsburg; a 681-pounder taken Nov. 17 in Coal Township, Northumberland County, by Robert L. Britton III, of Coal Township; a 680-pounder taken Nov. 19 in Chest Township, Clearfield County, by Douglas D. Routch, of Curwensville; a 679-pound male taken with a handgun Nov. 17 in Farmington Township, Warren County, by Jordan Tutmaher, of Warren; a 666-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Snyder Township, Jefferson County, by Earl F. Timothy, of Brockway; a 627-pound male taken Nov. 19 in Snyder Township, Jefferson County, by Wayne C. Kline, of Reynoldsville; and a 623-pound male taken Nov. 17 in Newport Township, Luzerne County, by Corrina M. Kishbaugh, of Nanticoke.

The overall 2017 bear harvest was 3,438 was the ninth-largest in state history. In 2016, hunters took 3,529 bears, for the fifth best all-time harvest. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary three-day totals numbered 2,709.

The preliminary three-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 17 (14 in 2017); WMU 1B, 100 (53); WMU 2A, 5 (1); WMU 2C, 115 (75); WMU 2D, 114 (91); WMU 2E, 56 (25); WMU 2F, 198 (182); WMU 2G, 344 (356); WMU 2H, 59 (70); WMU 3A, 99 (103); WMU 3B, 117 (167); WMU 3C, 45 (80); WMU 3D, 141 (173); WMU 4A, 123 (59); WMU 4B, 53 (30); WMU 4C, 83 (42); WMU 4D, 112 (79); WMU 4E, 48 (26); and WMU 5A, 4 (2).

Archery and other early-bear season harvest data is not included in this report.

The top bear-hunting county in the state after three days of season was Clinton County with 119. It was followed by Lycoming County with 103.

Three-day harvests by county and region are:

Northwest (366): Venango, 68 (41); Jefferson, 64 (47); Forest, 52 (28); Warren, 52 (79); Crawford, 49 (20); Clarion, 37 (29); Butler, 17 (9); Erie, 15 (6); and Mercer, 12 (6).

Southwest (168): Somerset, 57 (34); Fayette, 32 (23); Indiana, 30 (8); Armstrong, 25 (30); Cambria, 13 (6); and Westmoreland, 11 (9).

Northcentral (643): Clinton, 119 (106); Lycoming, 103 (120); Tioga, 86 (113); Clearfield, 72 (49); Cameron, 61 (40); Potter, 54 (108); Centre, 46 (31); Elk, 46 (59); McKean, 43 (54); and Union, 13 (10).

Southcentral (245): Huntingdon, 76 (39); Bedford, 51 (26); Fulton, 33 (16); Blair, 21 (6); Juniata, 15 (9); Franklin, 14 (7); Perry, 14 (9); Mifflin, 10 (9); Adams, 4 (2); Cumberland, 4 (3); and Snyder, 3 (2).

Northeast (355): Luzerne, 50 (35); Bradford, 46 (28); Monroe, 46 (33); Pike, 46 (89); Sullivan, 30 (60); Wayne, 29 (54); Wyoming, 24 (29); Carbon, 25 (23); Lackawanna, 15 (25); Columbia, 17 (9); Northumberland, 17 (3); Susquehanna, 10 (19); and Montour 0 (1).

Southeast (56): Dauphin, 25 (13); Schuylkill, 17 (6); Lebanon, 7 (2); Lehigh, 3 (0); Northampton, 3 (2); and Berks 1 (4)