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Pa. Game Commission says 2022 bear harvest included 14 ‘tremendous’ bears over 600 pounds
While the number of black bears harvested in Pennsylvania in 2022 was down, some of those were “tremendous” animals that weighed more than 600 pounds.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission said of the 3,170 bears harvested, three weighed more than 700 pounds and 11 weighed more than 600 pounds.
It was the 14th largest harvest of all time but less than the number of bears harvested in 2021, which was 3,621.
Pennsylvania’s all-time best bear season came in 2019, when hunters harvested 4,653, the Game Commission said.
Bears were harvested in 58 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties and in 22 of the Game Commission’s 23 Wildlife Management Units.
The harvest included 737 bears in archery season, 712 in muzzleloader/special firearms season, 1,051 in the general season, 663 in the extended season and seven in the early season.
The largest bear taken in 2022, according to the Game Commission, weighed 775 pounds and was killed with a muzzleloader by a New Jersey man 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,” the Game Commission said.
The other large bears were:
746 pounds, rifle, Nov. 22 in Barrett Twp., Monroe County 705 pounds, muzzleloader, Oct. 15, Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County, 693 pounds, rifle, Oct. 20 in Abbott Township, Potter County 681 pounds, muzzleloader, Oct. 22, Bradford Township, Clearfield County 681 pounds, archery, Oct. 21, Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County 657 pounds, rifle, Oct. 22, Gallagher Township, Clinton County 650 pounds, rifle, Nov. 21, Hazle Township, Luzerne County 634 pounds, rifle, Nov. 27, Asylum Township, Bradford County 633 pounds, muzzleloader, Oct. 22, Cummings Township, Lycoming CountyThe Game Commission said the most bears, 187, were harvested in Tioga County. In Lycoming County, 152 bears were harvested followed by 126 each in Bradford and Luzerne counties.
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