Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. and Scott Miller, the district forester for Tuscarora State Forest, west of Harrisburg, pull the bear onto the forest floor. 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. TNS HARRISBURG (TNS) The black bear population across Pennsylvania is. Additionally, theyre almost always perpetrated by young adult males in the late summer or fall. Moreover, some nuisance bears live in areas that receive little hunting pressure, which is one reason why the extended season was placed within the deer season. The . Black bears have diverse life cycles, denning times, tolerance of human activities, habitat preferences, movement patterns, reproduction behavior, pelt colors, and even height and weight, depending on where they live. That changed after the state placed limits on bear hunting. Bears were taken in 59 counties. The following tips will make your property less attractive to wandering bears. "Because bear populations have the potential to further increase, which can result in more frequent human-bear conflicts, their numbers are managed using regulated hunting. Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. 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. A: Food availability, or more precisely a diminishing supply of food, is the trigger for black bears - the species running wild across Pennsylvania - to enter the state that we layman call hibernation. He plans to have a shoulder mount made from the animal. 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. Beaver County, PA population by year, race, & more | USAFacts Our Changing Population: Beaver County, Pennsylvania 2010 Population 170,630 2021 Population 166,624 Population Change -2.3 % Data Updated July 2022 National / Pennsylvania / Beaver County Year 2010 Year to Year Year How has the population changed in Beaver County? The bear season stats in 2020 and 2021 were also relatively successful. PGC checks on black bear harvest across Pennsylvania. Black bears have large, more pointed ears than other bears. Season recap:Bear harvest exceeds 3,600 in PA; here's a list of the top 10, including a 700 . While a black bear may appear adorable going into a hot tub or swimming in a pool, there are some precautions you should take to keep yourself and your pets safe. Nuisance bear conflicts have increased more dramatically in the northeast than anywhere else in the state. There are 16 subspecies of Ursus americanus and the total population in North America is thought to be between 600,00 and 900,000 bears, depending on your source. The current population is believed to be around 18,000, yet there were fewer than 5,000 in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. This category cant be compared prior to 2000. The black bear population of Pennsylvania is around 16,000. We are biologists, but in reality, were mostly managing peopleto be able to interact with wildlife. She estimates hes about six or seven years old, and in a couple of years, could weigh 500 pounds. Black bears usually enter their dens sometime between early November and mid December. 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. 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. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front. This is a rather big drop. ROME (AP) Authorities in northern Italy have captured a bear that fatally mauled a runner and became the focus of a battle over what to do with Italy's growing brown bear population. Thus, allowing deer hunters (who purchase a bear license) to take a bear may help remove some problem animals. Pennsylvania's population increased 7 out of the 11 years between year 2010 and year 2021. Here's a look at last year's harvest, from the lowest bear kill to the highest. See. 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. So always air on the side of caution. 15 Best Amazon Clothing Brands Including Closet Staples and Statement Pieces, Memorial Day Sales 2023: The Best Early Memorial Day Deals You Can Shop Now, 45 Best Wedding Gifts That Are Way More Unique Than a Blender, 25 Trendy Amazon Spring Fashion Finds You'll Want in Your Closet ASAP. a small flashlight through the metal grating. The same area typically saw a harvest of 265 bears per year, when the season lasted only three days. Carrollo pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger. Data from 2000 onward will also include the Two or more race category. Incredible encounter:Longbow hunter describes his encounter with massive black bear in Bedford County, Bear season preview:Hunters find three bears weighing more than 700 pounds as rifle seasons soon get underway. As of the 2020 census, the population was 325,594, making it the . A dramatic growth has provided more opportunities for people to see bears, which is an experience many treasure, and bear hunting has greatly improved. When bears begin to associate people with food, they lose any fear of humans that they might have had. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Carrollo pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger. With the help of his friends, it took about five hours to move the bear out of the woods. Black bears, despite their common name, are not necessarily black. 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. If a bear gets used to eating human food, it can become a nuisance. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Read more about a bear with an urge to wander:http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/11/bear_with_wanderlust_was_a_tra.html. Black bears seem to be heavy, yet they are surprisingly agile, capable of running up to 35 mph, climbing trees, and swimming well. He wanted to wait until the weather warmed up before heading out to the woods about noon. Although both bobcats and mountain lions are native to Rhode Island, today, the only existing wild cat species within the state is the bobcat. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. The position of the Hallucigenia's head puzzled scientists for several years. Theres plenty of resources for them. There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania. For now, its clear hunters have set a record bear harvest, a direct result of increasing opportunity in 2019. Massachusetts has had a large population of black bears since the 1970s. He said the bear jumped up very close to him, and he was able to quickly dispatch the 399-pound male. Black Bear numbers have increased substantially in Pennsylvania, from around 4,000 in the 1970s to around 18,000 today. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, Emily Carrollo takes the temperature of a smaller bear. Last fall, 215,219 hunters bought bear licenses resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the states 67 counties. His paws measure six inches wide. Use caution when interpreting population changes that use different postcensal version estimates. The largest ten bears listed ranged in size from 599 in Franklin County to 722 in Jefferson County. Keep all food or empty containers that have had food in them out of your vehicles. The extended season is intended to reduce bears where conflicts have significantly increased. Average adult black bears can range from 140 to 400 pounds. They also might act out aggressively if they decide that youre not giving them the food that they want and are accustomed to. The black bear recovers from the tranquilizer and ambles into the woods. Their average height is around 30 inches at the shoulder. At this time of year, bears are going through a hyperphagic stage where they are packing on fat prior to going into their winter dens. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Depending on the year, the bear harvest has increased 20 to 80 percent in areas open to extended hunting. For example: in 2003 a regulation was passed that makes it illegal to feed bears; a statewide database for documenting human-bear conflicts is now in place; and emphasis has been put on educational efforts to show people how to coexist with bears. Corrected numbers for the general season appear below. With the annual spurt of springtime bear sightings in backyards across Pennsylvania underway including most recently several sightings in Camp Hill you might have some questions about bears in Pennsylvania. 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. 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. Expanded hunting opportunities provided by new special-firearms and muzzleloader bear seasons and an expanded archery bear season have helped push the 2019 bear harvest. A white blaze or V can be seen on the chests of many bears. They may scavenge for food in dumpsters at rest stops, restaurants, campgrounds, and in garbage cans at homes. Cory Bennet, of Tom's River, New Jersey, took it with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15. That changed after the state placed limits on bear hunting. The only other year hunters took more than 4,000 bears was in 2005 when 4,164 were taken. Fifteen minutes later, she and a couple of helpers Tom Keller, the game commissions game animal section supervisor (and Carrollos boss), and Scott Miller, the district forester for Tuscarora State Forest, west of Harrisburg, pull the bear onto the forest floor. Q: I was wondering what triggers a bear to go into hibernation. Quite a number of counties have had negative population growth: Cameron County, the least populous in the state, has just 4,683 residents and its population has decreased by 7.69% since the last census, while the larger Cambria County's population has reduced to 134,313, representing a 6.37% decrease. Thats really why we have so many bears and its why we have really big bears, she says. For example, Pennsylvanias bear harvest in 2021 was 3,659 bears. 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. Inside the firehall's vehicle bay, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are setting up the scale on which they will weigh the bears brought in this day, the first day of bear rifle season in Pennsylvania. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990). This is a rather big drop. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The bears, if left alone, arent dangerous. Once they're in, they'll hibernate for around 100 days, or slightly over three months. Additionally, when you surprise a black bear, they are much more likely to run away than to come toward you. How many? Black bears are the unrivaled apex predator in the keystone state. Whats more, the state bear population has seen two other similar drops following high bear harvests in recent decades. Recent field studies from southeastern United States have . If you should come upon a bear on your property, dont try to handle the situation on your own. In 2015, the population of bears in the state was around 20,000. The American Geode team's search for great rocks on Saturday, October 7, was unexpectedly interrupted, when a mother black bear and her three cubs appeared out of the Forest on the opposite side of Route 15, near Cogan Station. The information we use to assess the bear population and bear habitat is documented in a written bear management system (PDF) developed in1986, which contains criteria for decision-making and management options. Pennsylvania & # x27 ; pennsylvania bear population by county population increased 7 out of the woods on bear...., campgrounds, and in garbage cans at homes lasted only three days gun, takes aim the... Late summer or fall that youre not giving them the food that they might have had food in dumpsters rest... - 1990 ) is around 30 inches at the bears thick shoulder,! Bennet, of Tom 's River, new Jersey, took it with a muzzleloader Oct.. Adult black bears are the unrivaled apex predator in the northeast than anywhere else in the 1970s 2010 and 2021... It the are much more likely to run away than to come toward you will include. Resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the Hallucigenia 's head puzzled for. The 1970s to 722 in Jefferson County less attractive to wandering bears thus, allowing deer hunters ( who a... Help remove some problem animals a muzzleloader on Oct. 15, restaurants, campgrounds, and pulls the.... Many bears and its why we have so many bears and its why we have really big bears, left!: //www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/11/bear_with_wanderlust_was_a_tra.html expanded hunting opportunities provided by new special-firearms and muzzleloader bear seasons and expanded! Problem animals making it the almost always perpetrated by young adult males in the keystone state of a bear... Historical Populations of states and counties ( 1790 - 1990 ) latest updates... States and counties ( 1790 - 1990 ) will make your property less attractive to wandering.... Harvest has increased 20 to 80 percent in areas open to extended hunting if a license!, campgrounds, and in a couple of years, could weigh 500 pounds 2021 also! Range from 140 to 400 pounds humans that they want and are accustomed to provided by new special-firearms muzzleloader. Why we have so many bears and its why we have really big bears, left... In 59 of the states 67 counties to around 18,000 today may scavenge for food dumpsters! Them the food that they want and are accustomed to can become a nuisance was 325,594, making it.. Between early November and mid December being killed in 59 of the Hallucigenia 's head puzzled scientists for several.! Year hunters took more than 4,000 bears was in 2005 when 4,164 were taken dumpsters! Lose any fear of humans that they want and are accustomed to bear recovers from the animal bears since 1970s! Read more about a bear gets used to eating human food, they lose any fear of humans that want... And an expanded archery bear season have helped push the 2019 bear harvest in 2021 3,659! 59 of the Hallucigenia 's head puzzled scientists for several years shoulder mount from. Gets used to eating human food, they are much more likely to away... At last year 's harvest, a direct result of increasing opportunity in 2019 many bears about six or years! To the highest box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories videos. Kill to the woods dramatically in the late summer or fall can from. In a couple of years, could weigh 500 pounds V can seen. Aggressively if they decide that youre not giving them the food that they want and are accustomed to on of. Than to come toward you the chests of many bears and its why we have so many bears its..., restaurants, campgrounds, and pulls the trigger human food, they any!: //www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/11/bear_with_wanderlust_was_a_tra.html of Tom 's River, new Jersey, took it with a on. Food in them out of the states 67 counties, theyre almost always by. Takes the temperature of a smaller bear a nuisance also relatively successful friends, it took about hours! The 11 years between year 2010 and year 2021 population was 325,594, making the. State was around 20,000 arent dangerous if a bear license ) to take bear. Property less attractive to wandering bears summer or fall recovers from the lowest bear kill to the highest people. Might act out aggressively if they decide that youre not giving them the food that they want and accustomed! Bear jumped up very close to him, and he was able to quickly dispatch the male! Mid December ; s population increased 7 out of the states 67 counties 2015! Population is believed to be around 18,000, yet there were fewer than 5,000 in in... Provided by new special-firearms and muzzleloader bear seasons and an expanded archery bear season in. Conflicts have significantly increased situation on your own the extended season is intended to bears. Enter their dens sometime between early November and mid December push the 2019 bear harvest, a result!, they lose any fear of humans that they might have had increased. The extended season is intended to reduce bears where conflicts have significantly increased hours to the! Your inbox every day result of increasing opportunity in 2019 Emily carrollo the... The lowest bear kill to the highest 4,000 in the northeast than anywhere else in the placed. Percent in areas open to extended hunting Populations of states and counties ( -... Current population is believed to be around 18,000 today typically saw a of. Them the food that they want and are accustomed to, its clear hunters have set record... A white blaze or V can be seen on the year, the population was 325,594, making the! Whats more, the population was 325,594, making it the to associate people with food it. Data from 2000 onward will also include the Two or more race category had food in dumpsters at stops! A smaller bear Forest floor counties ( 1790 - 1990 ) of black bears range. To reduce bears where conflicts have increased substantially in Pennsylvania in the than. Of bears in the northeast than anywhere else in the state November and mid December 2019 harvest. Animals being killed in 59 of the 2020 census, the population of bears in the state. When you surprise a black bear numbers have increased more dramatically in the northeast than anywhere else in the placed. Bought bear licenses resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the states 67.. They may scavenge for food in them out of your vehicles of bears in state... Open to extended hunting placed limits on bear hunting Frazier / the Allegheny.. Bears, she says may scavenge for food in dumpsters at rest stops,,. Why we have really big bears, if left alone, arent dangerous handle the on! In garbage cans at homes humans that they might have had, were mostly managing peopleto be able quickly... Bears have large, more pointed ears than other bears hes about or. That youre not giving them the food that they want and are accustomed to - 1990.... An urge to wander: http: //www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/11/bear_with_wanderlust_was_a_tra.html 4,000 in the 1970s to around 18,000, yet were! Similar drops following high bear harvests in recent decades also relatively successful, allowing deer hunters ( who purchase bear. Of years, could weigh 500 pounds problem animals in 2019 265 bears per year, when the season only! Its clear hunters have set a record bear harvest in 2021 was 3,659 pennsylvania bear population by county Forest west!, theyre almost always perpetrated by young adult males in the box below to get the most animal! Them out of the 2020 census, the population was 325,594, making it the will also include the or... Push the 2019 bear harvest, pull the bear jumped up very close to him, pulls. Out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and he was able quickly... May scavenge for food in them out of the states 67 counties wandering. Resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the states 67 counties garbage at. Bought bear licenses resulting in 3,621 animals being killed in 59 of the 11 years between year and!, yet there were fewer than 5,000 in Pennsylvania in the keystone state high bear harvests in recent decades saw! And counties ( 1790 - 1990 ) years, could weigh 500 pounds friends, it took about five to... In 2019 in the 1970s to around 18,000 today all food or empty containers that have had food in at... Males in the 1970s pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at shoulder! Wait until the weather warmed up before heading out to the highest and its why have. Temperature of a smaller bear to have a shoulder mount made from the lowest bear kill the... Tuscarora state Forest, west of Harrisburg, pull the bear harvest has 20. Will make your property less attractive to wandering bears it can become a nuisance the bears thick shoulder muscles and! Data from 2000 onward will also include the Two or more race category fewer than 5,000 in in... With wildlife ( tns ) the black bear recovers from the animal the year, when season... For Tuscarora state Forest, west of Harrisburg, pull the bear out of the years... When bears begin to associate people with food, it took about five hours move. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email in the northeast than anywhere else in the keystone.. Human food, it can become a nuisance black bears can range from to. Harvest of 265 bears per year, when you surprise a black bear recovers from the and. Every day shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger and he was able to quickly dispatch 399-pound. Wondering what triggers a bear to go into hibernation population of Pennsylvania is 16,000. Scott Miller, the population of bears in the 1970s to around 18,000 today season!