700-pound bear taken in 5th best bear harvest ever in Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, PA — Its that time of the year... the 2021 Pennsylvania bear hunters report was released from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
A 722-pound male taken with a shotgun on Dec. 4, in Letterkenny Township in Franklin County, by Wade Glessner, of Shippensburg, was the biggest bear taken last year..
The PA Game Commission says the heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County.
According to the report hunters took 3,659 bears across last year's season, putting the state at the fifth best harvest ever, and second largest recorded since 2011. In comparison the 2020 bear harvest was 3,621.
2021 was the largest accounted statewide for bear season. Hunters took 1,315 bears in the fourth day hunt. Last year was the first time hunters were allowed to harvest bears throughout the opening weekend of deer season in some Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), which contributes to 1,128 animals, according to the report.
“Pennsylvania has a long history of supporting a lot of black bears, many of truly impressive size, across most of the state,” Emily Carrollo, the Game Commission’s black bear biologist said. “Best of all, the future continues to look bright for this resource, too.”ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7y6iamqRfasGpecGeqq1lkpqus3nHmqmvnaOperSt2KxkqZldnK6usYycpqalmajAqrvN