Bear season opensNov. 21, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is adding anew feature on its website. Phil Bourjaily Therefore, providing more weekend hunting opportunities is one of the best steps we can take to address the issue of declining hunter participation. The 2020-21 estimated deer harvest topped the previous license year's harvest of 389,431 by about 12 percent. On April 15, 2019, Pennsylvania Game Commission Local State Game Warden Bryan Mowrer crawled "Under The Deck" and into the bear den to talk about the live stream viewers were able to enjoy for the previous several weeks. Fredrick Kyss took this 202-plus buck in the 1960s. Bear. As we move through March, the cubs will become more visible and active; early in the month, we may see the sows back much of the time. Oct 20, 2022. More people purchased hunting and furtaking licenses, applied for an elk license, hunted over managed dove fields, bought a pheasant permit, used our shooting ranges, and found time to hunt and trap. Hunters who want to pursue bears in Pennsylvania need a general hunting license or mentored hunting permit, as well as a bear license. but aligned with the Pennsylvania Game Commission's average of 3,675 over the past five seasons. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. COVID-19 significantly interrupted mail service in 2020, and in some instances negatively impacted the chances of hunters to acquire licenses for their preferred Wildlife Management Units. Please enable scripts and reload this page. For ages of bears with legal seals #4411-2105019 Bears have cubs every other year making management a long-term planning goal. The ages of bears harvested, when used with other data (sex of the bear, date of harvest, bear zone, etc.) In Pennsylvania in 2020, she said the PGC annual report estimated there are about 16,500 bears roaming through woodlots. We expanded the number of managed dove fields in all six of the agencys regions, with more than 550 acres prepared for the 2020 season. Unlike in years past, though, on the Monday and Tuesday of that season when the harvest slows dramatically there will be no designated check stations. to bring back the opportunity to learn what goes on in a den with a female black bear and her cubs. The cost of a general hunting or furtaking license has not increased since 1999. Public access to the station will be limited this year due to COVID-19 regulations. In all cases, hunters are encouraged to use a stick to prop open their bears mouth soon after harvest and before the jaw stiffens. The Pennsylvania Game Commission released Monday its black bear harvest report for 2021. You can visit https://www.pgcapps.pa.gov/Harvest/Bear for data related to 2019-2020 black bear harvest totals, county locations, highest weights and top harvested counties. The 2020 . This footage was days before the sow decided to take the bear family outside the den and into the woods. HARRISBURG, PA - Pennsylvania isnt offering a bear hunting season in 2022. Contact(s): Debra-Ann Brabazon WARREN, PA, (November 12, 2020) - The USDA Forest Service, working in cooperation with the Pennsylvania game Commission, has announced that the Allegheny National Forest's Marienville Ranger Station will host an official bear check station from . Bear - Regular Firearms. As such, the sources of revenue are trending toward an overreliance on extraction of natural resources.. It is unlawful to intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause bears to congregate or habituate an area. That was the third time since 2005 that the harvest topped 4,000 animals. Black bears are wild creatures and it is important for us to keep them wild. What to know about bears:The bear facts about summer bruins. To learn more please visit - From Under the Deck Hunting Black Bear Age Harvest Data Black Bear Weight Chart (PDF) The largest bear in the state was taken in southcentral Pennsylvania. We still anticipate some additional samples through the collection of road-killed deer and clinical suspects. End Date. Watch as the three bear cubs wrestle at about 3 months old. Thank you, Representative Maloney. The CWD-infected materials from these trials are also being used for two additional studies to try to detect CWD in several different deer tissues and in deer feces. April 17, 2023 |The Realblog with Stephanie Mallory. A more stable funding structure is one in which the licenses and license fees are set by the Commission, with the ability to offer new types of licenses that we can better market to our hunters and trappers, and if needed, make small, incremental adjustments in license price when necessary. We continue to operate on a licensing structure that is over two decades old, and pricing hasnt kept pace with inflation even though our expenses have. 2023 IP Video Specialists, Inc. dba HDOnTap, Yes, I want to receive emails from HDOnTap. The largest bear as of Tuesday afternoonhad an estimated live weight of 722 pounds and was taken in Franklin County at the Letterkenny Army Depot. Behind Kramer's bull is the state's new #1 non-typical 400 2/8s-inch bull from . A bill that has the support of the Game Commission and our license buyers is House Bill 207 by Representative Mullery, which would allow us to leverage the advantages of our new licensing system to provide a much-more-efficient process for hunters to apply for antlerless licenses. A total of 215,219 people bought a bear license in 2021; that was not far off 2020s record sales of 220,471. She said over the years only about 2% of hunters fill their bear tag each autumn. Junior & Senior license holders, active-duty military and certain disabled persons' permit holders. WMU. But, starting this fall, hunters need to be aware of some changes in how and where they check bears. Black bear population numbers follow two-year cycles. Just $1 per month , Are Keystone State bear numbers dropping? Alt served over 20 years as the Pennsylvania Game Commission's lead bear biologist, where he helped oversee a recovery of Ursa americanus from about 3,000 bears to 15,000 and the expansion of their range from about a dozen counties to over 60.Following on his success with bears, he was asked by then-Governor Tom Ridge to take on the demanding role of the lead whitetail biologist in a state . We know lack of free time is often cited as the No. The final bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with final 2020 figures in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 26 (22); WMU 1B, 96 (121); WMU 2A, 5 (9); WMU 2B, 10 (6); WMU 2C, 192 (176); WMU 2D, 205 (191); WMU 2E, 45 (75); WMU 2F, 245 (277); WMU 2G, 518 (628); WMU 2H, 90 (141); WMU 3A, 238 (199); WMU 3B, 404 (273); WMU 3C, 217 (170); WMU 3D, 426 (409); WMU 4A, 173 (177); WMU 4B, 123 (113); WMU 4C, 224 (228); WMU 4D, 300 (236); WMU 4E, 97 (135); WMU 5A, 14 (13); WMU 5B, 1 (0); and WMU 5C, 10 (22). Pennsylvania's Board of Game Commissioners today approved two land acquisitions and a real-estate exchange that together would add about 19 acres to the state game lands system. Unfortunately, this invasive species rapidly crowded out native plants that were beneficial to wildlife and through the treatments we are hopeful to return this water body to a more-productive overall wildlife habitat. 1 reason that hunters stop participating. The Pennsylvania Game Commission also reported that the largest bear harvested during the 2020 season was a 719-pound male that was taken with a crossbow in Fulton County in November. Fortunately for the 2021 season, "with. With our new, recently deployed licensing system, the Game Commission is ready and able to implement a process that would allow hunters to apply and receive antlerless licenses at the point-of-sale when they purchase the rest of their licenses. Black Bear Weight Chart(PDF)Bear, Deer & Turkey HarvestsHarvest MapsPennsylvania Black Bear Harvest Certificate (PDF)Wildlife Management UnitsHighly Regulated Community ActivityWPSU video (3:22). You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. HARRISBURG, PA - Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans today presented the agencys annual report to the General Assembly, and delivered testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee. Myths and Misconceptions about PA Black Bears - WITF Smart Talk radio interview with Game Commission Bear Biologist, 2019A February Bear Den Visit (2:20)Summer Bear Trapping (1:20)On the Trail of the Pennsylvania Black Bear; 1991 (1:41:48)Springtime Ecology of Pennsylvania Black Bears - a webinar (46:29)Living with Black Bears Urban bearsWhy is there a bear in my yard? Jacob Dingel Pennsylvania Game Commission. Check regulations for additional dates for specific WMUs. Burhans testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee follows: Good morning Chairman Gillespie, Chairman Neilson and members of the House Game and Fisheries Committee. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. - Those looking to track Pennsylvania's 2020 bear harvest can find harvest totals, breakdowns by county and season, and a list of the 10 heaviest bears harvested so far by visiting the Game Commission's website. There are about 20,000 black bears in Pennsylvania, and more than 3,400 have been harvested this year. We agree with this assessment, and share the concerns raised in the audit report. Black Bear Age Harvest Data Congratulations on harvesting a Pennsylvania black bear, one of the state's most impressive big game animals. General bear season closes on December 25, 2022, or earlier, if the Department determines that 1,700 bears have been reported taken. Bear season lasts from Nov. 21-25,including a day of Sunday hunting. The largest bear harvested last season, though, was a 722-pound male taken with a shotgun in the extended season in Letterkenny Township in Franklin County. During last years annual report to this committee, I told you about a bold and innovative pilot project undertaken by this new partnership to train dogs to detect chronic wasting disease. The accomplishments of this collaboration include establishing a state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory for CWD surveillance, which reduced by almost 50 percent the turnaround time for testing samples submitted by hunters, from 15 days in 2019 to 9 days in 2020. Bolts are to be equipped with broadheads with at least two cutting edges upon the same plane throughout the entire length of the cutting surface. All rights reserved. Watch the PA Bear Den Three Cubs and Mama as they get ready to venture outside of the den! This time from Pike County in Northeast Pennsylvania. Check out this video, Steelhead anglers savor mild weather in Erie County creeks, Pa. hunter reflects on whats in a name, harvests 3 deer, bear this fall, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Getting a bear is a real achievement. This live stream from Pike County is brought to you by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and HDOnTap.. As we move through March, the cubs will become more visible and active; early in the . These revenue estimates could change due to the natural volatility of market-driven revenue sources, namely natural gas. The statewide buck . Pennsylvania had been home to over 20,000 bears for several years, but the approximate population fell this year from an estimated 16,268 in 2020 to 15,666 last year. In addition, we experienced increased demand in other areas of our operations, such as in the number of people who visited our website, engaged with us on social media, and viewed our livestream wildlife cameras. Hunters who harvest a bear must have it checked by the Game Commission. License fees are the agencys most stable revenue stream. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. The legislative proposals I mentioned are an extension of those earlier efforts and will allow us to complete the process of modernizing the agency, putting us on a solid footing to meet the challenges ahead. Where to find bears:Black bear opportunities abound in Pennsylvania. Of the cases prosecuted by wardens, the success rate was 96.6 percent, which is testament to their training and professionalism. Leveraging GIS resources, most importantly the grouse siting tool, referred to as G-PAST (Grouse Priority Area Siting Tool), created over the last few years, has allowed us to focus habitat treatment areas so that we can have the biggest opportunity for a multitude of species including our state bird the ruffed grouse. Properly licensed hunters can take black bears in multiple ways with bows, muzzleloaders and, in cases, even rifles in what can be considered the early bear season. Available for Sale. The extended season held in some parts of the state during rifle deer season has accounted for almost a third of the harvest with 1,095bears. Live Bear Cam 2023 The Game Commission and HDOnTap are pleased to bring back the opportunity to learn what goes on in a den with a female black bear and her cubs. Postal Service delivers the application in a timely manner to a county treasurer. Keystone State. Hunters certainly appreciate the opportunity Pennsylvania bear hunting represents. Allowing us to manage them ensures well always have the financial capacity to fund the Commonwealths wildlife conservation. This past year, we impacted over 16,000 acres of state game lands through commercial and non-commercial forestry activities, which is an increase from approximately 7,000 acres in just six years. Additionally, the board continued to start firearms deer season on a Saturday to fully maximize the impact of the legislation providing for Sunday hunting during that season. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Watch what happens when the PA bear family of 4 ventures outside of the den for a fieldtrip, with exclusive footage from outside of the den! Moreover, releases now consist of 75 percent males compared to 50 percent previously, further increasing hunter satisfaction. The total. The cost of these treatments in not cheap, with over $200,000 spent to date. We greatly value feedback from our viewers! Between seasons for archery, muzzleloader, special firearms, firearms and extended, 3,613bears had been checked this year by the Pennsylvania Game Commission as of Tuesday afternoon. Working with Wildlife Futures, we launched a CWD visualization tool to allow hunters and the public to view results from our testing efforts based on location. This change was implemented in 2020 and was met with great enthusiasm by hunters who have sought the chance to hunt on Sundays for several decades. The locations of those are listed on page 41 of the Hunting & Trapping Digest every hunter gets when buying a license. For the first time, bear season can be monitored in real-time. The 2021-2022 Bear Age Table is sorted by . Unfortunately, a massive black bear was hit by a truck on Route 49 in Potter County. The. Great archery season:Pa. hunter reflects on whats in a name, harvests 3 deer, bear this fall. And on Thursday, Myers was found guilty of the . The final bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with final 2020 figures in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 26 (22); WMU 1B, 96 (121); WMU 2A, 5 (9); WMU 2B, 10 (6); WMU 2C, 192 (176); WMU 2D, 206 (191); WMU 2E, 45 (75); WMU 2F, 245 (277); WMU 2G, 519 (628); WMU 2H, 90 (141); WMU 3A, 238 (199); WMU 3B, 403 (273); WMU 3C, 218 (170); WMU 3D, 426 (409); WMU 4A, 173 (177); WMU 4B, 121 (113); WMU 4C, 224 (228); WMU 4D, 300 (236); WMU 4E, 97 (135); WMU 5A, 14 (13); WMU 5B, 1 (0); and WMU 5C, 10 (22). Bear numbers saw similar declines after high harvests from 2005 to 2007 and 2010 to 2012. This expansion is a benefit to both hunters and farmers, as this archery season allows hunters to better target bears that are impacting agricultural operations. The largest bear reported is the 722-pound male taken with a shotgun in the extended season, on Dec. 4, in Letterkenny Township in Franklin County, by Wade Glessner, of Shippensburg. 2022 Archery Season Archery bear season in all bear zones opens August 20, 2022, and runs through September 11, 2022.
