Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 18
Shaved sections of premolar teeth from harvested black bears are mounted on slides, right, so
they can be viewed under a microscope to determine the bears' ages. Because the outer layer of the
premolar's root grows continually over the life of the bear, and forms two layers annually, stained
shavings reveal rings that indicate a bear's age. The premolar of a 17-year-old bear, above left, appears
much different than the yearling's premolar beside it. Because a tooth is collected from each bear
harvested by hunters, researchers are able to reconstruct the average ages of the bear population.
and softened by soaking it in acid. Next,
the decalcified tooth is rinsed, dried and
fixed in paraffin wax before being placed
in a machine that shaves the embedded
tooth lengthwise into thin slices.
The best slices for aging are mounted
on a strip of glass and stained to reveal the
light and dark rings under a microscope.
KEEPING WATCH
Older bears are more likely to be aged
incorrectly than younger bears, because
their rings are crowded together.
But few bears are aged incorrectly.
Between 1983 and 1996, Game Commission staff collected 671 teeth from
adult bears that previously were eartagged at a known age, either as a cubs or
yearlings, while still with their mothers.
Of these 671 teeth, 92 percent were
aged correctly, and 5 percent were off by
only a year.
18
We also collect teeth from bears killed
by vehicles, shot illegally, or otherwise
examined after turning up dead. In 2016,
we sent 3,665 teeth to a commercial aging
lab for analysis, including 2,823 collected
at check stations.
Knowing the age structure of a population is important for monitoring the effects
of hunting. For example, a population
that is lacking young animals might have
insufficient reproduction to sustain heavy
hunting, while a population without older
individuals might lead to harvesting animals at a rate higher than reproduction
can replace.
Often, it's the trend in the data collected that is more important, and it's best
tracked by monitoring age every year.
In 2002, an extended bear season was
added to Wildlife Management Unit 3D
to address a growing bear population that
was contributing to an increase in human-
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018
Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Intro
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 2
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 3
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 4
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 5
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 6
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 7
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 8
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 9
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 10
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 11
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 12
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 13
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 14
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 15
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 16
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 17
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 18
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 19
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 20
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 21
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 22
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 23
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 24
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 25
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 26
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 27
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 28
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 29
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 30
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 31
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Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 33
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 34
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 35
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 36
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 37
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 38
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 39
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 40
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 41
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Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 48
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Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 55
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Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 60
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 61
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Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 63
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 64
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover4
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