Pennsylvania Game News - April 2023 - 46

archery season, 712 in the muzzleloader/
special firearms season, 1,051 in the
general season and 663 in the extended
season. Another seven were taken in the
early season.
That's how things most likely will continue
to look moving forward, said Emily
Carrollo, the Game Commission's black
bear biologist.
" Our season structure allows hunters
to pursue black bears across multiple
months, using multiple tools, when opportunity
best matches up with their
availability, " Carrollo said. " They can
hunt when they have the time off work
or school or other responsibilities, which
is good for them and helps us reach our
management objectives. "
That's attractive to lots of hunters,
based on license sales.
In 2022, 213,639 individuals - 203,922
Pennsylvania residents, 9,717 nonresidents
- bought a bear license. That was
the third-most ever.
And hunters found some impressive
bears.
The largest taken in 2022 was the
755-pounder harvested by Cory Bennett,
of Toms River, N.J. He got it with
a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle
Smithfield Township, Monroe County.
Among counties, Tioga County produced
the most, giving up 187 bears last
season. Lycoming County ranked second
with 152, followed by Bradford and
Luzerne counties with 126 each, Centre
County with 122, Potter County with 119,
Clearfield and Monroe counties with 114
each and Clinton County with 113.
Final county harvests by region (with
2021 figures in parentheses) are:
Northwest - 502 (451): Warren, 88
(87); Jefferson, 81 (72); Clarion, 80 (60);
Venango, 79 (81); Crawford, 52 (38);
Forest, 51 (44); Butler, 40 (43); Erie, 20
46
(13); and Mercer, 11 (8).
Southwest -253 (247): Somerset, 64
(58); Armstrong, 50 (58); Cambria, 44
(19); Fayette, 34 (49); Indiana, 31 (12);
Westmoreland, 25 (41); Greene, 3 (3);
and Allegheny, 2 (7).
Northcentral - 1,028 (1,220): Tioga,
187 (166); Lycoming, 152 (212); Centre,
122 (118); Potter, 119 (180); Clearfield,
114 (94); Clinton, 113 (156); Elk, 85 (80);
McKean, 52 (107); Cameron, 52 (68); and
Union, 32 (39).
Southcentral - 355 (464): Huntingdon,
81 (115); Bedford, 71 (82); Mifflin,
34 (55); Blair, 33 (39); Fulton, 31 (47);
Perry, 29 (42); Juniata, 26 (36); Franklin,
18 (17); Snyder, 15 (12); Cumberland 8
(8); Adams, 7 (10); and York, 2 (1).
Northeast - 901 (1,121): Bradford,
126 (136); Luzerne, 126 (111); Monroe,
114 (95); Pike, 84 (167); Sullivan, 84
(127); Wayne, 81 (120); Carbon, 78 (103);
Lackawanna, 51 (62); Wyoming, 50 (66);
Susquehanna, 47 (77); Columbia, 46 (36);
Northumberland, 10 (16); and Montour,
4 (5).
Southeast - 131 (156): Schuylkill, 65
(61); Dauphin, 27 (54); Lebanon, 14 (8);
Northampton, 12 (13); Berks, 11 (12); and
Lehigh, 2 (6).
The final bear harvests by Wildlife
Management Unit (with final 2021 figures
in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 26 (26);
WMU 1B, 115 (96); WMU 2A, 13 (5);
WMU 2B, 4 (10); WMU 2C, 159 (192);
WMU 2D, 202 (206); WMU 2E, 85 (45);
WMU 2F, 258 (245); WMU 2G, 425
(519); WMU 2H, 101 (90); WMU 3A,
174 (238); WMU 3B, 292 (403); WMU
3C, 165 (218); WMU 3D, 344 (426);
WMU 4A, 114 (173); WMU 4B, 76
(121); WMU 4C, 190 (224); WMU 4D,
291 (300); WMU 4E, 109 (97); WMU
5A, 17 (14); WMU 5B, 2 (1); and WMU
5C, 8 (10).
Pennsylvania Game News - April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - April 2023
