Ever since yogi and boo boo discovered that first picnic basket at jellystone park bears have been eager to accept human handouts. The black bears scientific name is Ursus americanus, which means American bear. And although there are three species of bears in North America, many wonder if there are bears in Pennsylvania. The bruin is believed to be 14 years old as the Game Commission had captured the bear in 2016 and placed an ear tag on it. That ranks as the state's fifth-best harvest ever, and the second-largest recorded since 2011. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, A cover is placed over the male bears eyes before Emily Carrollo and her team begin their work. Reid is currently contributing to StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaboration among The Allegheny Front, WESA, WITF and WHYY covering the Commonwealth's energy economy. The per capita income in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania is $43,036.00. 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. Have some feedback for us? With the help of his friends, it took about five hours to move the bear out of the woods. That changed after the state placed limits on bear hunting. Slowing down for animals crossing the road and seeing plenty of wildlife in the community are ordinary interactions for residents of Pennsylvania. In the first 11 days of this hunting season, 212 bears have been harvested in Lycoming County. The total number of bears taken was 3,170, which was down from the 2021 total of 3,621. These are Philadelphia County, which is coterminous with the city of Philadelphia and has a population of 1,574,765 (even though it is the second smallest county in the state by land area), and Allegheny County, with its . The only other year hunters took more than 4,000 bears was in 2005 when 4,164 were taken. You might get bears that get fed a few times from people at a campground and then all of a sudden that bear is approaching every other person that visits that campground, Carrollo said. In 2004, hunters took 2,972 bears from 53 counties. Pennsylvania's black bear population peaked about four years ago, estimated at over 20,000 bears, and stayed that way until 2020, when it began dropping. Average adult black bears can range from 140 to 400 pounds. Far behind in terms of population are Pittsburgh (304.391), Allentown (120,207), Erie and . The two North American bear species that Pennsylvania does not have are brown bears/grizzly bears and polar bears. Black bear attacks are uncommon, especially when compared to attacks by other bear species, but these creatures are nevertheless dangerous. The seven top harvests all have occurred since 2005. But how the Census Bureau reported and grouped those populations changed over time. Pennsylvania has a large, thriving bear population. When you do that, you create a situation that is beyond your control. Black bears are the unrivaled apex predator in the keystone state. These provisional estimates are postcensal estimates, and the final estimates are intercensal estimates. USAFacts used the final intercensal estimates for 1970 through 2009 and the provisional postcensal estimates for 2010 and after. Here's a look at last year's harvest, from the lowest bear kill to the highest. Keep all food or empty containers that have had food in them out of your vehicles. Conversely, many counties in Pennsylvania have populations of fewer than fifty thousand residents. The bear season stats in 2020 and 2021 were also relatively successful. The heaviest black bear ever harvested came from Pike County, Pennsylvania. Population in Bear Creek by Race and Ethnicity. Lets say that 4.46% of the harvested bears had ear tags in 2021, and the total amount of tagged bears was 700. we would next need to ascertain what number 700 is 4.46% of. Bears that were eating around 8,000 calories per day start taking in up 20,000 calories per day when they enter hyperphagia. 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. 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. Check out all of the other stories in the serieshere. This is a rather big drop. The estimate years differ from the base 2010 decennial census; underestimates will be resolved in 2023 when the Census Bureau releases its 2010-2020 intercensal estimates. It was followed by Clinton and Tioga counties, both with 267. Boars are males, and sows are females. The preliminary statewide season bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 11 (19 in 2018); WMU 1B, 49 (120); WMU 2A, 3 (5); WMU 2C, 75 (127); WMU 2D, 100 (125); WMU 2E, 43 (66); WMU 2F, 177 (213); WMU 2G, 321 (357); WMU 2H, 53 (65); WMU 3A, 87 (106); WMU 3B, 152 (129); WMU 3C, 59 (53); WMU 3D, 178 (153); WMU 4A, 82 (127); WMU 4B, 36 (55); WMU 4C, 60 (92); WMU 4D, 98 (123); WMU 4E, 24 (53); WMU 5A, 2 (5) and WMU 5C, 1 (0). Northeast (386): Pike, 71 (51); Monroe, 49 (50); Luzerne, 48 (53); Bradford, 42 (50); Wayne, 35 (30); Susquehanna, 31 (13); Sullivan, 30 (32); Wyoming, 22 (27); Lackawanna, 21 (20); Carbon, 19 (31); Columbia, 13 (20); and Northumberland, 5 (17). Black bears are generally a non-aggressive species of bear. In 2015, the population of bears in the state was around 20,000. Pennsylvania is a really great place to be a bear. The percentage being removed in areas with additional hunting opportunity has ranged from 23 to 25 percent, which is a rate that is believed to be safe in some bear populations. They could be cinnamon or even blond. Pennsylvania has a relatively small surface area. Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. For some residents in Pennsylvania, black bears have become a familiar sight. Bears that are habituated to getting food from humans will have to be euthanized. The next numbers will be hypotheticals. 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. Adult black bears are anywhere from 50 to 85 incheslong from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Two counties in the state of Pennsylvania have populations of more than one million. On Nov. 22, a 746-pound bear was taken with a rifle in Barrett Township, Monroe County. After weighing each bear, a tooth is pulled, which is used to determine the age of the bear. Heres a look at the rambling bears of Pennsylvania: http://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2017/06/bears_on_move_across_pennsylva.html, If you do run into a bear, here's how to survive. A black bears biting force (975 PSI) is powerful enough that it may kill numerous species by digging its 2.5-inch fangs into a crucial spot. Pennsylvania has a large, thriving bear population. The Game Commission keeps a database of every tagged bear. 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. Southwest (342): Somerset, 123; Fayette, 61; Armstrong, 56; Indiana, 42; Cambria, 29; Westmoreland, 28; Allegheny, 2; and Greene, 1. That count went down to 16,268 in 2021, and now, in 2022, the black bear population in Pennsylvania is 15,666 animals. Never purposefully approach a bear or attempt to lure one closer. The Game Commission on Dec. 2 issued a news release reporting preliminary totals for the four-day statewide general bear season, but the numbers were inaccurate because they included bears harvested on the first day of the extended season. Bountiful Black Bears. Although harvest has greatly increased, it has remained within acceptable limits. The bears skull measurement was23-3/16 inches. Lycoming County led the state with 283, followed by Clinton County with 267 and Tioga County with 261. The retrieval took longer than the hunt. In 2018, hunters took a total of 3,153 bears - Pennsylvania's 11th best bear harvest. No bears were harvested in 2017 in Beaver, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Fulton, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Washington or York counties. Also, bird feeders have the potential to bring bears to your property, whether that be hummingbird feeders or ones that dispense out bird seed. Keep a safe distance and avoid bear confrontations and battles at all costs. . The Census Bureau releases annual provisional population estimates based on the previous decennial census and other data on births, deaths, and migration/immigration. Thank you for reading! The normal black bears weight range is from 140 to 400 pounds. Northcentral (1,588): Lycoming, 283; Clinton, 267; Tioga, 261; Potter 173; Centre, 144; McKean, 125; Clearfield, 103; Elk, 100; Cameron, 78; and Union, 54. In 2020 a 633-pound black bear was struck by a truck and killed in Potter County. A dramatic growth has provided more opportunities for people to see bears, which is an experience many treasure, and bear hunting has greatly improved. Population Growth of Black Bears Black Bear numbers have increased substantially in Pennsylvania, from around 4,000 in the 1970s to around 18,000 today. The state tags these bears as a way to estimate the overall bear population, which has recovered in recent decades. A smaller bear with tags in its ears. Today the father and son, who come from New Oxford, are the first hunters at the station. Brown bears are coming into contact with people more frequently (Ben Birchall/PA) The Trento provincial authorities ordered the bear to be killed but an animal rights group . It was followed by Tioga County with 113 bears. Bears are omnivorous and consume nearly anything, including berries, grain, acorns, beechnuts, grass, table scraps, carrion, honey, and insects. Any comparison of data from before 1990 only includes the white, Black, and Other race/ethnicity categories. lack bears are extremely docile, she says. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. A great deal of the state's population is in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas, as the city has a population of 1.56 million. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "Surely it's hard for some to imagine that Pennsylvania has such a vibrant black bear population," noted Tom Keller, the Game Commission's Game Mammals . However, between 2001 and 2021, black bears killed 28 people in North America. In recent years the Pennsylvania Game Commission has estimated the statewide bruin population at about 20,000 animals, and this year the agency is predicting another solid season for hunters. Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front, Emily Carrollo takes the temperature of a smaller bear. A successful black bear hunter and a Pennsylvania Game Commission biologist talk Nov. 20, 2021, about the hunting season. Carrollo takes his temperature, measures his head and torso, and shaves a patch of hair off the bears ears, which she will pierce to place tags. Seven bears from Potter, Bedford, Clearfield, Clinton, Luzerne, Centre and Monroe counties were heavier than 600 pounds. While mountain lions are native to Rhode Island, as Wolves, which were once hunted to near-extinction in the contiguous United States, have begun making a comeback. Massachusetts: 4,500. . The extended season overlapping with deer season begins Saturday in limited parts of the state. However, the heaviest bear ever taken was in Pike County, Pennsylvania, in 2010. For more than 60 years the family has hunted in the mountains around the camp, one generation after the other. In 1983, hunters first harvested more than 1,529 bears in Pennsylvania. Deer hunters are more likely to look for game in areas that traditional bear hunters overlook, such as small woodlots or areas adjacent to homes. The position of the Hallucigenia's head puzzled scientists for several years. The bear wandered into the trap sometime over the last 24 hours, lured by about a dozen stale donuts Carrollo left inside as bait. How many bears did Pennsylvania hunters kill in 2017? 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? Another seven were taken in the early season," a statement from the game commission said. 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. To learn more please visit - From Under the Deck Bear Feeding Ban. Reid R. Frazier covers energy for The Allegheny Front. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In WMUs, 1B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A,4B,4C,4D,4E and 5A, bear season runs Nov. 26-Dec. 3. Although black bears are typically cautious and avoid human interaction, do not underestimate their size and strength. According to harvest numbers from the past few years, Lycoming County should be the top destination for any hunter wanting to kill a Pennsylvania black bear. However, bear abundance and distribution have expanded dramatically in recent decades, and bears are now seen in record numbers across much of the state. Sometimes the bears are attracted into close quarters with human populations by their keen sense of smell. The black bear population of Pennsylvania is around 16,000. Property damage, the likelihood of serious human injury, personnel resources within the Game Commission who respond to conflicts, and public tolerance for further growth of the bear population all have been impacted by the increase in bears. Ken Nichols of Lemont Furnace, Fayette County, killed his first bear about 50 yards away with two other bears while hunting Saturday in Forbes State Forest. http://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/05/have_you_seen_the_camp_hill_be.html, Bears on move across Pennsylvania, backyards included. Carrollo pulls out her tranquilizer dart gun, takes aim at the bears thick shoulder muscles, and pulls the trigger. For now, its clear hunters have set a record bear harvest, a direct result of increasing opportunity in 2019. We are biologists, but in reality, were mostly managing peopleto be able to interact with wildlife. In the 1970s, there were fewer than 5,000. Black bear in Pennsylvania: How old? 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. A reassessment of the past, present, and future status of bears, their habitat, and demands on the bear resource was completed in 1999. 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