Despite one of the worst opening days in more than three decades of bear hunting, Pennsylvania charted yet another Top 10 bear harvest in 2017.
Hunters harvested 3,438 bears in the 2017 seasons, with the archery harvest of 493 bears and the extended season harvest of 1,083 bears setting records for those seasons.
Forty-eight bears weighing 500 pounds or more, including 14 weighing 600 pounds or more and two weighing 700 pounds or more, were part of the 2017 harvest.
Bears were taken in 57 counties and 22 of Pennsylvania’s 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).
Locally, 18 bears were harvested in Butler County last year compared to 11 bears harvested in 2016.
The bear population in the state last year was estimated to be about 20,000. Officials say that the upcoming year could be excellent for bear hunting since last year’s total was lower than expected.