Afield: Firearms deer season is underway in PA, bear season ending. Here’s a look so far

Hunters headed to the forest on Saturday, Nov. 30, for what most hunters view as the most important hunting day of the year. It is also the day that draws the highest number of hunters afield — about a half million. Most Centre County hunters had snow-free landscapes to seek their quarry. However, those hunting in the higher elevations enjoyed the added benefit of snow cover.

The first week proved to be cold and windy. Wednesday night’s snowfall made the remainder of the county white, but with the snow came high wind that made it feel like single-digit temperatures. Firearms deer season continues through Dec. 14. Those hunters with an antlerless deer permit for Wildlife Management Unit 4D, which includes Centre County south of I-80, will have a second chance this year. The extended season will run Jan. 2-20.

In 2019, the Pennsylvania Game Commission moved the opening day of firearms deer season to the Saturday after Thanksgiving, 48 hours earlier from its long-standing position of the Monday after Thanksgiving . This move created controversy that continues to this day. Older hunters, hunters with camps, and business owners in the heart of deer country favor a return to the Monday opener, while a majority of younger hunters favor the Saturday opener. A bill before the state legislature even adds language to return to Monday, but that bill died when the legislative session ended late last month.

Bear season

Snow greeted much of the state for the opening day of firearms bear season, Nov. 23. The northcentral region had a dusting to several inches in the higher elevations, while some counties in the northeast and southwest mountains received a foot or more of snow.

Even with the excellent tracking snow, bears were slow to come to the Quehanna (northern Clearfield County) check station on the opening Saturday. Although the check station opened at 10 a.m., the first bear did not arrive until early afternoon. Biologists manning the station were surprised by the low count. In fact, early day check station activity was slow across Pennsylvania, with only 28 bears checked by 12:30 p.m. in the entire state, and only 71 by 2:30 p.m.

Preliminary figures show that 490 bears were harvested statewide on the opening day. This compares with 696 harvested during last year’s opener. Hunters shot 175 bears on day two (last year 223), and only 152 additional bears were checked during the final two days.

The extended season (Nov. 30 to Dec. 14 in four WMUs, mainly in the southeast) and (Nov. 30 to Dec. 7 in seven WMUs, mainly in the northeast) is continuing as this is being written.

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Game Commission lessened the number of WMUs open for the extended season, and hunters harvested 591 bears. The number of open WMUs stayed the same this year as last. During recent previous years, the number of bears shot during the extended season ranged widely — from over 1,000 to as few as 432 in 2020. This year’s extended season kill was expected to be close to last year’s harvest, but only 325 bears have been checked as of Dec. 5.

So far this season, Clinton County has produced the most bears — 156. Four additional northcentral counties and four northeastern counties fill out the top 10, except for number 10, which is Venango County with 74 bears. Venango County was ranked No. 22 last year with 64 bears. Centre County often shows up in the top 10 (No. 5 in 2022), but this year its 64 bears rank it at No. 14, with the possibility another county might pass it before the end of the extended season. Clearfield County is also often in the top 10, but this year it is ranked No. 13.

2024 top bear harvest counties thus far:

1. Clinton: 156

2. Tioga: 150

3. Lycoming: 140

4. Bradford: 121

5. Potter: 106

6. Luzerne: 89

7. Monroe: 84

8. Pike: 84

9. McKean: 78

10. Venango: 74

Heavy bears

Only six bears topped the 600-pound mark in last year’s harvest. The top bear came from Pike County — the boar had an estimated live weight of 691 pounds. So far this year, at least 12 bears have topped the 600-pound mark, including three with estimated live weights of 700 or more pounds. The heaviest bear was a 774-pound male that was taken in Monroe County.

Lower population

Pennsylvania’s estimated bear population has decreased drastically during the past five years, but rebounded a little in 2024. This year, the Commission kept archery bear season the same, but shortened muzzleloader season from seven days to just three in an effort to lower the early season harvest. The October-to-early November seasons occur prior to denning by pregnant female bears. Even with the reduced muzzleloader season, preliminary results show that 1,379 bears were taken during the combined archery, muzzleloader and special firearms seasons. This is 143 bears higher than the 1,236 shot in 2023.

The extended season is winding down, and it looks like another low harvest. At the current pace, 2024 is likely to enter the record books with another total bear harvest of under 3,000, likely to be considerably lower than last year’s 2,920. Last year was the first harvest under 3,000 bears in over 15 years.

Pa.’s top bear harvests:

1. 2019: 4,653

2. 2011: 4,350

3. 2005: 4,164

4. 2015: 3,748

5. 2012: 3,632