Courtesy of South Hills Cooperative Animal Control
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Pennsylvania had the sixth best black bear harvest in 2020, taking 3,608 bears. However, last year’s harvest was 20% lower from 2019 statewide and 24% lower in the southwestern part of the state.
In 2019, hunters set a record in harvesting 4,653 bears.
The annual average has been running 3,675 bears during the past five years, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
A big year of bear harvests is usually followed by a not-so-big year the next season, according to the commission. After a then-record harvest of 4,311 in 2011, bear kills declined to 3,632 in 2012. Following 2005’s then-record harvest of 4,164, the harvest slipped to 3,124 the next year.