Bear Harvest
www.pgcapps.pa.gov
Bear Harvest 2024 Update
Coureur De Bois
www.pgcapps.pa.gov
41 - 60 of 196 Posts
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How true this is.
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11,186 Posts
We haven't gone up for bear since the overlap. For this exact reason.
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909 Posts
I hunted Saturday and Sunday in Rothrock State Forest. I arrived mid Saturday morning to allow the roads to be cleared for my 3 hour commute over Laurel Ridge due to the snow on a Friday.
Most camps on the way were empty and very few cars were parked on the side of the road. Probably walked close to 11 miles between the 2 days and only saw 2 other hunters. I left at 4 pm on Sunday so I didn't get home to late and only saw 2 cars parked along the road in PSU's Forest.
Bear hunting by yourself is a hopeless task with no one else in the woods. But it was still an enjoyable 2 days.
Most camps on the way were empty and very few cars were parked on the side of the road. Probably walked close to 11 miles between the 2 days and only saw 2 other hunters. I left at 4 pm on Sunday so I didn't get home to late and only saw 2 cars parked along the road in PSU's Forest.
Bear hunting by yourself is a hopeless task with no one else in the woods. But it was still an enjoyable 2 days.
Lets face it. The PGC wants roughly 3000+ bears killed in an ideal year.
They have given hunters more opportunities to fill those tags than ever with archery and inlines in addition to rifle season and extended rifle season.
The PGC doesn't require that X many have to be killed during rifle seasons or in any particular season. They just would like a certsin amout killed no matter when it happens. Apparently the numbers of rifle hunters are either down or not killing enough, so those other opportunities are a valid way to help reach those numbers.
Hunting anything isn't really easy, and hunting bears definitely requires a lot of effort for low success and it is up to the hunters to put that effort in no matter what season they choose to hunt in.
Guys can complain that the archery hunters are killing "their" rifle bear, but the PGC just wants a certain amount of bear dead, so it doesn't matter in what season it happens.
If 3000, 3500, 4000 aren't killed, it isn't because of the lack of opportunity...it is because guys aren't taking the available opportunities.
I completely understand that work, family commitments, etc etc are factors that limit time in the woods...but that always been the case.
They have given hunters more opportunities to fill those tags than ever with archery and inlines in addition to rifle season and extended rifle season.
The PGC doesn't require that X many have to be killed during rifle seasons or in any particular season. They just would like a certsin amout killed no matter when it happens. Apparently the numbers of rifle hunters are either down or not killing enough, so those other opportunities are a valid way to help reach those numbers.
Hunting anything isn't really easy, and hunting bears definitely requires a lot of effort for low success and it is up to the hunters to put that effort in no matter what season they choose to hunt in.
Guys can complain that the archery hunters are killing "their" rifle bear, but the PGC just wants a certain amount of bear dead, so it doesn't matter in what season it happens.
If 3000, 3500, 4000 aren't killed, it isn't because of the lack of opportunity...it is because guys aren't taking the available opportunities.
I completely understand that work, family commitments, etc etc are factors that limit time in the woods...but that always been the case.
Another reason why you are not seeing the amount of hunters is how the bear population has spread. Our group used to go to potter county. We now stay home and hunt in 5a. We killed a 184lb bear yesterday and a 500 lb bear today. 25 years ago, this was unimaginable.
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I understand the PGC only wants that golden number of bears harvested, but they will quickly soon realize that Archery alone is not going to cut it. Also they will lose revenue from out of state hunters who travel to PA for a crack at a big PA bear. We as hunters need to fight for our rights and push our agenda otherwise there will be no more gun bear hunting in PA at all or it will be so bad it won't even be worth hunting them anymore with firearm. I think this is the case now where hunters don't feel the juice is worth the squeeze anymore. This can all be easily solved by shortening archery and lengthening firearms or putting a short 2 day early season in September or October.
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The number of rifle hunters is down, so common sense would be to make more opportunities for rifle hunters not less. The PGC has reduced rifle hunting opportunities in the face of reduced rifle hunters. The answer is to make more opportunities for rifle hunters and bring back enthusiasm for bear hunting in PA with rifle. Expanding archery seasons will just destroy the population as more pregnant females will be taken thus compounding the problem. Why is it so difficult to add more rifle seasons or extend it?
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5,156 Posts
Report from my area of Sproul State Forest.
We had poor season, if you only consider sighting, and kills. This didn’t surprise me this year, from the limited preseason scouting I did. Acorn crop was sparse, in the area we hunt bear, and sign was mostly non existence. You could say we should of done more scouting, maybe this would of helped, possibility. Trouble is I no longer have 20 year olds that have both the time and physical ability to do it. The majority are now in their 40’s with other responsibilities, and the rest of us have the time, but not the physical ability anymore.
I had a crew of 18 hunters for Saturday, 16 for Sunday, we didn’t hunt today, normal attendance.
We did 4 different drives on Saturday. Three of those drives we have harvested bears from years past. This year we saw a total of 2 deer from those 4 drives.
Sunday’s crew consisted of 16 hunters, and we only did 2 drives, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, I was not part of the afternoon hunt.
The morning drive produced nothing, no bear or deer, we have harvested bear and seen deer in the past from that drive.
The after noon drive I’m not allowed to participate in, my son who is crew chief, won’t take me. He said, you can’t get there, and I have no place near the drive where you might see something coming off it. Some people might be mad about that, I’m not. You see, I know where he was going, and his assessment was correct. Even some 40 year old hunters think about doing it twice, and I’m dang near twice that age. Anyway, that drive did produce one bear from it last year. My 16 year old grandson, at the time, shot and hit it, but darkness came and they could not continue the search . Tried again the next day, but failed. Good news is, it was seen in Deer season. It was limiting some on right front leg, but the old hunter that reported it to my son, said it would make it. Back to this year, same drive produced 3 bear. This year the bears were seen by my younger grandson. He did not try to harvest the bear. He told me, “ number one, I wasn’t going to shoot a sow who had 2 cubs in tow, and I didn’t have that good of a shot either. She was moving through the brush at 100 yards or so, and I didn’t feel good about pulling the trigger. Wise decision “Walker”, especially for a 15 year old, and his first chance at a bear.
Today, there were only 4 of us left in camp. Yes we have killed bear with that number of hunters, but it is hard, luck best be on your side, and with better bear numbers than we encountered this year.We, slept in, had a good breakfast, cleaned up, packed up, and headed home. New year, is another year and hopefully better. God willing.
A couple of conclusion notes:
I have not yet talked to a friend who runs another crew that we use to combine with on the second or third day, so don’t know how they did. It’s possible they even didn’t hunt the area.
I do believe that the PGC wanted the overall harvest lowered, and is why the muzzleloader season was shortened. If I remember correctly, they felt we were harvesting too many pregnant sows, before they went too den. If this is correct, they got what they wanted, and hopefully better time are ahead. Especially if the food source is there.
We had poor season, if you only consider sighting, and kills. This didn’t surprise me this year, from the limited preseason scouting I did. Acorn crop was sparse, in the area we hunt bear, and sign was mostly non existence. You could say we should of done more scouting, maybe this would of helped, possibility. Trouble is I no longer have 20 year olds that have both the time and physical ability to do it. The majority are now in their 40’s with other responsibilities, and the rest of us have the time, but not the physical ability anymore.
I had a crew of 18 hunters for Saturday, 16 for Sunday, we didn’t hunt today, normal attendance.
We did 4 different drives on Saturday. Three of those drives we have harvested bears from years past. This year we saw a total of 2 deer from those 4 drives.
Sunday’s crew consisted of 16 hunters, and we only did 2 drives, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, I was not part of the afternoon hunt.
The morning drive produced nothing, no bear or deer, we have harvested bear and seen deer in the past from that drive.
The after noon drive I’m not allowed to participate in, my son who is crew chief, won’t take me. He said, you can’t get there, and I have no place near the drive where you might see something coming off it. Some people might be mad about that, I’m not. You see, I know where he was going, and his assessment was correct. Even some 40 year old hunters think about doing it twice, and I’m dang near twice that age. Anyway, that drive did produce one bear from it last year. My 16 year old grandson, at the time, shot and hit it, but darkness came and they could not continue the search . Tried again the next day, but failed. Good news is, it was seen in Deer season. It was limiting some on right front leg, but the old hunter that reported it to my son, said it would make it. Back to this year, same drive produced 3 bear. This year the bears were seen by my younger grandson. He did not try to harvest the bear. He told me, “ number one, I wasn’t going to shoot a sow who had 2 cubs in tow, and I didn’t have that good of a shot either. She was moving through the brush at 100 yards or so, and I didn’t feel good about pulling the trigger. Wise decision “Walker”, especially for a 15 year old, and his first chance at a bear.
Today, there were only 4 of us left in camp. Yes we have killed bear with that number of hunters, but it is hard, luck best be on your side, and with better bear numbers than we encountered this year.We, slept in, had a good breakfast, cleaned up, packed up, and headed home. New year, is another year and hopefully better. God willing.
A couple of conclusion notes:
I have not yet talked to a friend who runs another crew that we use to combine with on the second or third day, so don’t know how they did. It’s possible they even didn’t hunt the area.
I do believe that the PGC wanted the overall harvest lowered, and is why the muzzleloader season was shortened. If I remember correctly, they felt we were harvesting too many pregnant sows, before they went too den. If this is correct, they got what they wanted, and hopefully better time are ahead. Especially if the food source is there.
What was the excuse in 1998? Couldn't have been the archery hunters.
The PGC had adjusted accordingly over the years. When the biologists say that seasons must be adjusted again I am sure they will.
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7,345 Posts
If a guy broke down 4 days into half days, that is 8 quality sits in Archery.....
I had to sit out the 1998 season as I started a new job that year, sorry I let everyone down.
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64 Posts
Are you a paid shill for them? This type of mentality of accepting status quo is the reason that Communism stood for so long.Anyone bashing the PGC bear program is ahead. They are the best in the country and know exactly what they're doing with their projections.
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7,345 Posts
You ever hear of Gary Alt?
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830 Posts
I bet them archers killed your big buck also…..Heck they were killing to many sows with inlines (aka single shot rifles) hence the changes and you want to add a couple of modern rifle days to the early season. I don’t even hunt them and can see the flaws of your thinking
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64 Posts
=
Many states have rifle season in Early Fall, and these states are in the Appalachian mountain chain also with growing bear populations. It's nothing really controversial or new. The flaw is actually in your thinking.
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9,154 Posts
???? You interject a communism association with bear management? That is some NY TDS right there.
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2,256 Posts
No the flaw is you want it YOUR way. No different than the guys who want to bring back the Monday deer opener. It has nothing to do with wildlife management, just what suits you.
There is already the better part of 4 weeks to hunt bear statewide. Deal with it....
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