Bear Harvest Continues Downward Slide

As some sportsmen had predicted, the Pennsylvania bear harvest continued its downward slide this past season – or should I say seasons.

The preliminary figures show that Pennsylvania hunters killed 2,919 bears, the first time the harvest has shrunk under 3,000 since 2007. Hunters killed about 1,243 bears during the archery, muzzleloader, and special firearms seasons. Only 1,083 were downed during the traditional four-day firearms season and 593 were tagged during the extended season. This is down from 4,653 bears killed in 2019.

Sportsmen’s advocate Greg Levengood of Boyertown posted o...