A couple of this year’s Pennsylvania bear seasons are now over; the archery season and the muzzleloader season have ended, but the regular firearms season will run from November 22-25. Pennsylvania offers some pretty good bear hunting, and it looks like this year could offer some pretty good hunting again. I know I have seen at least three bears over the past few months, and I’ve talked to others who have also spotted bears on different occasions.
Last year, there were 2,642 bears taken in Pennsylvania, with the average age of about three years old. The males that were taken averaged about 200 pounds, and the females averaged around 160 pounds. The largest bear taken last year was a 774-pounder taken in Lackawanna County.
As expected, of course, Pennsylvania’s black bears are usually black, and some black bears display a white mark, sometimes in the shape of a “V” on their chest. While they are most often black, on rare occasions, a cinnamon color will show up.
I have never spotted a cinnamon black bear in Pennsylvania, but I do have a full-sized 200-pound cinnamon bear mounted in my home. I actually got that cinnamon bear in Montana years ago while on an elk hunt. I also had a bear license, and the bear ambled about 30 yards in front of me. When I realized it didn’t have a hump on its back, therefore it wasn’t a grizzly bear, I took the shot and nailed it.
If you plan to hunt bears, don’t assume that because you saw one near your favorite treestand a few weeks ago that it’s going to be there again when you head out on opening day. Bears move a lot, and the average home range of an adult male bear in Pennsylvania is 20 square miles. Adult females have ranges of about 6-8 square miles. Bears can cover some pretty good-sized territory, but keep in mind that they tend to do most of their moving in the morning or late-day hours and after dark.
Keep in mind, too, that bears, like humans, often make use of trails, so be on the lookout for tracks or paw depressions in those areas.
Also check for trees that bears may have scarred with their claws or bite marks, these trees are often used for rubbing their backs. These “tree rubs” let other bears know of their presence.
If you’re planning on bear hunting, probably one of the most significant things to consider is where bears might be feeding. This is especially significant in the fall since bears begin to fatten themselves for their winter hibernation. Bears are omnivorous, eating almost anything, including berries, acorns, beech nuts, and corn. As you know, bears are also fond of honey, bird feeders, and a host of other human scraps. Certainly, areas where beechnuts and acorns are abundant would be good places to spend some time.
When it comes to bear hunting, I’ll admit that I don’t get too stationary; I tend to still hunt or move slowly and carefully for short distances, and then become stationary for a brief period, and then move on to another spot.
Bears have an acute sense of smell, but their vision is relatively poor, so you are more likely to be “spotted” by a bear when it picks up your scent rather than if you are moving slowly and carefully.
