679 Pound Black Bear Harvested in PA.

[fredo]

Are you more impressed with the > 600-lb weights, or the wide-angle photographs with the hunter behind and five feet closer to the vanishing point?

A bear in suitable habitat doesn't need a dumpster, they can get that big just on wild berries, cherries, and mast.
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Eh, that photo angle BS is old news...
Was wondering because, NY is close in proximity & has relatively similar terrain, flora & fauna, yet there doesn't seem to be the same abundance of those really huge bears?

Have tried a few 'walks with a rifle' during NY's early bear season in the Dacks, but haven't killed one. Buddy had one run past that I pushed off a mountaintop, but that's about as close as we got. And, where we hunt deer in CNY, there aren't any bears in that immediate AO. So, the likelihood of an 'incidental' bear strolling past a deer stand is not hapoenin'...

I do know that bear activity in/around towns in the Dacks is directly attributed to mast production, or lack thereof. Heck, I went scouting earlier this year, and there was hardly any sign in the woods, yet locals in town were having their trash sacked on a near nightly basis! So, couldn't help but wonder if those big PA bears getting killed (and weighed) weren't shot while on a similar mission...and close to civilization?

If a group of guys get together to hunt & haul several hundred pounds of chewed bubblegum bear carcass outta a nasty swamp, they got my respect! I've hauled enough meat to know appreciate that effort!

So, it would be kinda cool to shoot a big azz bear & make a rug or sumthin' (and overcook the meat). But, it'd hafta be fair chase & hard earned. Sounds like a (non-res) PA hunt might be just that kinda hunt...

Thanks to all for the replies & info!

 

[msinc]

It's been a few years since I hunted bear in Pa. For an individual to hunt bear the bottom line is that since you cant bait and you cant use dogs about the only plan left is to get up high or someplace where you can see a bunch of real estate and have a rifle that will hit anything that passes thru it. It's either that or go along with a bunch of guys on a drive...either way you will need to do a lot of praying and be "lotto lucky" to kill a bear in Pa.
Virginia allows dogs, but does not allow bait. You can use scent there and they define it as "as long as a bear cannot eat it then it's not considered bait". I have skinned out a bear in Pa. to mount and took the entire hide, carcass and guts {in a separate bag} to the checking station and they didn't say anything about it. Didn't cut the carcass up. It was cold when I shot it, but it turned pretty warm that afternoon so I skinned it to make sure it didn't slip hair.
I used to hunt on state game lands #108 and they would open the gate and allow you to drive way back in the road {that saved us about a 2 mile drag!!}. The game wardens were pretty good about helping you get an animal out back then, sounds like they might not be so helpful these days.
Virginia has done a study on the declining deer population in the mountains...it was first thought that coyotes were the blame, but they discovered it was the bears eating fawns in the spring. With bear populations increasing every year in both states they wont have any deer left if they don't start allowing baiting for bear. The biggest problem to me hunting bear without bait or dogs is that the big ones are for certain very nocturnal. My trail cameras have proven it in three states. Even bait wont help much with a nocturnal bear. I know a lot of bear meat gets tossed...many states {Pa. Md. Va. and W.Va.} have a "wanton waste" law that says you cant just toss it, but how do they enforce it??

 

[JRS]

The final count won't be complete for several weeks, but, as of 11/23, this years harvest (1,833) is roughly 12% ahead of last years harvest (1,628).

 

[Bulletbob]

It's more than just bears getting old. We have some old bears here in N.MI but they do not grow that large. You guys have phenomenal genes in your bears AND guessing many years hibernation doesn't occur for the long periods that they do here or even In Canada. North Carolina is another state. No hibernating necessary means longer growing seasons. Great genes and no baiting or use of dogs to harvest bears allows more bears to get to that age of full maturity. Bears just don't get huge because of age. Bears are like people in that we all grow differently. I'm 6' and 240. Some adults are 5'5" and 175. Some are 6'5" and 290. Bears are the same. It's all in the genes as to what size a bear will be. The genes are very very good for bears in PA. I will make the trip one day to PA to hunt bears. Short season so no excuses not to go. Just a matter of research and planning. Few obstacles have been in the way in the last 5 years but they seem to be gone and retirement is the time to make plans like this and go.

I have several friend that bear hunt NC. and dogs are the most common way of hunting them. And the world record came from NC. Coastal N Carolina is a haven for huge bears, PEANUTS thousands of acres of peanuts are grown there and they LOVE them. Much to the dismay of most peanut farmers.

 

[Bulletbob]

I used to hunt by Tionesta

Dang I used to live in Tionesta, and worked for ITL at the sawmill in Endeavor. Small world.

 

[284winner]

I have several friend that bear hunt NC. and dogs are the most common way of hunting them. And the world record came from NC. Coastal N Carolina is a haven for huge bears, PEANUTS thousands of acres of peanuts are grown there and they LOVE them. Much to the dismay of most peanut farmers.

I'll make it there one year for a bear hunt. Lots of research to do on areas and methods of hunting. Certainly worth putting in for a tag with Giants like that roaming NC !!!

 

[clunker]

Those beasts make our Pacific NW black bears look like a petting zoo. Their sizes are approaching Kodiak bragging rights.

Remind me to carry a 12 gauge pump-action with a capacity of at least 5 slugs if I ever hunt in PA.

 

[dkhunt14]

Those beasts make our Pacific NW black bears look like a petting zoo. Their sizes are approaching Kodiak bragging rights.

Remind me to carry a 12 gauge pump-action with a capacity of at least 5 slugs if I ever hunt in PA.

Bears are not that hard to kill. I know of a few that were shot with a 243 and a 85 grain HPBT. Another was shot at a tad over 500 with that bullet and a 6 REM Ackley. Matt

 

[DaveTooley]

I'll make it there one year for a bear hunt. Lots of research to do on areas and methods of hunting. Certainly worth putting in for a tag with Giants like that roaming NC !!!

Licenses are over the counter. No draw. Eastern NC vegetation is thick thick thick with lots of swamp land. Tough hunting. Thus the use of dogs by many. I've got a bear right behind my shop. A two year old. I've seen it swim across the creek behind my house. I haven't seen the sow yet but I've been told she's a big one.

 

[dkhunt14]

Licenses are over the counter. No draw. Eastern NC vegetation is thick thick thick with lots of swamp land. Tough hunting. Thus the use of dogs by many. I've got a bear right behind my shop. A two year old. I've seen it swim across the creek behind my house. I haven't seen the sow yet but I've been told she's a big one.

I have heard that Eastern North Carolina has big bears. Greg (can't remeber his last name) told me how he hunted there and what they shot. They shot some really big ones. He used to shoot North Carolina and Virginia 1000 yard. Matt

 

[284winner]

Licenses are over the counter. No draw. Eastern NC vegetation is thick thick thick with lots of swamp land. Tough hunting. Thus the use of dogs by many. I've got a bear right behind my shop. A two year old. I've seen it swim across the creek behind my house. I haven't seen the sow yet but I've been told she's a big one.

Not alot of options for hunting bears in your state. Bait and dogs are not allowed so hunting food sources are about the only option. Short season days also allow for those bears to live long. Needless to say, hunting as a nonresident will be a challenge for sure. It's hunting and the experience I'm in for not the harvest. That's strictly a bonus.

 

[DaveTooley]

Not alot of options for hunting bears in your state. Bait and dogs are not allowed so hunting food sources are about the only option. Short season days also allow for those bears to live long. Needless to say, hunting as a nonresident will be a challenge for sure. It's hunting and the experience I'm in for not the harvest. That's strictly a bonus.

http://www.eregulations.com/northcarolina/hunting-fishing/bear-seasons-map/

 

[284winner]

http://www.eregulations.com/northcarolina/hunting-fishing/bear-seasons-map/

Interesting. In conversation with other residents of NC, was told NO BAITING allowed and NO DOGS allowed during bear hunts. Never looked at state game laws as I assumed I was given correct and accurate info. Thank you for this. It's the real deal. Sounds kinda complicated regarding unprocessed vs processed. I'm not a dog runner so it would be bait hunting. I will read more in-depth on these rules of the NC bear season. Thank you again for the information. John

 

[helmut in the bush]

Dang I used to live in Tionesta, and worked for ITL at the sawmill in Endeavor. Small world.

It was called East Hickory, the camp was at the top of the hill off 666, across from the cemetery. That was almost 30 years ago, time flies.

 

[Bojo]

Family has a camp in Clarendon Pa. Not far from where u guys are talking about.
Some very nice beautiful country in that area, from the Allegheny river to the mountain tops.

 

[Bulletbob]

The NC, bears that grow so big, come from eastern NC, which is a big peanut growing area. And these bears are feasting on peanuts, much to the farmers dismay. I have a friend that hunts there regularly, and 550~600lb bears are not uncommon. Actually the world record came from NC. But other areas of NC grows some really big bears as well. And the population is growing and spreading. They are moving into the south central Tn and Alabama.