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I have read that the population of black bears here in PA is anywhere from 12-14,000 bears and growing. I have seen bears in the woods only 10 miles North of downtown Pittsburgh. When they get that close to civilization they are usually trapped and relocatd back to the mountains.

Here is the breakdown from the Game Comission website after the first 2 days of a 3 day season. I have not seen any final tallies as of yet:

Release #113-03 NOVEMBER 26, 2003

BEAR HUNTERS HAVING A PHENOMENAL SEASON
Harvest approaches 2,300 after two days
HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported this morning that bear hunters - aided by the increased visibility provided by a light snow that fell in western and northern counties Monday - are having a great season. The statewide bear season will end today at sunset.

Agency employees processed 845 bears at check stations on Tuesday, the season's second day. This brings the total number of bear checked after two days to 2,299. In 2002, agency personnel processed 2,022 over the season's first two days. In 2001, when the state posted its second largest bear harvest, the two-day total was 2,640.

"We're about 300 bears above last year's harvest pace after two days, which puts our harvest up about 14 percent over 2002's," Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist. "Hunters are getting the job done, they may end up posting the state's third best three-day bear harvest.

"Although the total bear harvest will be close to a 50-50 male-female ratio, males are slightly outnumbering females in the harvest, which supports some of our evidence that adult females started denning earlier. The impressive weights of the top-ten bears taken in the harvest this year, reflects that adult males, on the other hand, have been active, and are abundant."

Hunters have now taken at least 10 bears exceeding 600 pounds during the season's first two days. The largest was a 739-pound male (estimated live weight) taken at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Weatherly Township, Carbon County, by Brian J. Coxe of Weatherly.

Other top bears - all listed with estimated or actual live weights - are as follows:

725-pound male taken in Sweden Township, Potter County, on Monday at 7:45 a.m. by Benjamin A. Long of Coudersport.

661-pound male taken in Tell Township, Huntingdon County, on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. by Gregg E. Walls of Dry Run.

648-pound male taken in Cherry Ridge Township, Wayne County, on Monday at 2:45 p.m. by Andrew G. Box of Honesdale.

644-pound male taken in Knox Township, Clarion County, on Monday at 9:30 a.m. by Brandon S. Carson of Monongahela.

642-pound male taken in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. by James S. Hoover of Lititz.

642-pound male taken in Stroud Township, Monroe County, on Monday at 8 a.m. by Donald W. Labar of Saylorsburg.

634-pound male taken in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, on Monday at 11:30 a.m. by William E. Jefferson of Harleigh.

624-pound male taken in Spring Brook Township, Lackawanna County, on Monday at 7:30 a.m. by Daniel J. Gregorsky of Moscow.

616-pound male taken in Bedford Township, Bedford County, on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. by Jesse L. Ritchey of Claysburg.

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