Pennsylvania hunters have harvested 3,170 total black bears in the 2022 seasons, including three huge bears that weighed more than 700 pounds.

Though 2022’s harvest count was down from 2021’s total (3,621) it was still large enough to rank as the 14th largest of all time. Pennsylvania’s all-time best bear season was in 2019, where hunters bagged 4,653 bears.

The Express ran an article on Nov. 3, 2022 showcasing a local hunter: Holden Long.

12-year-old Holden Long scored his first black bear during mentored rifle season while hunting with the Misfit Crew in Clinton County. Holden downed his bear with a Ruger Hawkeye 260 rifle with hand-loaded 125 grain nosler partition bullets.

Holden made a 110-yard shot, rolling down a mountain side and made a second shot to finish it off. Holden was being mentored by his proud father Chris Long who coached him through the process. Also hunting that day with the Longs were Tristan Frederick and Cahle Frederick, who were mentored by their dad, Doug Frederick and their uncle, David Frederick. It was a great crew moment.

The bear weighed in at 633 pounds. According to this data from the PA Game Commission, Holden’s harvest was among the largest taken in 2022.

The largest taken in 2022 was a 755-pounder harvested by Cory Bennett, of Toms River, N.J., with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County.

The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pa.

Other large bears taken in the 2022 are:

— A 746-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 22 in Barrett Township, Monroe County, by James Laquino of Canadensis

— A 705-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Timothy Moffet, of East Greenville

— A 693-pounder taken with a rifle on Oct. 20 in Abbott Township, Potter County, by Elijah Smucker, of Paradise

— A 681-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 22 in Bradford Township, Clearfield County, by William Swoope, of Woodland

— A 681-pounder taken bow on Oct. 21 in Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County, by Cole Schnably, of Bedford

— A 657-pounder taken with a rifle on Oct. 22 in Gallagher Township, Clinton County, by Lane Charles, of Millersville

— A 650-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 21 in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, by Joshua Monahan, of Ashland

— A 634-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 27 in Asylum Township, Bradford County, by Nicholas Menzen, of Cogan Station

— A 633-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 22 in Cummings Township, Lycoming County, by Holden Long, of Lock Haven.

Hunters in 2022 took bears in 58 of the state’s 67 counties and 22 of its 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).

According to the Game Commission, 2022’s harvest was spread out more evenly than ever before over the four seasons. In archery season, hunters harvested 737 bears, 712 in the muzzleloader/special firearms season, 1,051 in the general season and 663 in the extended season. Seven were harvested in the early season.

Emily Carrollo, the Game Commission’s black bear biologist, says that’s likely how things will continue to look moving forward.

“Our season structure allows hunters to pursue black bears across multiple months, using multiple tools, when opportunity best matches up with their availability,” Carrollo said, “They can hunt when they have the time off work or school or other responsibilities, which is good for them and helps us reach our management objectives.”

2022 found the third-most ever number of licenses being purchased, with 213,639 individuals total purchasing a license — 203,922 Pennsylvania residents and 9,717 nonresidents.

Within the individual counties, Tioga County produced the most harvests with 187 bears harvested during the 2022 season.

Lycoming County was a close second, following with 152 harvests. Bradford and Luzerne Counties were tied with 126 harvests each. Centre County had 122; Potter County, 119; Clearfield and Monroe Counties tied with 114; and Clinton followed closely behind with 113 harvests.

Final county harvests by region (with 2021 figures in parentheses) are:

Northwest — 502 (451): Warren, 88 (87); Jefferson, 81 (72); Clarion, 80 (60); Venango, 79 (81); Crawford, 52 (38); Forest, 51 (44); Butler, 40 (43); Erie, 20 (13); and Mercer, 11 (8).

Southwest — 253 (247): Somerset, 64 (58); Armstrong, 50 (58); Cambria, 44 (19); Fayette, 34 (49); Indiana, 31 (12); Westmoreland, 25 (41); Greene, 3 (3); and Allegheny, 2 (7).

Northcentral — 1,028 (1,220): Tioga, 187 (166); Lycoming, 152 (212); Centre, 122 (118); Potter, 119 (180); Clearfield, 114 (94); Clinton, 113 (156); Elk, 85 (80); McKean, 52 (107); Cameron, 52 (68); and Union, 32 (39).

Southcentral — 355 (464): Huntingdon, 81 (115); Bedford, 71 (82); Mifflin, 34 (55); Blair, 33 (39); Fulton, 31 (47); Perry, 29 (42); Juniata, 26 (36); Franklin, 18 (17); Snyder, 15 (12); Cumberland 8 (8); Adams, 7 (10); and York, 2 (1).

Northeast — 901 (1,121): Bradford, 126 (136); Luzerne, 126 (111); Monroe, 114 (95); Pike, 84 (167); Sullivan, 84 (127); Wayne, 81 (120); Carbon, 78 (103); Lackawanna, 51 (62); Wyoming, 50 (66); Susquehanna, 47 (77); Columbia, 46 (36); Northumberland, 10 (16); and Montour, 4 (5).

Southeast — 131 (156): Schuylkill, 65 (61); Dauphin, 27 (54); Lebanon, 14 (8); Northampton, 12 (13); Berks, 11 (12); and Lehigh, 2 (6).

The final bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with final 2021 figures in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 26 (26); WMU 1B, 115 (96); WMU 2A, 13 (5); WMU 2B, 4 (10); WMU 2C, 159 (192); WMU 2D, 202 (206); WMU 2E, 85 (45); WMU 2F, 258 (245); WMU 2G, 425 (519); WMU 2H, 101 (90); WMU 3A, 174 (238); WMU 3B, 292 (403); WMU 3C, 165 (218); WMU 3D, 344 (426); WMU 4A, 114 (173); WMU 4B, 76 (121); WMU 4C, 190 (224); WMU 4D, 291 (300); WMU 4E, 109 (97); WMU 5A, 17 (14); WMU 5B, 2 (1); and WMU 5C, 8 (10).