PA. Bear

[Waynzee]

Good ideas guys, I'm all for anything that makes hunting better for the average guy out there trying to bust his *** and get some venison for his family and maybe if he's lucky a Bear to brag about at work or to his friends. And personally I don't care if it's with his old trusty 30/30 or an AR 15. All I'm saying is I would like to see PA. catch up to the rest of the states with bait and hounds. I can see where hounds would be a problem running a bear onto somebody's private property. Consider this though what if a guy with hounds chased a bear onto your property and you could shoot it ?

 

[rharfo]

I'm rethinking the hounds as there's too much possible conflict but bait and semi's I'm for

 

[jwall3d11]

You say hounds and bait would make bear hunting in Pa better? Don't you really mean easier to kill? If you you start killing bears like that we would end up like the rest of the states, shooting a 150 lb bear would be like shooting a 6 point. I would rather hunt years without killing knowing a truly big bear could cross paths with me at anytime than to hunt a 150 pounder whenever I wanted. Just my opinion. I would prefer to hunt them myself and go home empty handed than to bait or let a dog do it for me so I can wander up, catch my breath, and drop a cub out of a tree. Why do you want all the states to be the same? If they all have the same regulations then people have no choices.

 

[Waynzee]

You say hounds and bait would make bear hunting in Pa better? Don't you really mean easier to kill? If you you start killing bears like that we would end up like the rest of the states, shooting a 150 lb bear would be like shooting a 6 point. I would rather hunt years without killing knowing a truly big bear could cross paths with me at anytime than to hunt a 150 pounder whenever I wanted. Just my opinion. I would prefer to hunt them myself and go home empty handed than to bait or let a dog do it for me so I can wander up, catch my breath, and drop a cub out of a tree. Why do you want all the states to be the same? If they all have the same regulations then people have no choices.

No, I mean it would make it better for the guys with hounds they could hunt bear besides hunting coon. I doubt you ever hunted with hounds. And with bait, as previously stated you would be able to look over your bear to see if it was a sow or a cub. You have facts that back up all the bears would be 150 lbs? And if you want to chase bears without hounds or bait go right ahead nobody is stopping ya. As far as wanting all the states the same, you got that wrong too. I said Pa. should catch up with some of the other states.

 

[jwall3d11]

You're right I've never hunted bears with dogs, and I have no desire to. As far as PA "catching up" with other states, PA I believe has around 10 of the top 20 black bears entered into the Boone and Crockett record book. Who needs to "catch up", and what needs changed? Seems like that number speaks for itself. How many does Maine have in the top 20?

 

[Waynzee]

You're right I've never hunted bears with dogs, and I have no desire to. As far as PA "catching up" with other states, PA I believe has around 10 of the top 20 black bears entered into the Boone and Crockett record book. Who needs to "catch up", and what needs changed? Seems like that number speaks for itself. How many does Maine have in the top 20?

Your looking to see who can **** the farthest with this forum. That's not what it's about. And I don't care about the biggest, best, Boone and Crockett anything.... And what about the facts that back up your quote "all the bears would be 150 lbs." Maine just dropped to being ranked 25th from 11th. Pa. is ranked 20th. Not enough to argue about. Not that I care, but it's all in the B&C.

 

[jwall3d11]

It would seem pretty obvious to me that if you make it easier for hunters to kill something it won't be long before there aren't many left. When you can kill easily the animals don't get a chance to live very long, they are killed before they mature and can put any size on. Whitetails in PA for a long time here could easily be used as an example. They were usually shot in the first 2 1/2 years of their lives and therefore rarely gained any size. I am not trying to win any ******* match just sharing my opinion, at the end of the day I am not going to change your mind and you are not going to change mine. I would prefer they went back to the way it used to be, 3 days, use whatever you want, and good luck.

 

[Waynzee]

It would seem pretty obvious to me that if you make it easier for hunters to kill something it won't be long before there aren't many left. When you can kill easily the animals don't get a chance to live very long, they are killed before they mature and can put any size on. Whitetails in PA for a long time here could easily be used as an example. They were usually shot in the first 2 1/2 years of their lives and therefore rarely gained any size. I am not trying to win any ******* match just sharing my opinion, at the end of the day I am not going to change your mind and you are not going to change mine. I would prefer they went back to the way it used to be, 3 days, use whatever you want, and good luck.

Now, that's something I would agree to. 3 days use what you want and good luck. For bear hunting, that's a good idea. And years ago, you are right, there was only a 3 day season and you had to do your scouting to find a bear.
Also, I would like to see the Game Comm. go back to the two week buck and 3 day doe season and leave the antler restriction in place. Just my opinion.

 

[jwall3d11]

I saw a good boar yesterday, second bear this spring. Looked to be in the 400 pound range. Was very large and healthy. I wish I had gotten as good of pictures of him as I did the first one but when we came around the curve he instantly headed for the trees.

 

[Waynzee]

I saw a good boar yesterday, second bear this spring. Looked to be in the 400 pound range. Was very large and healthy. I wish I had gotten as good of pictures of him as I did the first one but when we came around the curve he instantly headed for the trees.

I haven't seen any Bears yet this spring but they will be around after they clean up the fawns. Then the Bear will come out and get into everybody's garbage. Up here next to the Pocono Mnt's a lot of city people vacationing leave their garbage out so it's ripe picking for the Bear.

 

[Paparock]

Black bears may not get as big as browns or grizzlies, but by golly, they do get BIG. I lived in Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh for a couple of years and they harvest some GIANT Black Bears every year! Paparock

Pennsylvania's Incredible Giant Black Bears - Pennsylvania's Incredible Giant Black Bears

Hunter Bags 772-pound Black Bear in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania - http://wnep.com/2013/11/26/hunter-bags-772-pound-black-bear-in-lackawanna-county/

Here Are 13 of the Biggest Black Bears Ever Hunted

704-pound black bear taken in Annville, Pennsylvania.

Possible new Pennsylvania State record Black Bear killed in Rayne Township, 2016.
Now that's a Black Bear, look at that head!

Bowhunter Shoots 740-Pound Black Bear from the Ground at 7 Yards! -http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2016/11/28/bowhunter-shoots-740-pound-black-bear-ground-7-yards/

 

[jwall3d11]

Where did you live at north of Pittsburgh?

 

[xarcher]

No, I mean it would make it better for the guys with hounds they could hunt bear besides hunting coon. I doubt you ever hunted with hounds. And with bait, as previously stated you would be able to look over your bear to see if it was a sow or a cub. You have facts that back up all the bears would be 150 lbs? And if you want to chase bears without hounds or bait go right ahead nobody is stopping ya. As far as wanting all the states the same, you got that wrong too. I said Pa. should catch up with some of the other states.

Lots of good points on both sides. But one thing that I believe should always be considered in these discussions is that PA has statistically about 1 million licensed hunters per year. Now all of them are not bear hunters, or turkey hunters, or deer hunters, etc., but to put that into perspective the state of Montana has fewer than 1 million people in the whole friggin state. It can not be argued that being able to hunt with dogs or being able to hunt over bait would increase the bear hunter numbers (and by the way increase revenues). And more hunters in the woods means more bears get shot. So let's give the PGC at least 2 ounces of credit for growing the PA bear population to the point where it is a destination state for black bears both from a population and size standpoint, recognizing that 1 million hunters per year could in an instant check the box to buy a bear tag over the counter. Maybe PA chooses not to "catch up" with some of the other states because their studies and models predict disaster.

 

[Waynzee]

Lots of good points on both sides. But one thing that I believe should always be considered in these discussions is that PA has statistically about 1 million licensed hunters per year. Now all of them are not bear hunters, or turkey hunters, or deer hunters, etc., but to put that into perspective the state of Montana has fewer than 1 million people in the whole friggin state. It can not be argued that being able to hunt with dogs or being able to hunt over bait would increase the bear hunter numbers (and by the way increase revenues). And more hunters in the woods means more bears get shot. So let's give the PGC at least 2 ounces of credit for growing the PA bear population to the point where it is a destination state for black bears both from a population and size standpoint, recognizing that 1 million hunters per year could in an instant check the box to buy a bear tag over the counter. Maybe PA chooses not to "catch up" with some of the other states because their studies and models predict disaster.

No, you would not decrease the bear population. Even if the PGC allowed all the above mentioned with the short season and time of the year, bad weather, places to actually hunt bear in PA., nope wouldn't happen.