HARRISBURG, PA - After two days, 1,310 black bears have been harvested as part of Pennsylvania's statewide bear season, according to preliminary totals released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Archery and other early bear season harvest data is not available at this time.

Bears have been harvested in 54 counties during the statewide season so far.

Four bears exceeding 500 pounds were taken on the season's second day, Nov. 20. The top 10 bears processed at check stations on the season's first two days were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 560 pounds or more.

The largest of those bears – a male estimated at 700 pounds – was taken in Oil Creek Township, Venango County, by Chad A. Wagner, of Titusville, Pa. He took it with a rifle at about 8 a.m. on Nov. 18, the season's opening day.

Other large bears taken over the season's first two days – all taken with a rifle – include: a 648-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Dreher Township, Wayne County, by Joseph D. Simon, of Newfoundland, Pa.; a 609-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Abbott Township, Potter County, by Michael R. Neimeyer, of Spring City, Pa.; a 601-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Valley Township, Armstrong County, by Bo J. Bowser, of Kittanning; a 595-pound male taken Nov. 18 in St. Marys Township, Elk County, by Stephanie A. Siford, of North East, Pa.; a 595-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Charleston Township, Tioga County, by Zachery L. Martin, of Wellsboro, Pa.; a 586-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Oil Creek Township, Crawford County, by Brian K. Baker, Titusville, Pa.; a 576-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Homer Township, Potter County, by Kirby R. Kornhaus, of Jonestown, Pa.; a 562-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, by William J. Miller, of Beech Creek; a 561-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Fox Township, Sullivan County, by Tyler J. Bagley, Of Montgomery, Pa; a 561-pound male taken in Ross Township, Luzerne County, by Richard B. Kollar, of Shickshinny, Pa.; a 555-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Brady Township, Clearfield County, by Mark A. Perks, of Luthersburg, Pa.

The 2017 two-day preliminary harvest is a decrease compared to 1,893 bears taken during the statewide season's first two days in 2016. Hunters in 2015 harvested 2,224 bears on the season's first two days.

The overall 2016 bear harvest was 3,529, the fifth-largest in state history. In 2015, hunters took a total of 3,745 bears – the fifth-largest harvest all time. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary two-day totals numbered 2,709.

The preliminary two-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 13 (23 in 2015); WMU 1B, 43 (53); WMU 2A, 1, (1); WMU 2C, 63 (157); WMU 2D, 76 (66); WMU 2E, 20 (42); WMU 2F, 151 (230); WMU 2G, 263 (430); WMU 2H, 64 (68); WMU 3A, 88 (123); WMU 3B, 131 (142); WMU 3C, 63 (45); WMU 3D, 156 (138); WMU 4A, 50 (96); WMU 4B, 23 (62); WMU 4C, 28 (54); WMU 4D, 56 (127); WMU 4E, 19 (34); and WMU 5A, 2 (1).

The top bear-hunting county in the state over the first two days of the season was Tioga County with 93.

Two-day preliminary harvests by county and region are:
Northwest (223): Warren, 61 (81); Jefferson, 41 (47); Venango, 37 (61); Clarion, 25 (38); Forest, 23 (55); Crawford, 19 (15); Butler, 6 (6); Mercer, 6 (4); and Erie, 5 (5).
Southwest (90): Somerset, 31 (63); Armstrong, 25 (11); Fayette, 18 (40); Westmoreland, 6 (25); Indiana, 5 (19); and Cambria, 5 (13).
Northcentral (532): Tioga, 93 (125); Potter, 84 (100); Clinton, 83 (143); Lycoming, 74 (132); Elk, 53 (59); McKean, 44 (75); Clearfield, 40 (66); Cameron, 34 (54); Centre, 17 (57); and Union, 10 (10).
Southcentral (106): Bedford, 24 (50); Huntingdon, 33 (42); Fulton, 11 (27); Perry, 7 (25); Juniata, 7 (24); Mifflin, 7 (19); Blair, 4 (16); Franklin, 7 (11); Snyder, 2 (7); Adams, 2 (0); and Cumberland, 2 (3).
Northeast (339): Pike, 83 (42); Sullivan, 49 (34); Wayne, 44 (31); Monroe, 31 (39); Luzerne, 28 (46); Bradford, 25 (36); Wyoming, 21 (16); Lackawanna, 19 (20); Susquehanna, 16 (22); Carbon, 15 (20); Columbia, 6 (16); Montour, 1 (1); and Northumberland, 1 (1).
Southeast (20): Dauphin, 9 (18); Schuylkill, 5 (15); Lebanon, 1 (6); Berks, 4 (1); and Northampton, 1 (1).