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    black bear

    ​Black bear Age Harvest Data

    Congratulations on harvesting a Pennsylvania black bear, one of the state's most impressive big game animals. Please note age certificates will not be mailed to hunters, all successful hunters already received a certificate recognizing their harvest while at the check stations last fall.

    Black bear Species Page

    Overview

    Below are tables that list the ages of bears harvested during the 2023 season that had a tooth pulled at the check station. If your bear is not found in these tables it is because 1) No tooth was pulled, or 2) The laboratory that ages the teeth deemed the tooth pulled not usable and no age was determined. All ages are given in both years and months. If you harvested a bear that was deemed a cub at the check station, no tooth was pulled and your bear was 10 months old at time of harvest.

    The first set of tables list the ages by legal seal number only. The legal seal number can be found on the bottom right hand side of your bear certificate that was given to you when you checked your bear. The legal seal number is also found on the plastic tag the Pennsylvania Game Commission official at the check station put through the ear of your bear.

    Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties

    For ages of bears harvested in the NW region

    Data is sorted by county, harvest date, weight, then sex. If your seal is not on this list it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the 240 lb. female bear killed on 10/14/2023 in Butler County was 17 years at time of harvest.​

    2023 Bear Age Data Harvested in the NW Region
    Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties

    For ages of bears harvested in the SW region

    Data is sorted by county, harvest date, weight, then sex. If your seal is not on this list, it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the 117 lb. male bear killed on 9/15/2023 in Allegheny County was 1 year at time of harvest.

    2023 Bear Age Data Harvested in the SW Region
    Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, and Union counties

    For ages of bears harvested in the NC region

    Data is sorted by county, harvest date, weight, then sex. If your seal is not on this list it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the 190 lb. male bear killed on 10/16/2023 in Cameron County was 1 year at time of harvest.

    2023 Bear Age Data Harvest in the NC Region
    Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, and Snyder counties

    For ages of bears harvested in the SC region

    Data is sorted by county, harvest date, weight, then sex. If your seal is not on this list, it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the 185 lb. female bear killed on 10/30/2023 in Adams County was 2 years at time of harvest.

    2023 Bear Age Data Harvested in the SC Region
    Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties

    For ages of bears harvested in the NE region

    Data is sorted by county, harvest date, weight, then sex. If your seal is not on this list it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the 150 lb. male bear killed on 10/14/2023 in Bradford County was 1 year at time of harvest.

    2023 Bear Age Data Harvested in the NE Region
    Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, and York counties

    For ages of bears harvested in the SE region

    Data is sorted by county, harvest date, weight, then sex. If your seal is not on this list it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the 117 lb. male bear killed on 9/28/2023 in Berks County was 1 year at time of harvest.​

    2023 Bear Age Data Harvested in the SE Region

    For ages of bears with legal seals #37446 – 2305544

    Data is listed by legal seal number. If your seal is not on this list, it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the bear with legal seal #37446 was 17 years at the time of harvest.

    Legal Seals #37446 – 2305544

    For ages of bears with legal seals #2305545 – 2309979​

    Data is listed by legal seal number. If your seal is not on this list, it is because no tooth was pulled or because the tooth pulled was deemed unusable by the laboratory that ages the teeth. Sample age: the age of the bear with legal seal #37446 was 17 years at the time of harvest.

    Legal Seals #2305545 – 2309979​