With the first two days of Pennsylvania's four-day firearms hunting season for bears completed, harvest is down about 20 percent from recent years.
The firearms hunting season on black bear runs through Wednesday.
PA Game CommissionAccording to the state Game Commission, hunters brought 2,086 bears to commission check stations on Saturday and Monday.
That's down from last year, when the preliminary count for the first two days was 2,709, the same as in 2009.
The 2010 two-day tally was 2,542 bears.
Timothy Moffett, of Barto, harvested the largest bear so far this season, a 652-pound male taken Saturday in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County.
Other large bears included a 620-pound male, taken by Robert Pitts, of Meadville, in Roulette Township, Potter County, Nov. 17; 598-pound male, taken by Michael Intallura, of Renovo, in Noyes Township, Clinton County, Nov. 17; 586-pound male, taken by Brian Stuebgen, of Renfrew, in Sergeant Township, McKean County, Nov. 19; 576-pound male, taken by Dana Landis, of Chambersburg, in Southampton Township, Bedford County, Nov. 19; 559-pound male, taken by Clayton Dulaney, of Towanda, in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County, Nov. 17; 552-pound male, taken by Randall Piper, of Burnt Cabins, in Dublin Township, Huntingdon County, Nov. 19; 551-pound male, taken by Michael T. Guenot, of Snow Shoe, in Snow Shoe Township, Centre County, Nov. 17; 550-pound male, taken by Brian Stanley, of Pittsburgh, in Bradys Bend, Armstrong County, Nov. 17; 548-pound male, taken by Crystal Catherman, of Pottersdale, in West Keating Township, Clinton County, Nov. 19.
County harvests by region for the first two days were:
Northwest: Warren, 81; Clarion, 48; Forest, 44; Venango, 38; Jefferson, 37; Erie, 6; Butler, 5; and Crawford, 5.
Southwest: Somerset, 64; Fayette, 60; Armstrong, 25; Westmoreland, 19; Indiana, 9; and Cambria, 8.
Northcentral: Lycoming, 192; Clinton, 182; Tioga, 117; Potter 88; Centre, 85; McKean, 75; Clearfield, 69; Cameron, 57; Elk, 55; and Union, 52.
Southcentral: Huntingdon, 79; Bedford, 64; Mifflin, 39; Blair, 28; Juniata, 24; Perry, 23; Fulton, 16; Franklin, 10; Snyder, 5; and Adams, 1.
Northeast: Pike, 55; Monroe, 47; Luzerne, 45; Wayne, 31; Bradford, 30; Carbon, 29; Sullivan, 29; Columbia, 18; Lackawanna, 18; Wyoming, 15; Susquehanna, 13; and Northumberland, 8.
Southeast: Dauphin, 22; Schuylkill, 13; Berks, 1; Lehigh, 1; and Northampton, 1.