Pennsylvania may have seen the fifth largest recorded bear harvest in 2021 but the numbers in Warren County were essentially flat.

A total of 3,659 bears were taken in 2021 that the Pennsylvania Game Commission says was the fifth-best on record and second-largest since 2011.

Hunters during the regular season harvested 1,315. An extended season in some portions of the state added 1,128 to the harvest while archery (650) and muzzleloader (536) contributed to the total. The largest was a 722-pound male taken with a shotgun by a hunter in Franklin County.

The highest season on record was 2019 when 4,653 bears were taken. Bears were taken in 59 of the state’s 67 counties.

Of that total for 2021, 87 were harvested in Warren County, up one from 2020. Counties with the highest totals include Lycoming, Potter and Pike.

Game Commission officials indicate the numbers are indicative of the health of the population.

Emily Carrollo, the Game Commission’s black bear biologist, explained that the fact that Pennsylvania continues to produce so many bears across so many seasons, year after year, speaks to the health of the state’s bear population.

“Pennsylvania has a long history of supporting a lot of black bears, many of truly impressive size, across most of the state,” Carollo said. “Best of all, the future continues to look bright for this resource, too.”

The PGC says that a total of 215,219 people bought bear licenses in 2021, the second-highest number of bear licenses sold in any one year.

“Pennsylvania has been a popular bear hunting destination for years, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon,” Carrollo said.