Bear Check Station 2009

Pennsylvania’s annual three day bear season opened yesterday. The weather in my area was cool and foggy with light rain developing during the morning and continuing through the day. Overnight some local heavy downpours occurred with cloudy conditions and light mist throughout today. Not being interested in pursuing bears I have been focusing on the closing days of the whitetail rut but took time out around midday today to visit the bear check station located on top of Sidling Hill Mountain between McConnellsburg and Breezewood.



This is the scene from outside the check station today. The foggy conditions present on the mountain were a major topic of discussion among unsuccessful hunters stopping by.

Successful bear hunters are required to tag their animals and report to one of the check stations where PGC personnel process their kill. A tooth is removed from each animal to be used to determine its age.

In this case the bear had a numbered ear tag in her ear. This tag would have been placed there by agency personnel during her first live capture. The PGC captures bears using baited live traps. The reason for live capture can range from relocating problem bears to trapping for biological information.

Bears are weighed as part of the processing. The bear’s carcass is secured to the scale by placing a chain with loops at each end around opposing front and rear paws. In this photo DCNR’s Ray Miller checks out the bear while John Dunn, PCG biologist, takes notes

This particular sow weighed in at 166lbs field dressed, an average size for a female black bear.

Using a large topographical map of the area hunters are asked to identify the place of kill by placing a pin in the map.

Forty one bears were checked here yesterday and by the time I left the station four had been checked today. The largest recorded here so far this year was a huge 644lb bruin killed in Fulton County on Monday.