2024 harvested bear aging report released

If you were fortunate enough to harvest a bear during the past bear hunting seasons and are interested in the age of your bear, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has posted the estimated live or dressed weight and age of the bears checked at the check various check stations. The information is listed per county and region. 

You were probably told the weight of the bear upon checking it, but the age wasn’t positively identified at the time. The bears listed include their legal serial number hunters received upon checking in. 

The PGC says that if your bear is not found in the tables listed, it’s because no tooth was pulled, or the laboratory that ages the teeth deemed the tooth pulled was not usable and no age was determined. All ages, they report, 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. 

In determining if you bear is listed, you need the legal seal number that can be found on the bottom right hand side of the bear certificate that was given to you when you checked your bear. The legal seal number is also found on the plastic tag the PGC official at the check station put through the ear of your bear. 

As a sampling of the statewide list, the following are the oldest for here in the Southeast Region. They are as follows:

Dauphin County: checked 10-19-24; 187 pounds actual dressed weight; age 11; female
Dauphin County: checked 10-22-24; 403 pounds estimated live weight; age 11; female
Dauphin County: checked 11-8-24; 200 pounds, actual dressed weight; age 12; female

Lehigh County: checked 11-2-24; 267 pound estimated live weight; age 2; female

Northampton County: checked 9-21-24; 330 pounds live weight; age 10; female
Northampton County: checked 10-25-24; 198 pounds live weight; age 9; female
Northampton County: checked 11-30-24; 198 pounds live weight; age 9; female

Schuylkill County: checked 11-30-24; 162 pounds actual dressed weight; age 8; female

To check on the information for your bear, go to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Black Bear Age Harvest Data. Then click on the region wherein you harvested your bear. 

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY FISHING REPORT

Saltwater fishing action is good according to our reporters from On the Water Magazine. They say fluke, blues, crabs, spot and snappers are around and are summer favorites. Plus, the tuna is in close and offshore while cobia are in the with the bunker, rays, sea bass and ling are being found along the bottom. Tile fishing is also red hot. 

The fluke bite remains the star attraction with good action reported in the rivers and bays. Rivers continue to boast bigger fish with catches up to nine pounds reported. Offshore reefs and wrecks are producing plenty of fish however there are a lot of shorts to get through. The surf also offers plenty of action but shorts dominate. 
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Tuna are the other big draw with good bluefin and yellowfin action in mid-shore and offshore waters.