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NotNowDamo t1_ixot8mg wrote

Reply to comment by 25Bam_vixx in Pennsylvania hunters find more than 2,400 bears in the woods — so far by Kunphen

In the last 20 or so years, bear populations have risen despite record bear harvests.

I don't know if taking more bears has caused the population to rise or not, but I can't imagine the bear problem PA would have if we weren't culling them.

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illbeinthewoods t1_ixpqk48 wrote

I think it's because our forests are healthier. About 20 years ago the PA Game Commission implemented "herd reduction" for deer and increased the number of doe tags to allow for more deer to be killed per season. This reduction allowed for more understory in the forest which increased available food for other species. I believe the reductions also happened in the fringes of where the bears lived, allowing their populations to increase and in turn spread.

We have also seen an increase in bears populations along our border with NJ. NJ has had a few canceled bears hunts which have allowed their bear population to climb. Bears swim across the Delaware river and find a nice home here.

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TheTemplarSaint t1_ixr9p22 wrote

There are some really cool videos of the amazing restorative effect reintroducing wolves had on Yellowstone.

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