Photo by Vic Attardo

Hunters in most states think 400-pound bruins are trophy sized, but Keystone State hunters take bears that weigh twice as much every year. Here's a look at how and why.

Last year, hunters checked in 56 bruins that tipped the scales at 500 pounds or better. Most states and Canada have trouble producing a few bears that reach the 500-pound mark, let alone 56 specimens over 500 pounds in one season, including a few 700- and 800-pounders thrown into the mix.

"Pennsylvania has become one of America's top black bear hunting states, both for the incredible size some of our black bears attain and for their increasing availability here. Today, bears are taken in 50 or more counties annually," said Vern Ross, executive director of the PGC.

Although other states have produced large bears, none have done so as consistently as Pennsylvania. The 700- and 800-pound bruins shot in the past three seasons are truly exceptional, yet they consistently show up at bear check stations each season. We couldn't even include the 500- and 600-pound class for lack of space!

Topping the list was the 864-pound bruin taken by Douglas Kristiansen in 2003. An 837-pounder was shot by Ray P. Reber, also in 2003. Last season, Jeremy B. Kresge took an 834-pound brute, and an improperly licensed hunter took an 808-pound bear in 2003.

A 761-pound bear was tagged by Earl J. Cichy Jr. in 2002, and a 739-pound bear shot by Brian J. Coxe in 2003 carried the largest skull ever harvested by a hunter in Pennsylvania. Other 700-pound-class bears include a 725-pounder taken by Benjamin A. Long in 2003 and a 721-pound bruin checked by Michael M. Sliker in 2002.

Most of the 800-pound bruins shot in the past couple of years were taken during the one-week extended bear season, which runs concurrently with the firearms gun season.

STATE-RECORD SKULL
When it comes to bear hunting in Pennsylvania, Brian J. Coxe of Weatherly is no stranger. During the 2003 bear season, Coxe was able to harvest his third Keystone State bruin. Although it ranked fourth in body weight that year at 739 pounds, it has the all-time largest skull of any black bear harvested legally in the state. It netted an impressive 22 14/16 Boone and Crockett inches.

It is a testimony to the quality of any state's bear population when you can harvest an animal with a record-book skull tipping the scales at 739 pounds and yet have several bruins weighing more taken during the same season.

The Coxe bear was downed at 2 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2003, in Weatherly Township in Carbon County. It was the last day of the season. Coxe had hunted all three days with family members without success.

Coxe said he had been scouting the region and knew a large bear was in the area. On that day, he was about to start a small drive for his brother and father. As he moved through the heavy laurel, he noticed the fresh tracks of a large bear. He quietly followed the tracks until he came to a small creek. Up ahead the creek branched into a Y with a small island in the middle.

As Coxe scanned the woods ahead, he saw the bear lying on the island. He raised his rifle and the bear bolted, but not before Coxe could fire one shot.

Coxe saw that he had hit the bear and proceeded to follow the blood trail. After a short distance, he saw the bear standing on the edge of a cliff watching its back trail. Coxe took careful aim and hit the bear hard, and it fell off the cliff onto some rocks below.

At this point, Coxe yelled to his brother and father that he had a bear down. His father came to see the animal as his brother went to fetch the four-wheeler.

As Coxe and his father approached the bear, the animal got up and started to move in their direction. Coxe raised his rifle and fired a third shot, ending the hunt.

Coxe could not believe the size of the bear when he approached it.

"I couldn't even lift his head," Coxe recalled. It took seven men, a four-wheeler, and a lot of ingenuity to get the bear out of the woods.