The Pennsylvania Game Commission traps and relocates bears that become nuisances. This bear is caught in a trap set by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Sightings of black bears in Butler County are becoming more common due to their growing population.

The number of bears and the range where they live have been increasing for years locally and across the state.

“You’re definitely going to see more bears. Their numbers are increasing and their range is increasing in Pennsylvania. That’s been going on for a significant time,” said Jason Amory, who was recently named information and education supervisor of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Northwest Region, which includes Butler County.

The number of bears trapped live and relocated due to complaints has increased in recent years, but most bear sightings are innocuous, he said.

Game wardens trapped and relocated 47 bears last year in the eight-county Northwest Region including one from Butler County. In 2018, two of the 68 trapped and relocated bears were captured in the county. Three of the 59 trapped and relocated bears in 2017 came from the county. One of the 61 bears handled in 2016 came from the county, and 5 of 43 handled in 2015 came from the county.

The number of bears legally harvested by hunters and killed in road accidents provides a glimpse into their population growth. Hunters harvested 44, highway accidents claimed 13 and two were killed by other means in the county in 2019. One of those bears weighed 481 pounds. A total of 639 bears were killed in the Northwest Region that year. In 2018 hunters harvested 26 and vehicle accidents claimed seven in the county, and 600 were killed in the region. In 2017 hunters took 18, vehicle accidents claimed five and one was killed by other means in the county, and 444 were killed in the region.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appears in Sunday’s Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.