The black bear population across Pennsylvania is dropping. According to the latest estimate by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are slightly more than 16,000 bears in the state… but that’s a big drop from the estimated 20,000 bears that were roaming the state’s forests last year, and for several years prior to that. Even so, the game commissioin says the 16,268 remaining bears is an acceptable and a healthy population. In fact, they say it shows their program has been successful. The aim has been to slightly reduce the state’s bear population through increasing opportunities for hunters for the last several years. Pennsylvania hunters killed 3,608 bears in 2020, which was down by more than a thousand from the 2019 harvest. Despite the decline however, the 2020 harvest ranks as the 6th highest kill in the past 30 years.