smokeman

Bear populations were also at near-record levels in 2005. During the past five years, annual population estimates have ranged between 14,000 and 15,000. Moreover, an abundant supply of fall foods, particularly acorns, kept most bears active during the hunting season, unlike years when food was less available, causing bears to enter dens before hunting season started. Finally, last year’s weather was ideal for bear hunting.

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=473&q=168199

But here it says there was abundant supplyof fall foods...???
whats the story on this now??? First there wasn't now there is..??

DougE

Deer are bear have different requirements to survive.Bear eat a variety of foods from meat to grasses to mast to garbage.When the food supply starts to diminish,they go hibernate.You see,deer aren't that lucky.While they don't eat other animals or garbage,they do have plenty of food throughout much of the year.During the winter,they're stuck eating browse and they don't eat just any browse.They have a prefered list.I agree that last year provided a huge mast crop but mast crops are not predictable and cannot be relied on to raise more deer than the land could normally support.