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Big Game Scoring Program · harvest history
Pennsylvania Hunting Records
Minimum scores for the Pennsylvania Big Game Records book, the heaviest bears taken each year since 2019, and the statewide deer, bear and elk harvest record from the Game Commission. The state record bear weighed 875 pounds.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Big Game Scoring Program
Scores use the Boone and Crockett measuring system. Archery minimums are lower than firearm minimums in every category.
PGC Big Game Scoring Program, based on Boone and Crockett measuring; listed animals added to the Pennsylvania Big Game Records book (new book each October, $10 plus shipping/tax); Exclusive Member patch $9.43.
| Category | Firearm minimum | Archery minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Typical whitetail | 140 | 115 |
| Non-typical whitetail | 160 | 135 |
| Black bear | 19 | 17 |
| Typical elk | 300 | 200 |
| Non-typical elk | 325 | 275 |
Scoring questions go to the program coordinator at the Game Commission, 1-833-742-9453.
Sources: PGC Big Game Records; digest p. 11, read October 12, 2026.
The heaviest bears, year by year
The 875-pound state record came from Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County, in 2010. Since 2019, Monroe County has placed 7 bears in the yearly lists of heaviest bears.
| Year | Rank | Weight | County | Municipality | Season or method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 717 lb | Butler | – | regular firearms season |
| 2024 | 1 | 774 lb | Monroe | – | statewide regular bear season |
| 2024 | 2 | 714 lb | Clarion | Perry Township | rifle season |
| 2024 | 3 | 700 lb | Potter | Harrison Township | archery season |
| 2024 | 4 | 689 lb | Clinton | Chapman Township | rifle season |
| 2024 | 5 | 681 lb | Potter | Sharon Township | archery season |
| 2024 | 6 | 681 lb | Luzerne | White Haven Borough | rifle season |
| 2024 | 7 | 678 lb | Bradford | Lightfield Township | muzzleloader season |
| 2024 | 8 | 673 lb | Westmoreland | Mount Pleasant Township | archery season |
| 2024 | 9 | 615 lb | Dauphin | Jefferson Township | archery season |
| 2024 | 10 | 597 lb | Venango | – | crossbow, October |
| 2023 | 1 | 691 lb | Pike | Porter Township | extended rifle season |
| 2023 | 2 | 645 lb | Schuylkill | Foster Township | archery |
| 2023 | 3 | 636 lb | Lackawanna | Roaring Brook Township | firearms season |
| 2023 | 4 | 630 lb | Monroe | Hamilton Township | firearms season |
| 2023 | 5 | 616 lb | Carbon | Nesquehoning Borough | archery |
| 2023 | 6 | 605 lb | Northampton | Upper Mount Bethel Township | firearms season |
| 2023 | 7 | 589 lb | Jefferson | Washington Township | firearms season |
| 2023 | 8 | 581 lb | Lycoming | Watson Township | firearms season |
| 2023 | 9 | 581 lb | Sullivan | Cherry Township | firearms season |
| 2023 | 10 | 576 lb | Sullivan | Cherry Township | firearms season |
| 2022 | 1 | 755 lb | Monroe | Middle Smithfield Township | muzzleloader |
| 2022 | 2 | 746 lb | Monroe | Barrett Township | rifle |
| 2022 | 3 | 705 lb | Monroe | Middle Smithfield Township | muzzleloader |
| 2022 | 4 | 693 lb | Potter | Abbott Township | rifle |
| 2022 | 5 | 681 lb | Clearfield | Bradford Township | muzzleloader |
| 2022 | 6 | 681 lb | Bedford | Cumberland Valley Township | bow |
| 2022 | 7 | 657 lb | Clinton | Gallagher Township | rifle |
| 2022 | 8 | 650 lb | Luzerne | Hazle Township | rifle |
| 2022 | 9 | 634 lb | Bradford | Asylum Township | rifle |
| 2022 | 10 | 633 lb | Lycoming | Cummings Township | muzzleloader |
| 2021 | 1 | 722 lb | Franklin | Letterkenny Township | shotgun |
| 2021 | 2 | 681 lb | Luzerne | Newport Township | bow |
| 2021 | 3 | 676 lb | Armstrong | West Franklin Township | – |
| 2021 | 4 | 649 lb | Snyder | Spring Township | extended season |
| 2021 | 5 | 640 lb | Clearfield | Pike Township | – |
| 2021 | 6 | 640 lb | Lycoming | Gamble Township | extended season |
| 2021 | 7 | 615 lb | Carbon | Penn Forest Township | extended season |
| 2021 | 8 | 614 lb | Pike | Lehmen Township | extended season |
| 2021 | 9 | 605 lb | Clearfield | Bradford Township | – |
| 2021 | 10 | 602 lb | Clinton | Beech Creek Township | – |
| 2020 | 1 | 719 lb | Fulton | Ayr Township | crossbow |
| 2020 | 2 | 657 lb | Pike | Lehman Township | muzzleloader |
| 2020 | 3 | 656 lb | Carbon | Penn Forest Township | shotgun |
| 2020 | 4 | 633 lb | Clearfield | Cooper Township | muzzleloader |
| 2020 | 5 | 633 lb | Potter | Stewardson Township | muzzleloader |
| 2020 | 6 | 621 lb | Sullivan | Shrewsberry Township | rifle |
| 2020 | 7 | 610 lb | Monroe | Middle Smithfield Township | – |
| 2020 | 8 | 607 lb | Wayne | Lake Township | rifle |
| 2020 | 9 | 607 lb | Potter | Abbott Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 1 | 813 lb | Monroe | Smithfield Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 2 | 747 lb | Luzerne | Wright Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 3 | 743 lb | Pike | Greene Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 4 | 696 lb | Carbon | Penn Forest Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 5 | 661 lb | Wayne | Lake Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 6 | 657 lb | Columbia | Franklin Township | rifle |
| 2019 | 7 | 656 lb | Luzerne | Hanover Township | – |
| 2019 | 8 | 631 lb | Clarion | Porter Township | muzzleloader |
| 2019 | 9 | 630 lb | Schuylkill | West Penn Township | archery |
| 2019 | 10 | 623 lb | Clinton | Beech Creek Township | – |
Annual report gives only the largest bear (717 lb live weight, WMU 1A, Butler County); 6 bears >= 600 lb, 30 >= 500 lb, 69 >= 400 lb.
Hunter names are left out on purpose. Weights are live or estimated live weights as PGC stated them. Sources: record bear; 2019; 2022; 2024; 2025 report, read October 12, 2026.
Bear harvest history
The best year in the last two decades was 2019 with 4,657 bears. Hunters took 2,890 in 2025 from an estimated 19,347 bears.
| PGC region | Bears 2024 |
|---|---|
| Northwest | 385 |
| Northcentral | 918 |
| Northeast | 805 |
| Southwest | 174 |
| Southcentral | 193 |
| Southeast | 167 |
Sources: PGC big game harvest data; bear report 23001-25; 2024 county release, read October 12, 2026.
Deer and elk harvest
The 2025-26 deer estimate was 505,600, of which 185,310 were antlered. Elk hunters took 108 elk on 140 licenses in 2025.
PGC table. Year is the license year (e.g. 2024 = 2024-25 deer seasons; spring turkey in a license-year row is the following spring, see turkey notes).
Sources: PGC big game harvest table; 2025-26 deer estimates; elk report, read October 12, 2026.
Next stops on the Pennsylvania guide
Records and harvest questions
Is there an official state record list for Pennsylvania deer?
PGC pages fetched link to an online Big Game Record System search but do not list state-record animals; so none is reproduced here.
What score gets a whitetail into the records book?
140 typical or 160 non-typical for a firearm buck; 115 typical or 135 non-typical for archery.
What score does a bear need?
The minimum is 19 for firearms and 17 for archery.
How much does the records book cost?
A new Pennsylvania Big Game Records book comes out each October for $10 plus shipping and tax. An Exclusive Member patch is $9.43.
What is the heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania?
875 pounds, from Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County, in 2010.
Which county produces the most bears?
In 2025 Tioga (181), Pike (147) and Lycoming (146) led the published top ten. In 2024 the leaders were Tioga (163), Clinton (157) and Lycoming (148).
What was the 2025-26 deer harvest estimate?
About 505,600: 185,310 antlered and 320,290 antlerless.
How successful are elk hunters?
In 2025, 86% of bull license holders and 69% of cow license holders took an elk, 77% overall.
Why is the 2025 county bear list short?
Full 2025 county list not yet published (PGC usually prints it in the following fall's bear-season preview release).
One last look
Checked against the PGC digest and web pages on October 12, 2026. Keep the digest or the pocket guide in your pack as well.
Other photos on this page: Greg Gilbert (CC BY 2.0); Acorns Resort (CC BY 2.0); tuchodi (CC BY 2.0); Wesley Fryer (CC BY 2.0).