Massive Black Bear Hit in Potter County, PA

Black bears can be a common scene in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, but yesterday was a rare glimpse of just how large the animals can grow.

Unfortunately, a massive black bear was hit by a truck on Route 49 in Potter County. The accident occurred around 6:30 am in Harrison Township, and the driver was not injured. The bear was picked-up by the Pennsylvania State Game Commission.

Game Warden Thomas Nelson was on the scene and was able to take the bear back to a game barn to be weighed and processed.

When measured the bear came out to a staggering 633 lbs., well above the state average.

Nelson agreed, "even for up in Potter or Tioga (county), a bear that big, it's pretty rare."

To put those 633 pounds into perspective, the Pennsylvania Game Commission says in their educational wildlife notes that black bear's "weights range from 140 to 400 pounds".

Although a tooth has been pulled, they have not been able to verify the age of the bear just yet. "We pulled a tooth but that process can take days before we will know how old it is," says Nelson.

As for the remains, "the bear was permitted out to an individual for consumption".