HARRISBURG — According to official 2008 bear harvest figures released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, hunters took a total of 3,458 bears, which included 69 bears during the second archery bear season Nov. 19 and 20.

Hunters also bagged 2,951 bears during the statewide 3-day season Nov. 24 to 26 and 438 during the extended season Dec. 1 to 6 that was open in select areas of the state.

This harvest ranks second among Pennsylvania's annual bear harvests. In 2005, hunters set a record of 4,164 bears. Other recent harvests were: 3,075 in 2000; 3,063 in 2001; 2,686 in 2002; 3,000 in 2003; 2,972 in 2004; 3,122 in 2006; and 2,360 in 2007.

"This year's harvest was what we had expected, as many areas had above-average bear populations," said Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist.

The largest bear taken was a 716-pound male taken in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, by Morgan C. Neipert of Tobyhanna Nov. 25.

In all, 12 bears weighed 600 pounds or more.

Here is the harvest by county and region, with 2007's figure in parenthesis, were:

Northwest: Clarion, 65 (24); Venango, 64 (39); Jefferson, 62 (38); Forest, 60 (55); Warren, 59 (71); Crawford, 31 (4); Butler, 13 (9); Erie 10 (2); Mercer, 6 (0); and Lawrence, 1 (0).

Southwest: Somerset, 103 (85); Indiana, 66 (31); Armstrong, 50 (43); Fayette, 43 (78); Westmoreland, 37 (40); and Cambria, 40 (10).