(WHTM) — The Pennsylvania Game Commission is gearing up for archery bear hunting season, and they say no other Pennsylvania hunting season offers such a potentially big payoff as this one.

According to the PGC, hunters harvested 2,920 black bears across Pennsylvania last year, getting at least one in 58 of the state’s 67 counties and 20 of its 22 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). Hunters took seven in the early season, 695 during archery season, 541 in the muzzleloader/special firearms seasons, 1,086 in the regular firearms season, and 591 in the extended seasons.

Not only was the quantity of hunted black bears high, but their sizes were, too.

The PGC says the average female bear checked in by hunters weighed 152 lbs.; the average male went 198, but bigger bears showed up in the harvest, with last year's largest being a 691-pounder taken in Pike County by Mitchell Jonathan, of Quakertown. Each of the top 10 heaviest bears weighed at least 576 lbs., and five exceeded 600 lbs.

Although the numbers seem great, the PGC says the sizes are hardly surprising, as Pennsylvania typically produces bears weighing more than 600 lbs. yearly, and often at least one or two top 700 lbs. Pennsylvania’s even seen seven bears exceeding 800 lbs. harvested since 1992, the largest of them an 875-pounder taken in 2010 in Pike County.

"Those are some of the biggest bears you’ll find anywhere in North America," said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. "But that’s just part of what makes Pennsylvania bear hunting so exciting. We’ve got lots of bears in lots of places, and a slate of seasons offering all sorts of opportunity throughout the fall, too."

The PGC says bear archery hunting began in WMUs 2B, 5C, and 5D on Sept. 21, and will run through Nov. 29, including two Sundays, Nov. 17 and 24. In WMU 5B, the season runs from Oct. 5 through Nov. 22, with one Sunday, Nov. 17. Everywhere else in the state, the archery bear season is about to begin, starting Oct. 19 and running through Nov. 9.

The bear muzzleloader and special firearms seasons, the latter for junior and senior hunters and active-duty military and disabled persons permit holders, follow Oct. 24 to 26.

The regular statewide firearms bear season comes in on Nov. 23, continues on Sunday, Nov. 24, and runs through Nov. 26. Finally, the extended bear season – which runs concurrent with portions of the firearms deer season – goes from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, including Sunday, Dec. 1, in WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4E and 5A, and from Nov. 30 through Dec. 14, including Dec. 1, in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D.

The PGC says these dates are the same as last year, with one exception: the muzzleloader bear season was previously a week, rather than three days. The PGC shortened the season to address concerns about how many female bears are harvested in the early seasons.

This does not mean bears in Pennsylvania are in trouble, however, as according to the Game Commission’s Game Mammals Section Supervisor, Melanie Weaver, the state bear population currently hovers around 18,000, which is higher in recent years and close to a record high.

Despite this, the PGC says the odds of any particular hunter getting a black bear are long, as more than 200,000 people chase Pennsylvania bears each year—no other species except deer puts more hunters in the woods—but fewer than 3% fill their tag.

The PGC advises hunters to focus on two things when hunting bears: food and cover. Weaver said that during fall, bears consume as many calories as they can before denning for the winter, preferably close to thick, rough hiding places.

"The best thing that you can do is put yourself in an area that a bear is likely to visit when you are planning your hunt," Weaver said. "Since gaining weight is important in the fall, look for food sources. But think, too, about places where they might rest, like swamps, mountain laurel, hemlock stands, regenerating clearcuts, riparian thickets, and areas with downed trees."

The PGC adds that hunters should also have a plan for how to get a bear out if they harvest one, as even smaller bears can be difficult for one person to handle.

“Regardless of size, any bear harvested in Pennsylvania is something to be excited about,” Director Smith said.