A Pennsylvania hunter bagged the largest black bear in the state so far this year by killing a 717-pounder in Butler County's Moraine State Park.

Nate Miller bagged the massive bear while hunting in Moraine State Park on Nov. 22, according to a post on Facebook from the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Northwest Region. Nov. 22 was the opening day of black bear firearms season in Pennsylvania. 

Miller, according to the post, got to the state park just before daylight and was guided by a friend to a spot. After a "quiet morning watching squirrels," Miller walked to a bowl in the terrain and began scanning the area for bears, the Game Commission said.  

"Within seconds, he spotted a massive black shape 60 to 80 yards away," the post said.

Miller fatally shot the bear with his Remington 721, and "what followed was a true team effort," the Facebook post said. Friends and family of Miller brought a sled to the scene, and after hours of dragging and recovery, plus a little help from rangers with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the black bear was brought to a check station in Venango County.

The bear weighed in at 717 pounds and was 7 feet, 5 inches long from nose to tail. It had a dressed weight of 608 pounds. The post said Miller bagged a "bear of a LIFETIME!"

"The bear will be full-mounted, with the skull to be scored once dry," the Game Commission's post added. "An unforgettable day, an incredible harvest, and a memory that will last a lifetime. Well done, Nate!"

For comparison, the heaviest bear harvested in the state in 2024 was 774 pounds. The second heaviest was 714 pounds. 

Bear hunting in Pennsylvania

The chances of getting a bear are somewhat slim, as fewer than 2% of bear hunters harvest a bear in any given year. But the Game Commission says that's what makes it exciting.  

The average bear harvested in Pennsylvania, according to the Game Commission, is about 3 years old. Males of that age typically weigh about 200 pounds, while females of that age generally weigh 160 pounds. 

"You could travel to any place in North America that has black bears and it would be hard to find bears that top those like we have here in Pennsylvania," Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said in an October news release.