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Friday, June 5th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Is there a way to protect black bear cubs during hunting season in Pennsylvania?

Almost one out of every five bears harvested every year in Pennsylvania is a cub like this, which seems like a lot, says the columnist. Should we follow New York and regulate shooting cubs in Pennsylvania? (Photo by Carl and Tracy Gossett, Flickr)

I always cringed whenever a tiny cub showed up at the check station during bear season. 
It is perfectly fine to shoot a cub during any of the bear seasons, but when I see a bruin that weighs barely as much as a sack of feed in the back of a pickup, it just doesn’t seem right. Illegal? No. Ethical? I’m not sure. Personally, I pass up any bear that I clearly determined to be a cub. Shooting a bear just isn’t that important to me to harvest a cub just to fill a tag. But I can’t really fault those who willingly shoot a cub during any of the bear seasons. It is lawful, and it’s their choice.

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