Black Bears

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Pennsylvania black bears are possibly the largest black bears in the world.

Growth dynamic : 

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''By age two, males in Pennsylvania average 240 pounds and females, 180 pounds. Full growth is usually reached by age five for females, or nine for males, and average adult weights stabilize near 250 and 500 pounds, respectively (Fig. 3). Adult males are 70 to 74 inches long and at least 30 inches high at the shoulder. Adult females are 59 to 62 inches long and rarely more than 30 inches at the shoulder (Eveland 1973, Alt 1980b). Black bears in parts of Pennsylvania appear to grow faster and larger than almost anywhere else in North America (Alt 1980b).''

''Subadult bears (i.e., less than three years old) of both sexes tend to gain weight throughout spring and summer. Adult males, on the other hand, generally lose weight or remain stable during this time. Spring-summer weights of adult females vary depending on whether they are with newborn cubs, one-year-old cubs, or solitary (Alt 1980b). All bears tend to gain weight in the fall and lose weight during winter hibernation. However, despite losing weight in the winter – sometimes as much as 30 percent – many bears in Pennsylvania emerge from dens in relatively good condition (Gerstell 1939, Alt 1980b), but additional weight loss in early spring is possible.''

Source : MANAGEMENT AND BIOLOGY OF BLACK BEARS IN PENNSYLVANIA (originally posted on shaggygod)

However, many of those bears feed on garbage dumps and birds feeders which have an impact on their size, thats something to consider. Reply