Pocono area bear hunter here!
First I want to say that I believe driving bear in PA can be extremely efficient and effective. A good drive depends on two things. A good group of guys and the right patches of bush. I myself hunt the first two days of bear rifle with a group of guys that drive for them. I have seen several bear this way but to be honest it is not my preferred method. I mainly do it because I enjoy the comradery and most of those guys I only see those two days of the year.
My preferred method is hanging a ladder stand in a thicket/laurel patch that I believe a bear may get pressured into. PA game commission posts an interactive map that indicates how many bears are killed in each county and even specific townships. This helps me look for areas I might want to scout and potentially hunt. Sometimes you can find a township that might be worth driving an extra 10 min to get to. I grew up hunting the county that borders the one I currently live in. From 12 to 18 years old I probable seen 3-4 bear out hunting (deer archery and rifle). Now in the current county I live in I seen about 10+ bear a year (combined hunting and driving to work). I just want to make the point that in Pennsylvania 20 miles can mean a huge difference in bear density.
Next thing I do is find clear cuts or thickets and patches of laurel and rhododendron that just typically hold bear. How would I define "Typically". To mean this means I can go in there most times of the year and find tracks or poo. Maybe not always the freshest but it will have some level of bear sign. Big patches of rhododendron are my favorite.
I like the patches to have some level of topography. Maybe with a bench or borders a hollow, low lying swamps are also money. Most of my ladder stands are 15ft (I don't like to climb high or I try to void it). Being on the high side of the bench even if it is a few ft in elevation makes all the difference when trying to see the bear work through the patches. I also notice that bear rather cruise of the tops of hallows where it is thick.
When I find a spot I like I then take some snips and cut my self a path to get into where I want to be. My path is influenced by typical prevailing wind so I can get in the patches without animals winding me. I use bright eyes to mark my paths so I don't get lost in the thickets. I mark my way in and out. I make my my paths and hang my stands in the summer.
I hunt these spots for both deer an bear. Had several close encounters, some misses, on some nice buck.
July 4th 2017 I seen a bear (point of reference). On November 17th 2018 I seen bear 29. The 29th bear was the first bear that I seen during bear season I could shoot. I missed that bear, when I shot he was 13 ft away during a drive. On November 30th I seen bear number 30!!! I was sitting alone in my ladder stand, it was around 4:00 pm. He was about 65 yards away when I shot. It was my first black bear, estimated live weight 101lbs.
