Bowhunter Shoots 740-Pound Black Bear from the Ground at 7 Yards!
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.28.16
A hunter in Pennsylvania shot a black bear this fall that could be a new state record.
According to the Indiana Gazette, the bear was shot November 18, by Dustin Learn. He apparently spotted the bear while it was sleeping one morning and then put on the stalk. He crept up to the bruin at a snail’s pace, thinking he might be dealing with a 250-pound bear.
Learn got as close as 7 yards to the bear before taking a shot with his compound bow. Another hunter he was with took another shot, but Dustin confirmed he made a fatal shot.
Once they recovered the bear, Learn and his friend realized they weren’t dealing with any old country bear.
Learn had to use his tractor with a front-loader to get the bear out of the woods, and when placed on the scale, it weighed 740 pounds before being field dressed. Nope, not your everyday black bear!
A game commission website confirms that this was the heaviest bear taken in Pennsylvania this fall, however, state records aren’t based on body weight. Instead, we won’t know if this bear will go down as a state record until the skull dries for measurement.
Right now, Dustin’s biggest concern is whether to get the trophy mounted or made into a rug. Either way, you’ll need one heck of a man cave to house that big bruin!
