MA Hunter Reportedly Takes 650-pound Black Bear, Possible Record

News is trickling out that Massachusetts may soon have a new record black bear. Jim Mundell of Athol bagged an estimated 650-pound black bear near his home last Thursday, shocking hunters across the state. According to The Recorder, the bear still weighed an astounding 498 pounds after being dressed. The bear was checked in at the Sunderland Hatchery on Friday morning.

“Dont know how many lbs of meat yet, but I’ll tell you this, there was a THICK layer of fat, my birds will love that, nothing wasted on this grateful harvest,” Mundell wrote on his Facebook.

The hunter said he shot the bear using a shotgun loaded with Remington Premier AccuTip. The slug penetrated the bear’s ribs and stopped half an inch before exiting.

Mundell told employees at the check station that it took four hours to drag the bear out of the woods and the assistance of a backhoe to weigh it. According to The Recorder, the current state record for black bear is only 465 pounds, far short of the live weight of Mundell’s bear. Male black bears typically range from 120 to 600 pounds in North America, but bruins in The Bay State are usually slightly smaller. According to the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, male black bears in Massachusetts typically average 230 pounds.

“The bear population has grown from about 100 in the early 1970s to over 4,000 when last estimated in 2011,” the agency stated on its website.

“Black bears have good eyesight and hearing and have an extraordinary sense of smell which is used to locate food and recognize potential danger,” Fisheries and Wildlife added. “They are excellent climbers and commonly use trees for resting, escape cover and to protect their young.”

Mundell says that he plans on contacting a reputable taxidermist for the mount.

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