772 lb Bear in Lackawanna County

[Quacked]

Covington Twp. man bags 772-pound bear in Lackawanna County




BY KYLE WIND (STAFF WRITER)Published: November 27, 2013

A Covington Twp. man stands with a bear he killed in Lackawanna County.

When he went hunting on the second day of bear season, Covington Twp. resident Daniel Beavers found himself reaching for his father Jacob's .30-06 rifle instead of his usual choice, a 12-gauge shotgun.

About an hour into the hunt, Mr. Beavers fired his now-deceased father's rifle twice at an enormous male black bear, taking down the largest recorded bear in the state so far this season.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission said the bear weighed 772 pounds, and Mr. Beavers, 49, said he will find out in two months if the Boone and Crockett Club determines if the skull's size is a world record.

Mr. Beavers said he sees his prize as a tribute to his father, who taught Mr. Beavers to hunt at age 12. The pair went hunting together every year until his death in 2012.

"We worked together every day in the woods at the family logging business (Beavers Logging & Firewood)," said Mr. Beavers.

Mr. Beavers said he was close with his dad, and coping with the loss has sometimes been difficult since the elder Mr. Beavers died in hospice in February 2012 at 75.

"I don't know why I decided to take his gun," said Mr. Beavers. "I guess I was thinking about him."

Mr. Beavers had his eye on that particular bear for four to five years and said "I finally caught up with him in hunting season."

Besides the animal's size, Mr. Beavers said he recognized the bear by an unusual white "V" on its chest.

He thought the bear was gone after not seeing the animal for about two years, but Mr. Beavers said the black bear approached his group in a marshy area about a quarter mile from the Covington Twp. border with Clifton Twp. on Monday.

The animal was only the second bear he has ever taken. The last one was a 355-pound bear he shot in 2007.

"I don't know if I'll ever beat that one," Mr. Beavers said of his latest kill. "It's big."

According to the state Game Commission, the first two days of the four-day statewide bear season produced a harvest of 2,044 black bears, down slightly from 2,086 during the same period in 2012.

Last year, hunters killed 3,632 bears over four days - the third-largest total in state history. The most kills came in 2011 when hunters took 4,350 bears.

Other Northeast Pennsylvania residents who bagged sizeable bears included Jenna L. Schoenagel of Greentown in Pike County, who killed a 597-pounder; Ernest W. Lucrezi of Beach Lake in Wayne County took a 560-pound bear; and Randy L. Klem of Mountaintop killed a 556-pound bear.

Across Northeast Pennsylvania, the Game Commission reported the following bear kill totals by county: Pike, 71; Wayne, 46; Luzerne, 39; Monroe, 27; Wyoming, 22; Lackawanna, 21; and Susquehanna, 12. Bear season ends today.

http://thetimes-tribune.com/sports/c...unty-1.1592124

[Steve in PA]

Awesome bear! That's a lifetime achievement right there!

[ungawa]

I didn't know black bears got that big.

I'm going to be packing more serious heat when I wander around the wilderness from now on.

[Palerider]

Sweet mother of pearl! Wonder how far they had to drag that to before they got to a vehicle.

[Rick41Mag]

WOW, he might as well quit bear hunting now, he'll never top that. A fitting tribute to his Dad and the old reliable 30.06.

[Steve in PA]

I believe PA has the largest black bears.

[ROCK-IT3]

I believe PA has the largest black bears.

I believe Utah has some very large black bears, too, in the 800+ pound range. Still, 772 pounds is huge. I would love to see that guy in the wild. The biggest I've ever seen was about 400 pounds.

[disturbed]

I seen the pictures of the bear on tv. The head on it looked to be about the size of a garbage can lid.

[Qtrborecrazy]

Hes been dumpster diving a the Grandview go-go joint. Lots of food threwn away there. Hope they post the size of his noggin.

[TerryK]

I seen the pictures of the bear on tv. The head on it looked to be about the size of a garbage can lid.

The head was wider than the big guy's chest. Really surreal that monster was wondering around in PA.