Record-Breaking 770-Pound Black Bear Taken Down by NJ Hunter with Bow!
A New Jersey hunter made history on Tuesday when he set a new state record by taking down a massive 770-pound black bear with a compound bow in Morris County.
The hunter, Brian Melvin, had been tracking this particular bear for over three years. He finally succeeded during this year’s bear hunt, a testament to his persistence and patience.
Melvin recounted how he first spotted the bear about three years ago and had been actively hunting it during previous bear hunts.
This year, things finally came together. He hit the bear from about 45 yards away early Tuesday morning in Kinnelon. Tracking this bear wasn’t easy.
Melvin, 39, who has been bow hunting since his early 20s, explained how the bear never stayed in one place for too long.
“He never stayed in the same place for more than six months,” said Melvin.
To track the animal, he spent weeks knocking on doors, asking for permission to hunt on lands where he thought the bear might roam.
His efforts were rewarded last year when he captured the bear on camera. However, the animal disappeared until May of this year.
Officials from New Jersey’s fish and wildlife department confirmed that the bear’s weight was the largest ever recorded during the state’s black bear hunt.
The record was set as the largest dressed weight, which means it was even heavier before being field dressed. The previous record, established in 2019, was a bear weighing just over 700 pounds.
For Melvin, the hunt became more strategic this year. A month before the hunt began, he relocated the bear in a new area about a mile away from where he had last seen it.
“I found him in a new swamp a month ago and started to figure out his pattern,” said Melvin. By understanding the bear’s daily movements,
Melvin waited for the right moment and weather conditions to set up the perfect shot.
He finally caught the bear on its way back to its bedding spot. “The rest is history,” Melvin said with satisfaction.
While this was the largest bear Melvin has ever hunted, he has experience with sizable bears before.
His previous record was a bear weighing around 400 pounds, but this one shattered his personal best and set a new state standard.
Despite the excitement of breaking a record, Melvin is mindful of the ethical considerations of hunting.
“Records are cool and all, but not at the cost of wasting an animal,” he said, showing respect for the bear he had hunted.
The bear hunt is a regular event in New Jersey and is divided into two segments. The first part of the hunt began on Monday and will run until Saturday.
As of now, 285 bears have been killed during the hunt, with the majority of the harvest happening in Sussex County, where 126 bears have been taken.
Other counties, such as Warren and Morris, have also seen significant numbers of bears harvested, but fewer bears have been killed in counties like Passaic, Hunterdon, and Bergen.
In total, hunters legally killed 493 bears during the 2023 bear hunt. The second part of the hunt will begin on Dec. 9 and end on Dec. 14, with only shotguns and muzzleloaders permitted during that time.
There are several restrictions on bear hunting in New Jersey to maintain ethical hunting practices.
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Hunters are limited to one bear per season, and they cannot harvest cubs weighing less than 75 pounds or adult bears that are accompanying cubs of this size. Hunting near baited areas is also prohibited.
The New Jersey bear hunt is approved to continue through the 2027 season. This annual event, which helps manage the state’s bear population, is an important tradition for many hunters in the region.