« Anyone know any hunting mishap victims from 2008? | Darrell Justice with a rare albino whitetail »
Richard Garrett of Lexington was standing by a tree the day after Thanksgving in the national forest in Rockbridge County when he heard a big buck coming. But it wasn't a big buck. It was this massive black bear.
The first bear Garrett has killed in 40 years of hunting, this trophy weighed 480 pounds and was over 7 feet long (or tall, if you want to put it that way).
While growing up in rural Southern Oregon, Mark Taylor developed a passion for the outdoors while he and his younger brother tagged along with their father on fishing, hunting and camping adventures.
Graduating from Northwestern University in 1988, Taylor spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy based in Norfolk before moving into journalism.
After five years writing about the military for a Norfolk-based publishing company, he became the outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times in 1998. He lives in Roanoke with his wife and twin daughters.
Impressive!
Comment by Tommy Nunley — January 20, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
That is an impressive story that I bet you'll never forget. When I read your story it reminded me of my first/only bear I killed back in 06 while bow hunting for deer. My first thought was "hear comes a big buck" and to my surprise it was a bear!
Comment by JN — January 20, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
wow that is a true bruiser. there aren't too many like that walkin around these parts. congrats!
Comment by Jon Branson — January 20, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
Congrats on a great bear! Nice!
Comment by TScottW — January 21, 2009 @ 9:55 am
What a hog. In over 30 yrs of big game hunting I,ve never seen a bear,I have seen bear scat on the place I hunt but thats as close as it gets.
Congrats,what a story.
Alfie
Comment by Alfie — January 21, 2009 @ 6:41 pm
How in the world did you get such a big bear out of the woods in one piece?
-If you look behind the hunter and bear, you can see one of those hunting carts in the back of the truck. I'd say that investment paid off in a big way. mt
Comment by Eric Oliphant — January 29, 2009 @ 3:16 pm