Teen Shoots First Bear in Upstate New York & It’s a Doozy at 485 Pounds

An Upstate New York teen hunter won't soon forget his first bear. It was a doozy, weighing in at 485 pounds.

15-year-old Joseph Schrodt has been hunting since he could fit in his dad's backpack. Last year he killed his first buck during Youth Hunting weekend in New York, when 12-15-year-olds can hunt with an adult before the regular season starts.

This year Joseph didn't see any deer. Instead, he got his first bear in Pitcairn New York.

One Big Bear

The area in St Lawrence County has been known bears that have been wreaking havoc on farmers, destroying crops, fencing, and being a manace to the cows. "Two years ago we counted over 25 bears," said Joseph's mom Jennifer Schrodt.

One of those bears walked into Joseph's sight. He shot twice. Jennifer says he felt like he killed it with the first shot and didn't realize how big it was until he reached it.

"When he called me I thought he was joking. He was pretty excited once he realized the size of it."

Carrying it Out

How do you carry a bear that big out of the woods? You don't.

Joseph and his dad used a tractor to help bring the 485-pound bear home.

Processed & Mounted

The bear was taken to a local butcher shop to be processed. There was 120 pounds of fat on the bear as it was preparing for winter.

The head and cape are at a local taxidermy but Joseph's parents aren't sure what they are going to do yet.

His dad and I are not sure what we can afford to do. We haven’t decided on that part. The head and cape weighed 100 pounds.

Whatever the family decides to do, Joseph will have a memory that will last a lifetime.