MONTPELIER, Vt. - Curtis Smiley with the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club says a huge bear taken in the 2013 hunting season is the heaviest bear taken in Vermont by bow and arrow since 1898, and that it is a new record according to skull measurements.

Kevin Lamere of Brownington, VT shot the bear on October 5, 2013 with a bow and arrow in Orleans County.

"The skull of Lamere's bear scored 21 10/16 -- a new state record in the Boone and Crockett Club as well as Pope and Young Club records," said Smiley. "I cannot overstate the significance of a black bear skull this large."

"It ties for first place among all the bears killed in New England," he added. "According to Boone and Crockett Club records there was one shot in Maine in 1980 that also scored 21 10/16. Among Pope and Young records, this bear has the highest scoring skull of any bear ever recorded in all of New England, and it places among the top 100 bears ever killed with archery equipment anywhere in North America."

Forrest Hammond, Vermont's bear biologist, also is impressed with Lamere's new record bear.

"The large size of this bear is not all that surprising when you consider Vermont's bear population is double what it was 25 years ago, said Hammond. "Vermont hunters have taken many large bears in the last two years, including 36 that weighed over 300 pounds. One large male taken in Pownal tipped the scales at over 500 pounds."

"I expect we will be seeing more big bears taken this fall in the September 1 through November 14 and November 15 through 23 bear hunting seasons."

Hunters wishing to improve their bear hunting skills are encouraged to attend a day-long bear hunting seminar scheduled for August 16 at the Edward Kehoe Education Center in Castleton. To learn more about the seminar and to register visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife's website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) and the Hunter Education Course signup page.