Haywood County man breaks 30-year record for largest black bear ever harvested in WNC

A hunting party in Haywood County broke the previous western North Carolina record, taking down a 695-pound black bear

HAYWOOD COUNTY, NC (WLOS) — It took 30 years, but this past bear hunting season, a new name was placed next to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission record for the largest bear harvested in the western region of North Carolina.

A hunting party in Haywood County led by Jeff Teague broke the previous western North Carolina record on Oct. 18, 2022, when they took down a 695-pound black bear. It was just the second day of North Carolina’s open season.

The previous record was 688 pounds, killed by a bow hunter in the early ’90s in Madison County.

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