12-year-old downs over 600-pound black bear
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From left are Tristan Frederick and Cahle Frederick, who posed for a photo with Holden Long, at far right, and the bear.
CLINTON COUNTY -- 12-year-old Holden Long scored his first black bear during mentored rifle season while hunting with the Misfit Crew in Clinton County. The bear weighed in at 633 pounds.
According to the 2021 Black Bear Harvest Age Data for the Northcentral Region of Pennsylvania posted by the Game Commission, the closest bear in weight to Long's was 510 pounds and estimated to be 9 years and 10 months old. There are no additional details on what the bear was shot with or the range, only that the bear was shot in Clinton County.
The closest bears in weight to Long's in the Northcentral 2021 season were a tie between Lycoming and Clearfield county, each with a bear weighing 542 pounds -- still a whopping 91 pounds under this bear harvested by the young hunter.
Holden made a 110-yard shot, rolling down a mountain side, and made a second shot to finish it off. Holden was being mentored by his proud father Chris Long who coached him through the process. Holden downed his bear with a Ruger Hawkeye 260 rifle with hand-loaded 125 grain nosler partition bullets. Also hunting that day with the Longs were Tristan Frederick and Cahle Frederick, who were mentored by their dad, Doug Frederick and their uncle, David Frederick. It was a great crew moment.