A Howland hunter has set a new Maine state record for the largest female black bear ever harvested.
On Sept. 16, Zach LaFreniere tagged a massive sow while hunting in Corinth with a .35 Whelen rifle. The bear had a dressed weight of 358 pounds and an estimated live weight of 429.6 pounds. It was weighed on a certified scale at The Village Market on Plymouth Road in Carmel, where it was registered and verified by state biologists.
LaFreniere’s bear surpasses the previous record set in 2022 by Brendan Gardner of East Bridgeport, Massachusetts, whose 395.5-pound whole-weight sow was taken in Andover while hunting with Dirigo Outfitters & Guide Service and Walker’s Guide Service. The recovery of Gardner’s bear required a multi-state effort, including registered Maine guides, hounds from Vermont and assistance by boat to cross a flooded river. The bear was weighed on a certified scale at River’s Edge Sports in Oquossoc.
Both bears have been officially certified and entered into The Maine Sportsman’s hunting and fishing records, which maintain the state’s official big game listings.
Zach LaFreniere of Howland tagged this record-setting black bear sow with a dressed weight of 358 pounds on Sept. 16, 2025, while hunting in Corinth. The bear’s estimated live weight was 429.6 pounds, making it the largest female black bear ever recorded in Maine.
The huge bear was almost too large for the back of Brendan Gardner’s pick-up truck.
Congratulations to Zach LaFreniere on setting a new Maine record with his history-making black bear.
