State’s archery bear record tied by Foster

The Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club is proud to announce a recent entry that ties the Wisconsin record for a black bear taken by an archer. The bruin was shot Sept. 8, 2022 by Billy Foster Jr. of Belgium while hunting with a compound bow on private land in Burnett County.

The bear’s skull measured 22 11/16 inches and it dressed out at 478 pounds. The bear’s score matches one shot in 2003 in Chippewa County by Duane Helland.

A special panel of Boone and Crockett Club, Pope & Young Club and Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club measurers was assembled Nov. 12 to score Foster’s bear. The panel consisted of WBBC members Errol Jones, Marty Krumrei, Mark Miller and Stan Zirbel.

“On Sept. 8, 2022, while hunting private land, second day of bear season in Burnett County Wisconsin, I found myself wishing the wind would die down,” Foster said. “A squirrel that had been barking for 30 minutes finally started to move deeper into the woods. Stepping out of the swamp, working his way down wind of me, was the bear of a lifetime. Noticeably nervous, I knew I had to take the first opportunity he gave me. At 28 yards I released my arrow, and it found its mark.”

Formed in 1965, the WBBC is comprised of volunteers for the purpose of collecting and maintaining records on Wisconsin whitetail deer and black bear according to the Boone and Crockett scoring system.

In 1996 the Wisconsin Legislature passed Joint Resolution 19, recognizing WBBC as the state’s official big game record keepers.