Most hunters never get to hunt a bear—let alone shoot one that weighs over 500 pounds. Aaron Slater, 13, the son of Steve Slater of Nelson Township, defied the odds recently when he not only bagged his first bear while hunting in northern Michigan, but brought one in over 500 pounds.

Aaron, an 8th grader at Cedar Springs Middle School, was lucky enough to draw a bear tag this season for the September 10 opener in the Bergland management unit in the most western part of the Upper Peninsula. Aaron and his family have close friends that operate a guide service near Ewen, Michigan, and his father Steve lends a hand there every year. They were with the guided hunt when Aaron got his bear.

Aaron, who has been hunting since he was 10 years old, filled his tag the first evening of the hunting season. Steve said they passed up a 200-pound bear, thinking they could get a bigger one. About a half hour later, Aaron shot a much bigger one that had come off the trail and was sniffing around. The bear was about 60 yards away when Aaron shot it with his .50 caliber muzzleloader.

“It came in at a whopping official weight of 432 pounds field dressed, with an estimated live weight of 518 pounds!” said Steve.  Currently Aaron is waiting for his bear to come back from the taxidermist. The bear’s skull will be measured after a 60-day period and might make it into the Pope and Young record books.