An enormous black bear was shot by a Hudson Valley hunter this month.

Black bears are common in our area, but ones this big are pretty rare. On average, female black bears weigh between 90 and 250 lbs.  Males can range between 130 and 500 lbs. Running into a bear in the woods is scary enough, but one of the largest bears there is? Well, that's just downright terrifying.

But that's exactly what happened to a Hudson Valley hunter this month. The 470-pound bear was photographed and posted on a Hudson Valley Hunting Facebook page. According to the post, the bear was found in Ulster County. The location shared on the photo says it was taken near Marlboro.

According to Wide Open Spaces, the largest black bear ever recorded was shot in 1972. It was 7.9 feet long and weighed an estimated 1,100 lbs.