Lafayette veteran takes state record black bear during recent hunt

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- A Lafayette man may have taken the largest Louisiana Black Bear in history, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Deron Santiny, a Louisiana military veteran and Purple Heart recipient who grew up in Grand Isle and now lives in Lafayette, was on his first ever bear hunt last month courtesy of a permit he received from the Healing Road Foundation.

The first Louisiana black bear hunting season in more than 35 years ended Dec.