Chad Morgante, 11, of Grove City, poses with a turkey he shot near his home. Submitted photo

Two youths from Grove City achieved the triple crown in hunting earlier this year by each harvesting a buck, a turkey and a black bear.

CJ Morgante, of Grove City, said his children, Arianna, 13, and Chad, 11, managed to shoot each of the animals on their own within one license season, with just a little help from him.

Chad completed his triple crown on May 10 by shooting a turkey, which followed his harvest of a deer in October and a black bear Nov. 2.

Chad said he killed a turkey with a gun and used a crossbow on the bear and buck.

Arianna completed hers May 14 by shooting a turkey, which followed her harvest of a black bear on Nov. 7 and a deer Dec. 6.

Arianna said she killed a turkey and buck with a gun and the bear with a crossbow.

The Morgante children each said they have been hunting since they were 5 years old.

Arianna said, by accident, she came across the bear she ended up shooting — she and her dad said the encounter in the woods near the Grove City Premium Outlets was unexpected.

“While I was deer hunting, a bear walked out and I shot it,” Arianna said. “It ran, like not too far, we saw it drop down. It was a female, 262 pounds dressed.”

Chad relayed the story of his turkey harvest, which was a long search after hearing a turkey call from afar. Morgante said the hunt also took place near the Grove City Premium Outlets.

“We heard something gobbling at the other side, so we figured we should try to find it,” Chad said. “About a half-hour later, we were just sitting there and four yards behind us we heard a big gobble. He looked behind him and it was right there.”

Morgante helped Chad through his bear hunt, which took place in a 60-acre corn field on the family’s property. He explained how he and his son tracked a bear they spotted on camera, and managed to shoot it with a crossbow from a considerable distance.

“You go row to row and peek through, you play the wind so the bear doesn't smell you and you hope to find the bear sleeping in the corn,” Morgante said. “Chad was ahead of me and he stopped and he puts the corn back and backs up and says, ‘There’s a bear right there.’

“We were laying down together. I laid my hand out and he laid the crossbow across my hand and literally shot the arrow 26 yards down the corn row at the center of this black blob, and he hit it.”

The triple crown is not awarded by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, but Morgante said he and his children reported each harvest to it and one of its officers came to their house after Chad reported the bear harvest in November. The achievement is recognized through Pennsylvania Triple Trophy Unlimited, an organization based in Saegertown.

Morgante also said he doesn’t foresee his children being able to earn the same achievement next hunting season, but his daughter sees it differently.

“We can get it next year again,” Arianna said.

Ariana Morgante, 13, of Grove City, poses with a bear she shot near her home. Submitted photo