Shelby Man Recaptures State Giant Pumpkin Record

A northern Montana man has recaptured the state's giant pumpkin record with a 1,168-pound gourd he raised in his grandfather's garden in Shelby.

Kyle Koschmeder used a backhoe to lift it into the back of a pickup truck to haul it to Ronan for the Big Sky Giant Pumpkin Growers Association weigh-in last Saturday.

His pumpkin beat the old record of 1,039 pounds set last year by Emmett May of Polson.

Koschmeder, 34, last held the state record in 2010 with a 782-pound pumpkin. May answered with an 893-pounder in 2011.

The Great Falls Tribune reports the giant pumpkin is on display at Shelby Paint and Hardware. Koschmeder said he's thinking about having the community help carve it into a jack-o-lantern for Halloween.