I know guys like quartering shots but in my camp we wound the most bears that way. Arrows are so fast it's hard to see how ribs will turn the arrow.
I sat with a guy years ago and at 12 yards he took the shot on a behemoth. As the arrow struck in I saw a crazy whip of fletching then nothing. I was questioning what I saw but figured it a dead bear.
Same situation as yours blood heavy for a hundred yards then none. One of the few we've lost.
No way to prevent it, the shot sometimes just does odd things. I hate that we can't use a leashed dog when needed to clean up the situation. A bear is too beautiful a trophy to not use whatever means to recover.
They always seem to die right on the other side of a log or in a depression or brush pile where you have to be on top of them to see.
Good luck
Osky
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