Black Bear woundings

[coyoteman]

Haveing worked in a bear camp for many years,and help skin many hundreds of bears,I came to the conclusion that for the most part the woundings were not the fault of the hunter or the rifle.It was caused by reflexive conditioning.Most clients were veteran hunters,some internationally.And for the most part meat hunters.So you shoot a moose,deer caribou etc,beyond the shoulder in the lungs ,They drop like a rag doll.This is not the case with a black bear.They can run a good distance,in extreme thick brush,with the blood trail drying up,mortally wounded.So whats the answer,of course we had a shooing range on site with tree stands,and targets at the average shooting distance.This didnt help.So we came up with an idea.I sawed out of plywood a full size black bear,and of course painted it black.When the hunted finished siteing in,I would ask the hunter to shoot my full size bear,at close range they laughed.Except high on the shoulded I had cut a small hole,and behind a piece of white paper--Now you must not hit my plywood--Thats how you drop a bear in his tracks.The number of bear woundings were reduced from that day forward by a very wide margin,compared to pass seasons.

[treeroot]

Originally Posted by coyoteman

Haveing worked in a bear camp for many years,and help skin many hundreds of bears,I came to the conclusion that for the most part the woundings were not the fault of the hunter or the rifle.It was caused by reflexive conditioning.Most clients were veteran hunters,some internationally.And for the most part meat hunters.So you shoot a moose,deer caribou etc,beyond the shoulder in the lungs ,They drop like a rag doll.This is not the case with a black bear.They can run a good distance,in extreme thick brush,with the blood trail drying up,mortally wounded.So whats the answer,of course we had a shooing range on site with tree stands,and targets at the average shooting distance.This didnt help.So we came up with an idea.I sawed out of plywood a full size black bear,and of course painted it black.When the hunted finished siteing in,I would ask the hunter to shoot my full size bear,at close range they laughed.Except high on the shoulded I had cut a small hole,and behind a piece of white paper--Now you must not hit my plywood--Thats how you drop a bear in his tracks.The number of bear woundings were reduced from that day forward by a very wide margin,compared to pass seasons.

Could you post a picture showing exactly where you recommend shooting a black bear?

[Pathfinder76]

I’ve never seen a black bear yet that could survive a hole in the heart or lungs.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by chuck

I’ve never seen a black bear yet that could survive a hole in the heart or lungs.

Oh those ones all die
100%
Problem is a shot through the lungs or heart
They can run
And in the right/wrong conditions
You might not find where they die

[wmd]

The two i have shot dropped where they stood.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Oh those ones all die
100%
Problem is a shot through the lungs or heart
They can run
And in the right/wrong conditions
You might not find where they die

If they are running further than 100yds you’ve missed what you should have hit. And I’ve found they do bleed. This spring I trailed a Black Bear further than I ever have. He didn’t make 50 yards.

[glen moa]

High shoulder would be great if everyone had the target you have. But it’s hard to see on a live bear. I say hit either vitals or high shoulder.
A real hunter knows when not to shoot. Do you shoot ducks over water with no way to retrieve?
Don’t shoot them on the edge of a swamp. Leave at least 100y of good ground. If you don’t find them with in 100y get a dog. And a better shooter next time.

[Smoky buck]

High shoulder shot does drop them but it’s just one of many options. There is also no problem with a simple double lung. Bears are not nice to track and often little to no blood to go on but that is no excuse for not being able to find a bear that was hit with a lethal hit of any kind. Bow hunters do it all the time

Last 4 bears shot in my family were chest shot all recovered with in 60yards. All left no blood trail or only a few drops within the last 30yards. All were found reasonably fast once we started tracking. Nothing crazy for caliber 270win, 50cal muzzleloader, and a bow

Shot placement that takes out spine, chest/exit opposite leg, neck or shoulder do make tracking easier but there is no excuse for a bear hunter not being able to recover a bear from a lethal chest shot

[last minute]

Originally Posted by chuck

I’ve never seen a black bear yet that could survive a hole in the heart or lungs.

x2 amen

[coyoteman]

Northern Ont,bear camps are mostly logged out hunting camps,The alders, and blowdowns,So thick, you can hardly get through it.Constant machette work just to get to the tree stand--You have a 25m shot from a 18 ft tree stand,Smash both shoulders he wont move ,no tracking neccessary.Listen to the guide and your bear is hanging on the rack,not rotting in the woods.

[coyoteman]

Originally Posted by wmd

The two i have shot dropped where they stood.

That what I like to hear-A simple matter of rolling him in the tow sled haul to the truck,Pictures, skin off,meat processed,in freezer.To the fire for some cold ones-----

[coyoteman]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Oh those ones all die
100%
Problem is a shot through the lungs or heart
They can run
And in the right/wrong conditions
You might not find where they die

Exactly right--solution,smash both shoulders,he is dead on the bait.

[coyoteman]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

High shoulder shot does drop them but it’s just one of many options. There is also no problem with a simple double lung. Bears are not nice to track and often little to no blood to go on but that is no excuse for not being able to find a bear that was hit with a lethal hit of any kind. Bow hunters do it all the time

Last 4 bears shot in my family were chest shot all recovered with in 60yards. All left no blood trail or only a few drops within the last 30yards. All were found reasonably fast once we started tracking. Nothing crazy for caliber 270win, 50cal muzzleloader, and a bow

Shot placement that takes out spine, chest/exit opposite leg, neck or shoulder do make tracking easier but there is no excuse for a bear hunter not being able to recover a bear from a lethal chest shot

At 25 m from a 18 ft tree stand,smash both shoulders hes dead on the bait Northern ont all most impossible to get thru the blow downs and thick alders save yourself the trouble.

[coyoteman]

Originally Posted by glen moa

High shoulder would be great if everyone had the target you have. But it’s hard to see on a live bear. I say hit either vitals or high shoulder.
A real hunter knows when not to shoot. Do you shoot ducks over water with no way to retrieve?
Don’t shoot them on the edge of a swamp. Leave at least 100y of good ground. If you don’t find them with in 100y get a dog. And a better shooter next time.

I am talking about a bear camp with many hundreds of clients over many year,the term real hunter may not appy,They paid their $1500 us.My job to get them a shot and a bear hanging on the rack--IF you get a shot,smash both shoulders--the number of bears on the rack goes up,depending how well they listen.

[coyoteman]

Originally Posted by treeroot

Could you post a picture showing exactly where you recommend shooting a black bear?

I have a large picture of a black bear at camp with a white dot high on the shoulder,I show this to all clients.Haveing said that when a broadside shot presents itself, follow the leg up to the top of the back ,then come down about 8in and squeeze off a shot--Its not uncommon to start to shake, and get jittery--If this happens,breath deeply a few times it will pass----

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by coyoteman

Exactly right--solution,smash both shoulders,he is dead on the bait.

I prefer this shot on all animals with the exception of a cow moose or elk

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by coyoteman

At 25 m from a 18 ft tree stand,smash both shoulders hes dead on the bait Northern ont all most impossible to get thru the blow downs and thick alders save yourself the trouble.

All fine under ideal conditions and hunting with a rifle and there is many other shot options that are just as effective at dropping a bear in their tracks. Hunting is not always ideal conditions and if you are hunting spot & stalk at times you have a short window

I have been in on A LOT of bear kills no lack of knowledge on the subject. Pulled many bears out of nasty holes as well as dropped bears in their tracks loading them up with ease.

It’s hunting things are not always smooth

[Pathfinder76]

Killing bears is not that complicated. Or at least I thought it wasn’t.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by chuck

Killing bears is not that complicated. Or at least I thought it wasn’t.

It’s not they die just like any other animal

[Lefty-Canuck]

Bad picture (taken from a video and color changed to see arrow nock), but this bear went about 35 yards and died in under 30 seconds visible to the hunter the whole time. It was extremely effective.



LC

[Grizzly Adams]

Last time I hunted, with an outfitter friend, in northern Alberta, they'd had lost two archery bears the week before. Thick bush makes a follow up very difficult.

Grizz

[tullfan]

110 yards iron sighted 30/30. 170gr partition.
Went 25 yards.
Both lungs.
Tullfan

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Last time I hunted, with an outfitter friend, in northern Alberta, they'd had lost two archery bears the week before. Thick bush makes a follow up very difficult.

Grizz

Poor hit or poor tracking is the only reason for that end result

[bucksnbears]

Weird how people think.
I'm the opposite. There is no reason for NOT going for the lungs/ heart shot.
I've been in on hundreds of bear kills and a lung/ heart shot bear will be dead within 60 yards 99% of the time.
I've taken 50+ with an arrow. Most are dead within 40 yards.
Farthest was a liver/ one lung. He made it about 125 yards.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Poor hit or poor tracking is the only reason for that end result

Think the same bush they're working with in northern Manitoba right now. Easy to say.

Grizz

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Think the same bush they're working with in northern Manitoba right now. Easy to say.

Grizz

Pulled many bears out of coastal BCs re grown clear cuts where you crawl around on your hands and knees through tunnels made by bears to track them for recovery. This is just one of the many examples of crappy terrain I have pulled bears out of. Like I said in an earlier post I don’t lack experience when it comes to bear hunting. I have taken bears in a wide variety of terrain.

I am not saying it’s easy or fun but thick bush is no excuse for not being able to find a bear that has been shot through the lungs with an arrow or bullet. A poor shot is a different story

[bucksnbears]

Iffn a bear makes it 100 yards, recovery drops off SHARPLY!!

[Positrac]

Is it just me or are most of the threads started by Coyoteman’s just a bit...off? It’s like they are made not to promote thought but to get an argument going...

Ive been in on probably 50 black bear kills over the years, most on Vancouver Island where conditions for tracking bears is as bad as anywhere, and I haven’t seen a bear that was shot in the boiler room go more than 100 yards, most only going a short distance.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Positrac

Is it just me or are most of the threads started by Coyoteman’s just a bit...off? It’s like they are made not to promote thought but to get an argument going...

Ive been in on probably 50 black bear kills over the years, most on Vancouver Island where conditions for tracking bears is as bad as anywhere, and I haven’t seen a bear that was shot in the boiler room go more than 100 yards, most only going a short distance.

Your'e a Conspiracy theorist ? Me thinks you take this too seriously.

Grizz

[crazy_davey]

Originally Posted by Positrac

Is it just me or are most of the threads started by Coyoteman’s just a bit...off?

Not just you at all. I think he was dropped on his head one too many times when he was young.

Nothing wrong with that, it happens from time to time.