HUNTING Black Bear

[Divernhunter]

I did not want to walk on it. On the floor it gets more dirt as I am in a more rural area.
I have the same problem with the 3 hides I brought back from Africa. They are too nice to toss on the floor. Blue Wildebeest, Impala and Blesbuck.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I can understand that. I recall there were skins on the floor in the lodge in SA, but the maids swept every day, and I don't expect they get much mud... I certainly do not have time to sweep daily. IF I get this trip accomplished, I'll put my rug in a low traffic area for sure

 

[Divernhunter]

The skins on the floors when we went also had short hair and not as much as my bear.
My bear(and others I have seen) have a very thick, soft and pretty long hair which made it a no for on the floor for me even in a less traffic area.
Maybe for you it will be different. Good luck and hope you get a good big one.

 

[Paparock94]

The only thing that is predictable about a Black bear is its unpredictability. There is such a difference between the "average" 150 lbs. Black bear and the true giants of the species taken each year that reach weights approaching that of a good sized grizzly of 700lbs. Now a Black bear of that size and weight is a lot of fat and no where near the solid muscle and bone threat a grizzly is (especially by temperament and behavior) yet Black bears have killed over 61 people across North America since 1900. A friend of mine (down in Colorado) was among that number who was not a hunter. So while the vast majority of Black bears will run at the sight or smell of a human not all will and they do have the necessary equipment to do major damage to humans if they so choose. Black bears are not the clowns of the forest though at times they may seem like it. If you watch enough youtube videos you will see both Grizzly and giant Brown bears play and do very funny things and yet you can also see their awe and even fear inspiring handiwork upon both humans and other animals when they attack. All bears deserve your respect. Watch them, enjoy them, but never forget they are wild animals.

I lived in Wyoming for ten years and you would not believe the things the tourists would do like trying to sit their small children on a Black bear for a cute picture only to be shocked when the cute bear took a swat or even a bite out of the kid. It was enough to make you wonder about human intelligence. We used to keep tract on a chalk board, each year, of the score; tourists vs wildlife (bear, buffalo, etc).

 

[curtism1234]

I lived in Wyoming for ten years and you would not believe the things the tourists would do like trying to sit their small children on a Black bear for a cute picture only to be shocked when the cute bear took a swat or even a bite out of the kid. It was enough to make you wonder about human intelligence. We used to keep tract on a chalk board, each year, of the score; tourists vs wildlife (bear, buffalo, etc).

The lack of common sense or discipline by tourists in Yellowstone is astounding; I'm shocked more people don't get hurt. We were there this past summer for 2 weeks. My wife knew not to get close to a bear with cubs and we had pepper spray for our backcountry hiking/fishing. And what does she do when we get stuck in traffic for a bear with cubs? That's right, grabs only the camera and runs to the front of the line

 

[Divernhunter]

I cannot bear the thought of walking on this bear. It has such a long thick coat and my shoes get dirty.
That does not mean you could not or should not yours if that is what you want.

Hey years ago my family went to Yellowstone and I watched an idiot woman try to chase a walking bear down to get a photo of her small kid on it. Darwin award there. This was just a week after a guy got killed because he wanted a close up of a Buff. So he sneaks up on a sleeping one gets right in it face and snaps a photo. Startled the animal and of course it jumps up and runs forward................killing him. Another Darwin award. I do hope his wife was able to get the photo developed and it turned out good This was before digital cameras.

 

[Paul Homsy]

Ok, hoping to get my first ever black bear "Ursus americanis" in 3 weeks. Do you recommend going right up the front leg or aiming a little back with a bow? Where would you shoot with a .30-06? High shoulder and try to anchor him? I am a little concerned that I will shoot too far back due to the size of the target. Thank you and
GO BADGERS!
Tiss

The "ideal" rifle or handgun shot to drop a bear is when a bear is presenting a slight quartering away stance from you. the front leg on your side ! is forward the bear is either taking a step or stationary. Exposing the heart lung area. The shot should be in the chest cavity aiming at the offside shoulder to break it AFTER the bullet has gone through the chest cavity. Because of the forward position of the front leg on your side, the offside front leg would be positioned slightly back in direct line with the heart and lungs, presenting the shot I mention.

It is a better shot than trying to get through the front shoulder first and then the chest cavity. Any bear can run if the shoulders aren't broken. Most larger bears make a loop and watch their back trail when pursued which can and does become a dangerous situation if the bear isn't incapacitated. Particularly a large bear. I've hunted many bears of all sizes, for well over 35 years, both with bow and rifles. A very sharp large broadhead on a heavy arrow, will drop a large bear faster than a well placed bullet in the chest that doesn't touch either the CNS or the shoulders.

Never a shot on a bear's shoulder with a bow. Strictly heart and lungs. As reasonably close as possible.

I realize this is an old post but my input may be of some value to others on their future hunts.

 

[Whiskey1]

I've been in on the killing of 6 bears hunted with hounds. Unless headshot they always take a lot of killing! When a black bear is hurt with hounds and hunters on him he's going to fight. I've met one guide, one houndsman, and a bunch of dogs that carry scars from black bears. I've personally finished 3 at distances measured in feet- fun stuff and awesome animals that will always have my respect.

 

[Paul Homsy]

I've been in on the killing of 6 bears hunted with hounds. Unless headshot they always take a lot of killing! When a black bear is hurt with hounds and hunters on him he's going to fight. I've met one guide, one houndsman, and a bunch of dogs that carry scars from black bears. I've personally finished 3 at distances measured in feet- fun stuff and awesome animals that will always have my respect.

Oh, they have my respect as well !
I've only hunted them once with hounds and I was using a bow that time. It was a long chase 10 miles down a gently slopping soaked canyon. That bear fought with the hounds in several spots, you could see areas that had been turned upside down and tufts of fur. I had an easy shot from about 8 or 9 yards from a promontory half way as high as his position on the tree he finally climbed. I shot him through the lungs, a complete pass through, and he was done very quickly, the guide who was afraid for a fight on the ground insisted that I shoot again, he was already slipping on the main pine trunk, blood oozing from his mouth and nostrils in jets. The second shot was superfluous in my mind by I listened to the guide and shot from underneath at about five yards, below the sternum, the arrow lodged in his spine. He was dead instantly in mid air. The guide told me he'd never seen a bear die so quickly shot with anything including 300s and 338s...Guns don't do it as well as a well placed arrow. My experience anyway and this wasn't the only time.

I hear you when you talk about the scars on the dogs. I've seen that too which is why the guide told me to put another arrow through before he hit the ground. He was quite large. Green measurements were 6,8" by 6,10", very strong and lean. We weighed him and he was over 350 lbs. According to CO. Fish and Game he was 4 years old. He would have weighed 450 lbs the following year. This was very early September and he hadn't put his hibernation weight on yet. I've seen black bears over twice that size. They aren't afraid of anything. All other bears, including grizzlies disappeared when a huge black bear showed up in a large bowl I was hunting with a friend in Montana. He wasn't furtive or shy. I've observed this first hand and felt it was quite revealing. I hadn't expected anything like it.

I'm with you. They have all my respect.

 

[jeff]

I've taken 13 black bears with bow, and most were down in less than 40 yards with a lung shot, some less than 20 yards. One was with hounds and 2 were spot and stalk the others were on my baits

 

[Brent in Az]

Ambushed this Bear at 27 yards, with a double lung shot. He went about 75 yards before expiring.

 

[Brent in Az]

Something happened with the rotate?

 

[ArmyGrunt]

The server will occasionally rotate images. Not sure why, but the admin often will correct it for us. Yours now looks proper

 

[Brent in Az]

It was rotated wrong when I uploaded. But looks like it got fixed.

Thank you!

 

[Whiskey1]

Yep. In the northern zone in GA we can only spot and stalk or ambush them. As a result bears have a reputation for being easy to kill and not very dangerous. They become a completely different proposition when their adrenaline is up from running, cornered, hurt, and fighting hounds. The one I just killed would have never moved after the first shot if it was over bait or from a stand. I also think arrowed bears in trees often hang on to the tree until just before death due to a good shot through the lungs only "stinging". Gun hunters often break a shoulder, putting a wounded bear on the ground with men and dogs while it still has 30-60 seconds of fight in it. Either way they are great game animals.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I'd love to come down your way for a bear. Pricing is a bit lower than I've found in other places. Except Idaho, but I know the outfitter. I'd go there with him, but it's such a long haul from sw Indiana

 

[Whiskey1]

I'd love to come down your way for a bear. Pricing is a bit lower than I've found in other places. Except Idaho, but I know the outfitter. I'd go there with him, but it's such a long haul from sw Indiana

Are you thinking Georgia or Maine?

 

[ArmyGrunt]

You said northern Georgia. I didn't look to see if you were more distant. But! I'll bet Maine would be rather gorgeous

 

[Whiskey1]

I live in Ga but go to Maine to hunt them with hounds. I just did a hunt report on this year's trip with my 15 year old daughter. We had a great time!
In my part of Ga it's tough unless you have a lot of time to sit under a white oak and wait. No baiting. No hound hunting. There are some big bears here though. I'm going to try it this weekend with my son in the Cohutta Wilderness Area but hunter success is usually less than 5%. I think I'm a little better than average so I give us a 1 in 10 chance at getting him his first bear. He missed the Maine hunt because of high school football practice so this will get us some quality time backpacking and hunting for a couple days whether the bears cooperate or not.

 

[Whiskey1]

You said northern Georgia. I didn't look to see if you were more distant. But! I'll bet Maine would be rather gorgeous

Couple other things- Maine is so gorgeous that I'm looking for a cabin there. There are quite a few quality bear outfits there and the competition keeps prices low. Flights are reasonable too. And...I'm looking for a hunt in the Rockies because I want a color phase bear. In the east all of ours are black with only minor variations like a white chest blaze or black to brown muzzle.