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My 2014 Archery Spring Black Bear

3K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  Bull's eye 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Here is my 2014 Spring Black Bear, archery kill, my very first big game with the bow. Not the biggest of boars at approximately 170lbs, but it was a fun hunt and a learning experience for me. Black bear hunting is all new to me and I am looking forward to next year already.

We didn't have much time to log in on stand this year and with the extra challenge of filming the hunt, we decided to chance it on a newly opened up area (logging operation from 2013) where we knew we were not competing with outfitter baits.

We know the outfitters in the area and had discussed bait locations prior to, so we had the benefit of a secluded bait in a new area, but also the challenge of a new bait and the unknown.

Spring was extremely late up here in the North, and bears lethargic for the first 3 weeks of the season. Nevertheless, on week 2, our bait hit with a bang, with 7 different bears showing daily, including 2 twin boars, a young 3yr old, a young sow with 2 cubs and a nice lone boar in the upper 200s lower 300s.

It takes us almost an hour to drive up to our stand site. So on Monday evening June 2nd, plans were made to sit all evening after work. We got settled in at 5:30PM and watched for the better part of the evening a 3yr old munch away at our offerings. The 90 pounder entertained us all evening and we returned home empty handed.

The following Wednesday, we walked in at 5PM, only to encounter the sow and her 2 cubs already at the bait, 40 yards from us. I motioned at my bud to stop, flagging the cubs treeing up fast. (we had the wind at our back and the sow was aware of our presence before we even saw her, in a nearby stripcut). She wasn't even looking at us, and after the cubs treed down and fled the scene, we baited, swapped SDs, and settled in to our stands for the evening.

An hr or so later, out comes one of the twin boars, a respectable bear at 180lbs, by bud was a bit surprised I didn't shoot him, being my first bear and all. I told him I was in for the long haul and we would wait and see what happens next, he nodded and respected my decision. This bear was fiesty, all scuffed up and just looked nasty, a little pest, so I dubbed him a name: Brad Marchant! He left down the ravine.

Half an hr later, we could hear 2 bears scuffing and chasing down the gully, and figured it was the twins. Sure enough, in they came keeping distances from each other, as ''Brad'' would dominate his twin and constantly chase him away from the barrel. His twin was 5-10lbs less than ''Brad'', but his coat was thick and beautiful. My bud gave me the thumbs up on him, and I told him I would take him if we ever got a chance, as I knew it could prove difficult to get a shot opportunity at such a timid bear, with the litlle pest ''Brad'' underneath our ladder, munching at fried chicken pieces.

It took about an hour of chasing and scuffing around to get my bear in behind the barrel, and when ''Brad'' was looking away, for a split second, he walked in front of the barrel, look directly at his rival (that's when I came to full draw and anchored). He took one last step exposing his vitals, I settled the pin on him, picked a spot, released and followed thru. The shot was perfect, the arrow passed thru, hit the opposite shoulder, and ''bounced'' back into the bear's chest. He took off on a mad dash that last 2 seconds, and fell over dead and moaning 30 yards from the barrel, my arrow with the lighted knock planted straight vertical in him, I could see the lighted knock through the canopy, pointing to my first archery kill, that was extremely cool. You can see my lighted nock still in my kwiver, I had to use my nock wrench to pull out the contact at home LOL, this one was a thight fit!

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#13 ·
Thanks to all. We had set our sights (pun intended) on a 250+ bear, but this new bait only had one visitor in that range and with limited time to hunt this spring, I must say I was happy with the outcome. Archery is addictive, I derive as much fun and pleasure preparing for a fishing trip by tying my own flies for a particular set of conditions and preparing for a hunting trip than the act of killing alone, so for me this was a natural progression and I only hope to have more opportunities with the bow at close range. I truly enjoy the preparation aspect of hunting with a bow (or gun for that matter). I derive much satisfaction from post-season scouting, trail camming, deciphering areals to identify funnels and likely holding spots, and running about interpreting the game's next move. It has been a dream of mind to arrow a rutting bull moose at 4 yards for the past 2-3 years now LOL! Here's hoping for a coveted 2014 tag or designation! :)

A nice buck with the bow during deer hunting season would be icing on the cake, but I won't get ahead of myself haha! I am committed to put in a few years and a lot of hours on stand to achieve that one. It will be fun trying.
 
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