missed my first bear to day

[cardboard slayer]

Went out today to my spot got up on a stump satdown got my eyeballs out stared glassing with in 10 mins a bear was walking right for me at 50 yards came right out of the 3 foot brush put its frount paws up on a stump and looked right at me smelling the wind. I couldn't move my chest betting so hard my gun was on my lap. He turned back I shoulder the gun I couldn't hold it steady for the life of me. The I rembered to take a breath he then moved 25 feet to the left and 5 yards closer.    I'm now telling my self breath stay steady calm down.   I think as a what's he doing just hanging out in that brush ( eating barrys no dout ) after what felt like 5 mins he started moveing to the left this time 50 feet and 10 yards closer when he stoped and eat my heart was slowing I was not yet steady out good(never had a bear come in that close and not make me )I keep the cross hares on him slow down breath I don't have to shot this bear I thould my self I need that clean shot. 5 more mins pass he moves more left  I look a head of him there's a window of open ground 30 feet more to the  left that's it he has to give me a shot if he walks in to the window I think but now I have a problem I must move my butt to make that shot its at a 90° to me (bear starts head on to me then is  moveing to the left in if u fallow ) I must move I must move I slowly slide to the left he heard me a gurnt sound comes from that bear but he dose not move I don't move nothing moves for what fells like hours( most likey under a min but felt like hours ) he moves left slowly I see him smelling the air smelling it hard he knows I'm there but the wind is my friend today slowly he moves left my new spot has no rest to steady on so I breath relax he's 10 feet from the window I can see the top of his back I put the sights were I know the kill shot will be he has gone back to eating  then I fell it the wind going up my back and he moves in to the window and stares right at me turns gives me the shot lag forward open shot 35 yards I shake steady steady bang I think I hit him but he's standing there stareing at me I roll the bolt hes gone when I look back up after 10 secs I see him plowing brush like a train 300 yard up hill not a limp run but a full out run for the hills. I make the calls to my people I my have shot a bear need a hand I now get of my stump the phone tree will work I need to start traking I go to were he was no blood ok well that don't mean *censored* I look up hill. Plan as day that's were he ran I follow looking at the brush no blood get to the top of the hill a fresh cut deer *censored* bear *censored* paw prints everywere the phone tree worked helps here couldn't find the prints in that fresh cut so spent the next 31/2 hours walking the cut in a 20foot grid         
Just fell so bad not know if it was hit 95% shear that I choked on that shot my hart just now slowed down but that's allways tomarrow.   Want to know in this heat that time did I do a ok job looking for that bear being my first time   my people called it of 75° at 1145

[ICEMAN]

Oh well, better luck next time. Very exciting day for you. Glad you focused on looking hard for blood.

[cardboard slayer]

Cant go home with out knowing wouldn't be right not do my best I'll be back out in 10 hours and every Friday saterday Sunday till new years in the woods I'll find one and when I do

[bearpaw]

sounds like you were excited and having fun, it's happened to me before, good job on making sure 

[D-Rock425]

Good luck to you.  Hunted 3 days now and haven't even seen one yet.

[cardboard slayer]

Well d rock I wanted to hunt bear I read all I could most  from ur posts thank u for that but my springer lab loves to eat bear poo when we were out runing grouse and rabbit with last year was 2 to 3 days a week I wached were the hot spots were now the dogs are at home and I'm a hunting bear

[bobcat]

At least you saw a bear. And, now we know why you're called "cardboard slayer."   

Oh and by the way, couldn't quite finish your story- just couldn't hold my breath quite that long.   

[cardboard slayer]

Yes lots of cardboard I have problem I haven't been that shakey in a long time loveing this bear hunting could be vary habbit forming

[BOWHUNTER45]

  Yeah I think a lot of people would be shaking at the knees when a bear gets that close ...that's part of the game ...your get him next time ! Maybe try shooting in your gun while your shaking ...that may help 

[bearpaw]

You might want to shoot your gun at a target once just to be sure it's right on.

[cardboard slayer]

Ya did that when I got home on the 50 and the 100. that old 308 is my go to yote gun I just can't belive I choked like that.

[bobcat]

Bears often don't leave a blood trail, even when hit well. Is there any chance that you did hit it? Maybe get back out there early tomorrow morning and continue searching.   

[BOWHUNTER45]

Bobcat is right ...they usually do not bleed that well unless you shoot one in the throat with a Wasp Broadhead and then the blood trail will be  painted like a river 

[BOWHUNTER45]

and he was in bow range 

[cardboard slayer]

I'm hunting that cut in the am and my phone tree  buddys all ready called the stumps thay want knew thay would take my spot if I showed them

[BOWHUNTER45]

That's another lesson I learned about 25 yrs ...never show your buddies your hunting spot and what would be even worse is showing someone you do not even know 

[Biggerhammer]

That's another lesson I learned about 25 yrs ...never show your buddies your hunting spot and what would be even worse is showing someone you do not even know 

Never.... Ever.. NEVER, NERVER tell them.

[RadSav]

I shake steady steady bang I think I hit him but he's standing there stareing at me

Sounds like a clean miss to me.  At least it sounds like you did everything else right!  Something about a bear inside of 15 yards that makes one not quite right in the head.  How fun is that?

Get to keep hunting and it doesn't cost you another $24.00.  Could be worse.