I Am Just Sick...

[tlbradford]

This Saturday I jumped up a bruiser bear, big and light brown.  Hind track was 9-1/2 inches in length.  Front track just under 7" wide.  My guess was 275# min with serious ground shrinkage to 400# being a good estimate guess.  Ears were tiny, belly nearly scraped the groud, and the fat was rolling back and forth when it ran.

I pulled up with my .338 win mag, and 210 nosler partitions and let fly at around 100 yards.  I recover from the recoil and the bear is thrashing on the ground in a big cloud of dust.  Much to my surprise, he hops up and disappears into the thick stuff looking like there was nothing wrong.  After 4 hours of searching, nothing could be found.  No blood, no hair, tracking was impossible in the rocky terrain, and the thick stuff was so torn up from bear activity anyway.  I went back the next morning after a rainstorm and could not find any crows or bluejays pecking at a carcass, but there are not very many in the area anyways.

Here are my questions:
1) Has anyone ever seen a bear duck at the sound of a shot and actually trip and fall without being hit? 

1a) When he was down, I did not see him biting at himself, or here him bawl at any point in time.  I could swear that I hit him quartering away, shooting down on him, and entering near his back rib (if I was being asked to call my shot).  I have not shot any running bears before, would this be normal behavior if I hit him where I thought I did?  Also, would you expect to find blood if you did not get through and through penetration on this shot?

2) Does anyone know if it is legal to use a hound to recover an animal?  I read the regs to say that you can't use a hound while hunting, but I am unsure if you could use a hound to recover a dead animal if you were not hunting.  I doubt it, but could not find anything specific saying otherwise.

3) For you houndsman, how old can a trail be and still be followed?

I am almost physically sick about the situation.  I hope to God I just whiffed on this guy and he isn't balled up in some thick stuff that I couldn't track him to.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

[Branden]

I have seen a bear shot at across a canyon and roll all the way down until it was out of sight. A couple guys went over to look for the blood to trail it into the thick stuff. While they are searching for blood it pops up fifty yards from them and feeds up the hill. It was never hit with the first shot.

I also read a book that said black bears fall over when shot at sometimes even when they are not hit.
That is the only question I can answer on your list. Branden

[billythekidrock]

I have seen bears "duck/flinch/jump" at a shot that missed, but I hate to tell ya, it sounds like you hit him. Lots of times if you hit them in the front shoulder they will tend to spin in circles for a bit before racing off. If he was quartering away and you hit the near shoulder towards the far shoulder your bullet may not exit and with all the fat at this time of year you will not find much blood, if any. If you hit the hind quarter he may spin/bite/bail and again probably no trackable blood. Most big boars won't make much of a sound when hit unless they are double lunged. If you double lunged him you would have some blood and fat, but maybe not trackable depending on how many bones you hit and the amount of fat on the bear.

[boneaddict]

Sorry...but Billy is right.

[Machias]

Well I would call the Fish and Game about using the dog.  The reg is very clear when it comes to cats and you may be able to use it for this situation.  It states that having a dog on a leash, tracking a cat is NOT considered hound hunting.  But I would ask and make sure your dog does not get off the leash at all while tracking your bear.  Sounds to me like you hit him.

[boneaddict]

It states that having a dog on a leash, tracking a cat is NOT considered hound hunting.

What?   Not to get off topic, but what the heck?  I could be using my basset on a leash to track one of those big pussies.

[Machias]

Quote from the Reg:

"Transporting a dog(s) in a motorized vehicle or walking a dog on a leash is not pursuit."

[jackelope]

It states that having a dog on a leash, tracking a cat is NOT considered hound hunting.

What?   Not to get off topic, but what the heck?  I could be using my basset on a leash to track one of those big pussies.

yeah bone...you could, but he'd only make it 30 or 40 feet and have to take a break.
just kidding...that would be the bassets i had as a kid.

[saylean]

Hey, tlbradford, read the story and wanted to wish you luck. My brother hit a bear last year and the bear bailed in some super thick stuff. ( we literally were on our hands and knees using hand pruners as we went to track this bear, talk about a tense situation) The blood trail started out as small flecks of blood if that. We searched for two days after and nothing. It sucked, so I know your feeling. Best of luck, sounds to me like you hit him too, but I am no expert.

[boneaddict]

I've got a long legged one that can run farther than me, or at least when she is in shape.  MAN MAYBE I SHOULDN"T ADMIT THAT.  ANyhow.  First long legged purebred basset I have seen.  I figure as long as the snow isn't too deep.

Damn bitch got into my pheasants last night compliments of my wife.  I'm not sure who should have been in more trouble.  I can kick the dog without going to jail.  Somehow that is just not right.

[tlbradford]

Thanks for the reply guys...Definately not what I wanted to hear, but it confirmed what I was thinking.  At this point I think my nose will be good enough to find him with a careful search, or the ravens will lead me to him.  I'll be bringing a machete with me.

[Machias]

Don't forget, if he is hurt and laid up he won't be none to happy to see you! 

[VirginiaxBoi]

Hey TL, How were you hunting this bear and where if you dont mind my asking?

[tlbradford]

Well,  I got up there and found the carcass this past Saturday.  It was pretty torn up from the heat, birds, insects, and what looked like several coyotes.  It was about 75 yards from where it was shot.  It had found a little space in some rocks that was completely covered with brush.  I probably walked within 20 feet of it 4 or 5 different times.  It was a light brown phase with a little blonde in him.  I found the ribcage, and spine.  The head and backend were drug off somewhere. 

VirginiaxBoi - I was hunting outside Omak.  I was calling at the top of the mountain, but actually jumped this bear out of a draw on my way back to the truck.

[sisu]

Man I hate it when a person tires their hardest only to be out smarted and hosed by the critter. Sorry.
I hit a deer last year high in the shoulder. Arrow broke off less than an inch from the broad head. I found less than a pin head of blood on the arrow. Spent the next 2.5 hours sweating and searching, next AM spent 4 hours looking. Land owner said I never hit the deer in a vital area but it soured my welcome with his wife so I lost that land area to hunt in. She blamed me for another deer that turned up at their house during late season with an arrow in its ham. I explained to her that I use wood arrows with BRIGHT yellow feathers and this arrow was camo synthetic with plastic vanes, but it was no good I lost and the land owner apologised for his wife but he has to live with her not me.