sleds spring bear thread

[jason stevens]

Sled don't beat yourself up things happen. He probably is still moving maybe a shot that didn't work out. Happens to everyone. If it were me I'd look again and make a decision to proceed. Good luck my friend you'll find another maybe even get anothershot at that bear.

[Turner89]

You have a great spot there. Those bears want to be in there. If he makes it, there's a good chance you will get another shot at him.

[sled]

You have a great spot there. Those bears want to be in there. If he makes it, there's a good chance you will get another shot at him.

  You Think So?  Even after Beating The Brush Like That?

[Ccortez]

You have a great spot there. Those bears want to be in there. If he makes it, there's a good chance you will get another shot at him.

  You Think So?  Even after Beating The Brush Like That?

If you have a good area I would keep going back. Doesn't matter if you been beating the brush with how much it rained your sent is no longer in issue.
As long as you are where the food is the bears will be there

Good luck out there

[Turner89]

You have a great spot there. Those bears want to be in there. If he makes it, there's a good chance you will get another shot at him.

  You Think So?  Even after Beating The Brush Like That?

If you have a good area I would keep going back. Doesn't matter if you been beating the brush with how much it rained your sent is no longer in issue.
As long as you are where the food is the bears will be there

Good luck out there

yea, I do think they/He will still be in there. A lot of people walk/bike in there, and they are used to human scent. By next weekend that place will be back to normal.
 Like I said, I haven't seen that much sign, this early ever up there. I personally wouldn't leave that spot until I tagged one , or the sign went old.

[klikboom]

I was up in the unit today also, saw some sign in one spot but no bruins for me. I have these forensic tablets that you dissolve then spray and they make blood glow. You use them in the dark I think. You want to try them? Supposedly rain won't wash away the track for at least a year for these. I'll be back up in the unit next weekend .

[j_h_nimrod]

Was it actual meat or maybe blood clot (clotted blood) that you were finding?  I have found clots that looked a lot like meat before.  Just trying to get a better picture of events. I had thought liver at first, not sure now.

That is a lot of blood for a bear when you don't find it, personally I would say it is most likely dead.  If it were hard hit though you would think it would have deeded or at least stopped.  Potentially a tearing shot in a large muscle group (front shoulder?) that bleeds copiously but is not quickly fatal. 

It is a rotten feeling, good luck.

[klikboom]

I know exactly how you feel, i've been through the same thing. Except the HW was way more self-righteous to me! I pretty much did not sleep that first night wondering where it was and if I had missed something. I didn't have near the blood trail that you did. It was just fine drips even from the start but seemed to seal itself up like yours did. The clearcut I shot it at the bear the never returned to, i checked it out multiple times over the coming months and there was never anymore sign there and it was TORE up at the time I shot the bear.

Can you share the details of how you spotted it / set up for a shot? Placement, caliber, distance? Was it the spot you found a lot of poop at? Did you call it in? Was it sunbathing? Were there fresh tree peels in the area? Clearcut?

[sled]

  I Went Back In Today For Another Look And Came Up With Nothing.  At This Point I Don't Know What To Think.  Obviously Not A Good shot.
  The Spot I Was Was Along A Road.  It Was Feeding On Grass In The Sunlight.  When I Spotted It It Was quartering Away Feeding Up Hill.  My Shot Was Almost Exactly 200 Yards.  I Was Able To Take The Shot From Prone Position, And Had Been To The Range Shooting 200+ Yards Hitting Everytime.  I Was Shooting A Springfeild Socom 308 cal With A Burris Scout Scope, And Federal 165 Grain Bullets. 
  Not The Same Place As The Pics With The Poop, But There Was Alot Of Poop In The Area.

[RadSav]

We had a similar blood trail and experience about 15 years ago up Stevens Pass.  Tracked the bear for about a half mile with pretty darn good blood the whole way.  Three weeks later CL and I were back up there and I shot the same bear feeding like nothing had ever happened to him.  The shot from three weeks before was almost completely healed.  Shot had been too steep an angle and the bullet glanced up the ribs, under the shoulder blade and out in front of the shoulder with a good 30 cal bullet.

The shot I got on him three weeks later was with the 257 Roberts and 117 grain Hornady's.  About 500 yards from where I had hit him the time before.  Stuck one right up his nose as he looked at us.  That did the trick   Was nice to know they heal so quickly with no serious issues.  They are pretty dang tough critters. 

CL took a spring bear in Monroe two years ago.  Medium sized bear with only three legs.  Couldn't tell if he lost it fighting or from an old gun wound.  Bugger was getting it done and a guy would never have known if it was in some tall grass.  I'm not sure CL realized it only had three legs until he rolled it over to field dress.

My biologist friend told me, "Bear are made to fight.  Boars and even sows get torn up all the time and recover with no lasting effects.  Don't ever assume you killed one unless you find it - They're tough bass turds."

One thing for certain, you know without question you gave it your best try.  That's all anyone can hope for and expect.  I hope you can be fortunate enough to have the repeat opportunity I had when I got a second crack at the my escape artist and succeeded.  Good Luck

[D-Rock425]

Back in the baiting days I remember one of my dads buddies shooting a bear with a bow and never recovering it that anothe buddy shooting the same bear weeks later on a different bait 2miles up the road arrow still in it from the first shot.

[jason stevens]

I think your good sled get back out there and fill that permit.we have all lost animals  it happens at least your one of the few that actually puts forth the effort to track wounded game.a lot of people don't have respect for the game thet hunt.

[h20hunter]

You did what you can. Good on you. Now go get one.

[sled]

  Before I Left Today I Hung A Trail cam In Hopes That Maybe He Will Live And Come Back.  If He Does I Will Hunt Him The Rest Of The Season.
  I Think IM Going To Take A Few Days Off And Let The Trail Cam Work To See What I Get.  I Am Quite Confident That There Are Several Bears In The Area, But Righ Now IM Not Sure What IM Going To do.
  I Can't Belive The Weird Dreams I've Had About This.

[xXLojackXx]

Sounds like that bear is still walking around. I've trailed wayyyy heavier blood trails from them for more than 1.5 miles and jumped the same animal the next day and it ran like it had slept all night on a sleep number mattress. Tough critters.

Were you practicing shooting prone at 200? There's a big difference in sitting at a bench and shooting prone uphill at 200 yards. Could have easily pulled a shot enough to miss the vitals. Get back out there and find that bear