Bear tracking help

[Pac_NW]

Well, I was able to find my first bear with my Sherman spring tag. A nice cinnamon phase walking towards me about 50 yards away. He left a 400 yard blood trail, and it vanished. 

I was wondering if anyone has experience, availability, or know a houndsman that may be able to help find where it is.

I do feel confident that it is dead, because my hunting partner and I heard the death moan.  I'm going to be on the mountain searching tomorrow,  but I'm welcome to any ideas. Would be a bummer to lose the first bear!

[Dan-o]

Good luck!

Don't give up.   You can find it.

[elkrack]

Best of luck Finding the bear. When you feel you have looked enough look some more

[elkoholic1]

PERSSISTANCE AND PATIENCE     

If you heard the death moan its probably dead, get GPS start grid searching area back and forth they like to get into the thick &%it when hurt...

[dune]

They look a lot smaller  o n the ground. If he is hit well  head down  and to water. Do a grind  pattern  search. Hope  you find him.

[trophyhunt]

Don't give up, look in the smallest holes, under fallen trees, that bear is dead.

[h20hunter]

If you are searching and see a dark nasty thorny hell hole of a nook.....go there.

[Woodchuck]

  You would be amazed and how small of a nasty hole they can tuck themselves in to.

[HillHound]

If you heard the Moan he is definitely dead in there somewhere.  I did shoot a bear ones that left a blood trail for several hundred yards before it stopped. But he never moaned.  I caught up with that same bear a week later and got him that time. The week before I had shot him across the bridge of the nose which explain the wide blood trail as he swung his head from side to side running away. I had never seen so much blood from a wound that did not lead to a dead animal.

[HikerHunter]

Agreed, if you heard the moan, keep looking! But don't cut your search area out too short. That moan can be loud and travel a ways. I had one that we heard moan and found it 1/3 of a mile away.

[Seabass]

As everyone else has said,"if you hear the moan, he's dead." I can't prove this but I believe bears will actually seek out a place to hide/die. Deer and elk seem to be more likely to run until they die or run until they can't run anymore but they don't seem to look for "strategic" places to die or hold up like a bear will. I would be looking for places that the bear can conceal himself...might not even be a "nasty" place but still hidden.

[Pac_NW]

Agreed, if you heard the moan, keep looking! But don't cut your search area out too short. That moan can be loud and travel a ways. I had one that we heard moan and found it 1/3 of a mile away.

Good to know,  this blood trail ended after a quarter mile. Still up here searching.

On the bright side I was able to see a show with two cubs.

[mountainman]

I've actually walked over them dead as they wiggled down into layers of brush, vine maple etc

[carpsniperg2]

For sure like others said, if you heard the bear death moan. It is dead some place not to far off. If you can get down wind of the area you think the bear is dead your nose can walk you to it. They have a smell to them. Go slow take your time.

[Rainier10]

Keep at it. Hopefully you get a pm from a houndsman that wants to take their dogs for a walk. 

Wishing you the best of luck.