LOST A BEAR

[Tiger1358]

Decided to do an evening hunt after work, parked at the gate around 5:30 and started the hike (decided to not take my bike today)
Right after sunset, decided to slowly head back to the car, which would take me about 45 mins or so. Right before going back decided to glass the hill side berry patches then head back and baaaam... I hear a bear feeding right below me, about 30-40 yards down.

I stood in the middle of the logging road on top of the hill, took out the call and starting making fawn bleats so he can show himself, otherwise there was no way to get close to him. Heard absolutely nothing for 5-8 mins.
Outta nowhere, I see a bear about 130 yards away from at the end of the logging road. He sees me and starts moving towards the edge of the hill and I had about 2-3 seconds. Although all of my animals were harvested with free hand shots, but I try avoid making dirty shots if the situation allows, but this time the adrenaline kicked in and I just thought I'd miss him if I get down to take a prone position to shoot.
I just aim and pull the trigger, making a free hand shot. Bear jumps in the air, starts rolling for a few seconds, gets up having a hard time running, falls and rolls for a second or two, then then disappears in blackberry bushes, in a nasty nasty place. 
The reason I didn't make a second shot is because I initially thought he was pretty much done before he got up and disappeared.
I waited a little, then went towards the bushes. I heard constant "breaking and smashing" noises from the same exact spot about 30 yards below me. NO DEATH MOANS, NO BLOOD TRAIL. after about 15 minutes the noises stopped. I went down there thinking he was just dying, but when I got there, I still heard him moving about 10-15 yards away from me, but so overgrown i can't see him. Finally it got so dark that i barely managed to get out of that nasty spot.
Worst feeling ever...last time i lost a wounded animal was over 8 years ago and feeling the same again really sucks. I think I just made a non-vital shot.   

Anyone had similar experience??? Is it even worth going back to check the place. I feel like it was just a dirty shot and he'll live.

[redi]

You should at least go back and look for him in the morning. good luck and let us know how it urns out.

[Eric M]

You owe it to yourself and the animal to go back and look. My 

[JakeLand]

You owe it to yourself and the animal to go back and look. My 

[Jonathan_S]

I don't like being this guy but here is my take:

Carry a headlamp, getting dark is not a reason to give up
Dont be afraid of getting cut up by blackberries
Bear is going to die, find it and give it some honor

[Skyvalhunter]

Calling it a dirty shot leads me to think you weren't confident in the shot in the first place. As was mentioned you do owe it to the animal to do a thorough search.

[Jason]

I don't like being this guy but here is my take:

Carry a headlamp, getting dark is not a reason to give up
Dont be afraid of getting cut up by blackberries
Bear is going to die, find it and give it some honor

[jasnt]

I would agree.  Night time is the best time for butchering. No bees and much cooler. He’s still there dead and waiting to be packed out

[dilleytech]

That bear was likely dead by the time you left if he was rolling around it’s probably not going to live. There was a blood trail but you didn’t see it. And our last 5 bears not one made the “death moan” I have heard of. But by now the meat is surely probably spoiled.

[boneaddict]

I guess now you know you shouldn’t have rushed a shot, especially right at dark with no headlamp. How do you know it wasn’t a sow with cubs before you pulled the trigger?   I hope it was worth it.

[trophyhunt]

I don't like being this guy but here is my take:

Carry a headlamp, getting dark is not a reason to give up
Dont be afraid of getting cut up by blackberries
Bear is going to die, find it and give it some honor

  I'm sure the meat is gone now, but maybe get the head out with the tag?  I hope guys don't beat you up too badly, you made a decision and it could just as easily turned out great.  It's hunting, sometimes we don't have time to think! I have made the right decision 100% of the time when I had time to look back on my decision.  If this post goes to crap, I just wouldn't say it on the net next time. 

[Letmwork]

Not trying to shame anyone, however,  the context of your story leads me to believe that a little more effort would have resulted in a success post.

[pianoman9701]

Go back and find him. Carry a sidearm and just do it.

[ctwiggs1]

If you were within 15 yards of him after the shot, that bear is dead.

Go find him today.  He's right where you left him. 

Bring a flashlight and everything you need to be out all night next time.  That'll help prevent you from needing to come back when it gets late and you're trying to find a wounded animal.

All that said... Learn from this and become a better hunter.  We've all been in nasty situations and we all had to learn from them.

[tinsleystyle]

lost vs you walking away are different, if you could hear it when you walked away, you knew where it was when you left. Go back and canvas that hillside, we have made bad shots and will sit on an animal as long as we can hear them. Sometimes they bed down for the night and you might get lucky and the meat is still good. If not, put your tag on it and pack it out. a bad choice doesn't justify waste. Go slow with the attitude it may have bedded down for a long time before dying. If you need to, use gps tracks or flagging to grid the area out top to bottom. Bring binoculars.