I went bear hunting with my brother yesterday, we were both using bows. We hike up some god aweful spot (gorgeous area, just farther than I like to hike in) and hunt here and there.
I call for about an hour in an area with blue berries, fresh sign and literally smelled like bear...no luck. See pic below.
We decide its getting hot so we hit the shade/take off the boots and nap for a bit (over an hour). Bout 2 o clock we decided we'd get up at 2:30 and walk some more to over look some meadows.
As we're chatting, thats when X-force (my bro) hears some movement just up from us...he gets up slowly and sees a bear not more than 20 yards walking right towards us. Its a boar, about 150-170lbs, mouth opening looking like he's thirsty.
All of our boots are off, gear scattered everywhere...the bear moves into the brush never noticing us.
X-force is keeping an eye on the bear as it skirts us in the brush, never really going any farther than 30 yards or so. I am telling X-force to get his bow ready (again, releases and bows are still on the ground, but I am slipping mine on quickly). I wanted to get X-force on the bear, cause he is headed back to college this weekend (he could have killed several this year with a rifle, but we're now both wanting a bear with bow). The bear is now just in the brush right by me. I begin to walk down and parrellel from the bear where I think he might be headed, but instead of heading up, he decides to come strolling right in front of us.
Now, I can see the bear in the brush, getting ready to pop out into the open. I finally had gathered up my bow and quickly thrown on my release, knocked an arrow...but then somehow I bump the arrow off the knock, so I reattach. Here is a pic of the brush the bear was skirting.
By this time, the bear is within seconds of popping out, I pull back, bear comes out, broadside, I estimated 35 yards (no time to shoot with range finders) I put it between the third fourth pin right behind the shoulder...you couldnt ask for a more perfect shot situation.
ZING!
Clean over his back and cuts a sapling in half. The bear bounds across the opening and sits on his butt looking around sniffing with his head/'chest sticking out. (In retrospect, I had bear fever, or at least thats my excuse. I accidently put the 40/50 pins on the bear, instead of what I thought would have been the 30/40 pins). I can live with a clean miss. Check out the flat head Montec.....
We range found it afterwards....24.5 yards...I wont hear the end of this anytime soon.
X-force was drawn back by now, so I start to blow on the predator call to try to coax him out...no luck. X-force decides not to attempt a poor shot on the bear (again only the head and some of the chest was showing) and the bear heads out after a bit.
All we could do is laugh at each other. I said I missed on purpose cause I didnt want to have to pack it out the 10 miles we were in.
It was a great day and a very long hike (for me anyway). Nearer to dusk, we were blessed with some over cast which dropped the temp dramtically and the bears popped out along a basin we were watching.
Bear in the center pic, about 800 yards away.
We saw three, missed one and had some great memories.
My first bear miss ever!
