Author Topic: Bear Down (Read 6036 times)

Navyhunter · « **on:** October 12, 2009, 07:20:25 PM »

Okay, here's the story, now that I'm calmed a bit:
I was on my way home from the Cowlitz after a morning of catching absolutely nothing. I was talking to my wife on the phone and she screams "A bear!!!" I told her to shoot it but it was too far back in the field and had just walked into the timber. I get home about 10 minutes later and run out and try calling it to turn it around. Well, my dog came to check me out, but no bear.
We were prepping to head back down to the river for the evening bite and she walks by the living room window. "Is that the bear?" Yep, sure was. I nice 5'10" (ish) jet black bear. I grabbed my 300 out of the safe and put the dog in the house. Made it to within 150 yards and had nothing else to hide behind. I torched one off and he fell and then got up and ran. I saw him one more time before he hit the timber, he was movin' pretty quick.
I've been under the impression that bears don't bleed a whole lot, but this one sure bled to beat hell. There was blood EVERYWHERE. I got it all over my pants (up to my lower thigh) just from tracking him through the brush. About every 3-5 feet there was a circle of blood about 6" in diameter. Dark red blood. I'm thinking I hit him in the lung/heart area but missed the vitals. Thoughts?

Rain is in the forcast. I hate leaving an animal overnight.......

TheHunt · « **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2009, 07:22:44 PM »

It is going to be cold. So you should be fine.

Navyhunter · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2009, 07:25:19 PM »

Ok, should be cold enough, but if it rains, I'm basically screwed. I know the last spot that I saw blood, but....dogs aren't legal to track an animal, even if it's dead....this is going to bother me all night.

saylean · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:04:53 PM »

Let it rest over night. No need going into the brush after a wounded bear (possibly dead) at night.

I have recovered several bears leaving them overnight. Just mark you last blood spot, pray for no rain and if there is rain, do circles around where you saw it last. Look in all the little nooks and crannys, they can hide really well.

Also, pay attention to your nose. Smell that blood on your pants...remember the smell, it can help find that bear. There has been twice I have smelled the bear before I have found it.

Good luck!

markts · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:10:30 PM »

Nothing wrong with walking your dog

Mark

Navyhunter · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:11:28 PM »

Thanks Saylean. I know the bear smell, have smelled it many times myself. The smell and the moan is something that you never forget.

I just HATE leaving them overnight. My dad's coming over tomorrow to help me look for it, so at least I'll have another set of eyes. Same thing happened with my dads bear this year, he hit it hard at 150 yds and then I shot it at 5' with my colt 45 and the sumbeach ran off...they're tough buggers.
Thanks for the insight. Will post if I find it or not. Plan on spending from 2:00 tomorrow until dark looking for it.

carpsniperg2 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:13:03 PM »

you can take your dog for a walk on a leash and there is nothing not legal about that it says it in the regs to my reading hope it don't rain and it could also be liver blood being that dark thought i had heart on a few animals and it turned out to be liver blood good luck bud hope to see pics tomarrow

Navyhunter · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:13:10 PM »

My "dog" is dumber than a box of $hit...it came in when I was calling for the bear and gave me a "oh, hey there!" look as she trotted past in the opposite direction. Walking someone elses dog'd do the trick though.

Kidding...I'm kidding.

Navyhunter · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:13:45 PM »

Liver...didn't think of that. Thanks!

saylean · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:19:58 PM »

I hit one a few years ago in the heart, (exploded the heart)...dang thing still ran about 20 yards or so into the brush. Took two of us 3 hours to find it, smelled it first..this is what we found it in...had to cut the brush away to even get to it.

You'll get it.

BENCHLEG · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:21:14 PM »

what time did you shoot. i would go look tonight. dark and wounded bear now thats adventure. good luck. J

Navyhunter · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:22:54 PM »

That's about the type of brush I'm dealing with....it's not going to be pretty tomorrow.
BENCHLEG: Adventure, yes...I've had enough adventure for one day though. Wanna come over? You can go trapse around in chest high brush if you want!

Navyhunter · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:23:31 PM »

Oh, I shot about 1/2 hour before dark. 75 yds from my back porch...

Machias · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2009, 09:01:18 PM »

You'll find it in the morning, congrats!! It's gonna be a loooong night huh.

Navyhunter · « **Reply #14 on:** October 13, 2009, 02:46:38 PM »

It rained....we can't find it. Came in for a break. Going out in a bit with my GPS and starting a grid.....this sucks.

saylean · « **Reply #15 on:** October 13, 2009, 02:50:03 PM »

Dont lose faith. Keep at it. Look for tore up ground, busted sticks, flipped over moss, etc...

medic6 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 13, 2009, 02:53:38 PM »

listen and watch the birds, they will often locate it for you. Be extremely thourough so you don't have to search the same area twice.

Navyhunter · « **Reply #17 on:** October 13, 2009, 07:11:18 PM »

As much blood as there was last night, if he kept bleeding that way, he's dead. It rained this morning and part of the afternoon, washed away everything that I saw yesterday so my dad, father in law and myself were working it blind. No sign at all, nothing, not that any of us could see. I'm not a retard when it comes to hunting, been at it 18 years, my dad for about 50....We busted brush for a total of 7 hours today, on a 60 acre ranch. We couldn't find any hair on the fence surrounding the place so we kept hitting the brush hoping to find it in a hole or lodged in some vine maple. Nothing. I soaked clean through two sets of close, cut my face and hands on stickers, got stuck in the eye by a branch, LOST MY GPS.....this guy just didn't want to be found.
You guys ever lose an animal? I know it happens, but it's never happened to me...this really sucks. I feel bad for the bear, he won't get to fulfill what he was meant to do, what I had planned for him.
What do you think? Two days without being gutted.....do I let it go? Do I keep looking and salvage what I can if I find it? A little help here would be great because I feel like $hit.

Aaron

Wea300mag · « **Reply #18 on:** October 13, 2009, 07:29:47 PM »

That sucks Navy, the meat will be spoiled, not sure about the hide, I've never left one out that long. If it was me and I had the time, I would put in another day.

yelp · « **Reply #19 on:** October 13, 2009, 07:37:41 PM »

Its been cool...keep at it..you still may recover it...there is always a skull mount...sorry for the luck man. You will feel better if you find it.

markts · « **Reply #20 on:** October 13, 2009, 07:48:18 PM »

Hydrogen Peroxide works even after a rain, not sure how much rain you had.

Mark

Machias · « **Reply #21 on:** October 13, 2009, 07:52:26 PM »

I would notch your tag and keep looking, you can still recover the claws and skull which make great trophies. Sorry to hear that, I hope you find him. One thing they can really be hard to find even in little depressions in the ground. I shot one with my bow a few years ago and the blood trail ended and I was scanning around and couldn't see it, even though it was only 10 yards away in a shallow depression.

saylean · « **Reply #22 on:** October 13, 2009, 08:27:52 PM »

If able, I would look some more tomorrow if you had the time. Get some rest, food, and start again. Worth a shot. Sucks not to find it man.

carpsniperg2 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 13, 2009, 08:35:45 PM »

sorry i had high hopes of loging in and seein some pics with the rain and time i would say no to the meat but the skull will still be good and the hide maybe ,sorry its a bad feeling to feel but at least you feel that way there are some people who just don't care it shows all of us you are a resposible hunter good look to you.

Navyhunter · « **Reply #24 on:** October 13, 2009, 08:58:39 PM »

Thanks for the insight, Fellas. My boss cut me loose at 8:30 this morning and then I drove the two hours home. Tomorrow I'll get off at 1:00 and will start in on him around 4:00. There's one area that I didn't check, I doubt he's in there, but it's worth a look. We covered darn near every inch of that stinkin' brushy reprod....ALL hope is not lost yet.

Dirty Mike · « **Reply #25 on:** October 13, 2009, 09:15:16 PM »

Navyhunter · « **Reply #26 on:** October 14, 2009, 06:35:58 PM »

Went out again tonight. No luck. Punching the tag and calling it quits on this one. If I see/hear raves or crows I'll head out again in that direction. I feel like I've done all I can as of this moment.
Thanks again, everyone, for all the support and assistance.

Aaron

Machias · « **Reply #27 on:** October 14, 2009, 06:41:38 PM »

Sure sorry to hear that for you Aaron. You did a good job trying to recover him. Keep your chin up. I have a couple of animals that still haunt my sleep. Now you have one to.

D-Rock425 · « **Reply #28 on:** October 14, 2009, 07:09:25 PM »

I lost a 3pt years ago first deer I ever shot. looked for days never found him. Then a buddy found him while grouse hunting about a month later dead in the creek. We tracked that deer for over 2 miles and he was found 1/2 mile from are last blood

littlebuf · « **Reply #29 on:** October 14, 2009, 08:14:48 PM »

i lost a bear last year, first animal ive ever lost. it happens but it doesn't make it easy to swallow. the crap part about the bear i lost was i knew where he was but i couldn't get to him, dang thing went 200 yards and fell down into a ravine. would a took a helicopter but i still tried for 9 hours to get to him

TEX-X · « **Reply #30 on:** October 15, 2009, 07:25:02 AM »

i wish that i lived closer....you could have walked my dog for me... to bad man always willing to help out a fellow squid

AKBowman · « **Reply #31 on:** October 20, 2009, 06:25:20 PM »

I hope people dont take this the wrong way but don't sweat it and go out and kill another one. You put in your due diligence. Theres getting to be more bears in WA than elk or deer. I think they should raise the quota to 3 or 4.

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Author Topic: Bear Down (Read 6036 times)

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