Bear Down

[saylean]

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

[medic6]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[Machias]

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]

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]

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]

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]

ouch

[Navyhunter]

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]

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]

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]

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