Lost my 1st bear

[klikboom]

The first two weekend have been eventful at least, I've seen 2 bears. I found one in deep brush from 4'-8' tall in a clearcut. I was looking down into the clearcut from another ridge. He was moving quite a bit but totally hidden in the brush. I moved to a good rest on a rotten stump. My buddy ranged me at ~100yards, now i was just scoping moving bushes. There was a single hole in the brush, a large downed log, the bear stuck it's head up through the hole I put the crosshairs behind the ears and squeezed. It went down, then went on a terror through the brush I could hear it breaking sticks for what seemed like a LONG time.
 
About 20minutes later I arrived at the spot where I shot it, identified blood a few feet from where I shot it. There was no spray exit would. Spent 3 hours tracking smears and drops with headlamps into rabbit holes, hands and knees. We only moved ~150 yards in three hours down the valley when we backed out at dark. It was so thick, I was counting on a spine hit but it didn't happen. Tracking was mind-boggling, there would be obvious trails but the real path the bear took (as told by blood droplets) would be through unbroken branches of such thickness that I'm certain laws of physics were disproved.

I'm definitely left with a sick feeling, and I replay the sight picture over and again. I think I should've waited for a vital shot and risked not taking a shot. I think I was over anxious for my first bear. I'm not qualified to say whether the bear lived or died, I imagine it would be a muscular wound but still a good chance it died/is dying.

Anyone have knowledge on deciphering severity of injury based on blood? It was a trail on the move, no rest spots. Spotting (small drops) / smearing every 2 feet-ish.

For my education, if you know the wound is not mortal, do you continue tracking? I assume you would just keep pushing the bear farther away before you'd ever get a shot (in deep brush).

Shooting 150gr, .308, Fusion.

[MuleySniper]

Id be back out there now still looking

[sebek556]

small drops or smear every two feet for 150 yards.. hmm could have gotten a good sized vein, I'd be back out there looking. differnet areas bleed more than others, from where your cross hairs were you could of pulled into the neck and nicked a artery of large vein, in this case it will take a little time but it will bleed out.

[dreamunelk]

Keep looking!  That is the problem when taking low percentage shots.  I do have to give you credit for admitting it.  Unfortunately two many so called hunters keep taking low percentage shots and make us look bad.  I would say add it to the hard lessons learned list and do not repeat. 

[shedcrazy]

Did you mark where you were when you backed out? Start from there (the next morning) And keep on it. Sounds like you were trailing him fairly well, hope you find it.

[Goldeneye]

Go look for that bear.  If you hit an animal you owe it to the animal to do everything possible to recover that animal. 

[Kola16]

Sometimes you can get permission to bring a dog out on a search to find it; if you have a hunting dog or you have a buddy that does. Keep looking. Then look some more

[grizzlyadams]

Id be back out there now still looking

                                     

Definately the ethical thing to do is to be back out the next day tracking. (actually the ethical thing do do is not take the shot unless you have a clear kill shot) If the brush is as thick as you say, definately with a sidearm or shotgun. Stumbling onto a angry wounded bear in the thick of it can be dangerous. Bring someone along!

As far as ammunition, 150 grain in a .308 seems ok for deer to me but I use 180 grain for bear. 150 seems a little light. Especially if you encounter a bear that is 350 lbs or more. Just my 

Not trying to scold you but it seems to me you should have passed on that situation. Hope you find it. Stay safe!!

[boneaddict]

So, how did you know it didn't have cubs before you shot?

THey can go a long ways on a mortal hit, let alone a not so mortal hit.   Get back out there.  Learn the lesson. 

You could also be putting some unsuspecting persons life in danger if indeed you have wounded it and not killed it. 

[dirty24d]

you got a set of stones for posting this up here to be criticized on. I can  admire and respect that. How ever i would seriously scour the area at least a couple more times. Perfect example of why i passed on my headshot last year. Good luck and be careful

[grizzlyadams]

So, how did you know it didn't have cubs before you shot?

THey can go a long ways on a mortal hit, let alone a not so mortal hit.   Get back out there.  Learn the lesson. 

You could also be putting some unsuspecting persons life in danger if indeed you have wounded it and not killed it.

 

Good point bone

[rasbo]

get somebody thats not afraid to go with you...get on your hands and knees and grid the area from the last sign..one of the problems I have found with taking guys bear hunting is the greater percentage of them are afraid of them,thus when it comes time to tracking or trailing the nads go away...not saying thats the case,but most times it is from what Ive seen....as a hunter you owe it all to the animal and your self to try your best..Sometimes shat happens,but this is a perfect example of what not to do ..so just ask yourself have you exhausted all your efforts to find him:{

[h20hunter]

You are in the middle of what I try and question every time I go out. Still looking for my first bear and try and keep everything in mind when I load a shell and begin hunting. Where will a bear go if I shoot? Can I get a bear out of here? What am I going to do if I see a huge sow (that is part of my "you will not kill it" pep talk)? Can I shoot from here to there? What is my max shot range from this vantage point?

Really...to me it sounds like you made a rush judgement on the shot. Easy to understand for me. Now, however, you have to deal with it. Go find the bear. Look for the bear until you have exhausted yourself and the area. Don't give up after one day and go hunt another one. Think of it as your one shot.....you took it...now you have the real work to do.

Good luck and I hope you find it. If not, well, sorry your first shot ended the way it did. Just keep at until you can honestly say you've done everything possible to recover the bear.

[klikboom]

I watched the bruin for a good fifteen minutes through the brush, getting glimpses, never saw any cubs. I was looking from above the clearcut so I think I would've noted different locations moving in the brush.

Yes I've  put myself out there to be e-judged by all of you. I'm not too concerned about face but hearing your responses is a good chance for me to learn, and I'm  trying to learn as much as possible. I've exemplified a danger of teaching oneself how to hunt is that lessons have to be learned the hard way and not merely imparted.

I'm at work and this was a 1.5hr away drive then 4 miles uphill on a bicycle in so it's safe to say it is lost at this point.  As far as calling off the search we both have never killed a bear and we stopped at night when we were crawling with headlamps. I wanted to get my dog the next day but that is illegal. We stopped at the edge of third growth that was even thicker than the brush we were in.

I'm shooting 150gr because that is what a very successful hunter said I should use and because it performs comparable to the 147gr I practice with. I'll give 165gr a try. This is the first time in 4 years of going after bears I've been in a position to pull the trigger. Two years ago i passed on a head shot that afterward I felt like I should've taken now I'm glad I didn't.

[Woodchuck]

That's a rough one sir for sure. Good for you for trying to learn from your mistake. The crowd here can be a little tough but at the same time, all have some very valid points. Those points are made because at some point we have all made mistakes of some magnitude or another. That said do us all a favor and notch the tag. Now you know a little more when the next oppurtunity arises.