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Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: GrampasGuns on May 09, 2015, 10:26:53 AM


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Title: Archery Bear
Post by: GrampasGuns on May 09, 2015, 10:26:53 AM
I'm no bear hunter, but would love to try this fall. Have any members been successful tagging a bear with a bow? Seems like it would be very difficult but it has to have been done before! Any stories out there?
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: saylean on May 09, 2015, 12:08:39 PM
I missed one at 25 yards broadside a few years ago. I thought he was 35 yards, accidentally picked my 40 pin, zoom....right over the shoulder. My brother was right behind me laughing. It can be done, I plan on doing it this fall.
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on May 09, 2015, 04:49:38 PM
my hunting partner got one at 35 last year.  It was his first archery kill.  Came around the corner in his diesel truck and the bear was laying in the gravel road.  He walked up to where it went into the brush and waited five minutes for it to show between some brush.  It didn't run more than 50 yards.
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: Turner89 on May 09, 2015, 05:49:52 PM
I've been within bow range several times. In fact the 3 bears I've shot have all been 40yards  and closer. The closest was 15yards. I'm going to try, and do the same this fall.
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: lokidog on May 09, 2015, 10:31:15 PM
Shot one at ten yards back in the 80's, head on.  He dropped in 11 yards, fortunately the other direction.   :chuckle:
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: ghostshell on May 09, 2015, 10:58:36 PM
arrowed mine last year at 39.8 yards, double lungs in the high country, sep, 12. find a spot to hunt top down in the blue berry fields, thermals are your friend....... be in shape, cant say that enough. 100 plus pounds hurts, pack in lite for the heavy out..... im sure there are many on here that hunt the jungle bears with bows but spot and stalk in the high alpine is some memories.
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: RadSav on May 09, 2015, 11:49:31 PM
We've taken quite a few with the bow. 

When stalking bear it's rather tough.  They pay much more attention to noise than do blacktail, muledeer or elk.  They also rarely stick around and look at what made the noise.  Our best luck is to get in front of them and let them feed past you.  You can get away with some movement but you seldom get away with the wind at your back.

When shot correctly they are absolute whimps, going down in 10 to 15 yards most the time.  When shot poorly they seem like descendants of Superman!  So make sure your broadhead is scary sharp, the angle is right, the front leg is forward and you have the distance nailed.  When aiming - target the opposite shoulder on level ground and the opposite arm pit when shooting steep downhill.  That should get you to the heart. 

Expect a spin, some nasty snarling and your testicles to bang off your skull a few times...it's awesome :tup:
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: tgomez on May 10, 2015, 12:09:19 AM
My recommendation is to use a rifle as bear baiting is illegal in Washington. However if you have the testicular fortitude to ground stock one with archery equiptment, id recommend having a side arm with you just incase. A family friend Tim Potts shot a nice boar with his Matthews Switchback in Rearden,WA a few years ago while we were mule deer hunting. Just remember to be carefull when stalking something with teeth and claws. Good Luck to you and good hunting. :tup:
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: Z_rock01 on May 11, 2015, 04:22:27 PM
I have shot three Bears with a bow now. One at 45 yards, One at 30 Yards and one at 6 Yards.. The Bear at  6 Yards, I was in a tree stand. The other two were Spot and stock. I would agree that Spot and Stock on a bear is A LOT tougher then a lot of people think. 
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: LeviD1 on May 12, 2015, 10:23:33 AM
I have shot one the past 2 years. Both at about 30 yards from a treestand.
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: Machias on May 14, 2015, 08:11:43 AM
I've been lucky enough to take 8 so far, 5 with my bow.  It's the only way I like to hunt them now.  I will say though 4 of the 5 was over bait and one was while I was watching an elk wallow. 
Title: Re: Archery Bear
Post by: CarbonHunter on May 14, 2015, 08:35:09 AM
I got one last year at 26 yards head on. I was calling elk and he came crashing in through the brush and timber from a couple hundred yards out. My eyes got real big when he came into view and I realized he wasn't an elk. Lucky for me he stopped at 26 yards straight up hill from me when he realized I wasn't an elk either. One thing I learned was that a bear that is looking for a meal sees an archery hunter in full draw as a small enough target that they won't turn and walk away giving you that broad side shot you are looking for. After a few minutes of the standoff I figured I should try for the head on shot. Lucky for me I was able to sneak the arrow into a 2" target area and get a lung.

By luck I stumbled onto my first pope and young entry after 22 years of hunting. It was definently something I will never forget.
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