First Bear - First Archery Animal (long)

[toxic111]

Finally, after bowhunting off & on for 10 years I finally took my first big game animal.

Here’s the story:

We have been hunting the bait sites since the beginning of May, usually hunting twice a week. The first night on stand the first bear I saw was a small to medium sized cinnimon coloured bear. I didn’t know how to jdge bears that well, since is actually my first year hunting them. That night I had 8 different bear come into the stand, but nothing I would call big.

On the Victoria Day holiday I was sitting in the stand, and had 12 bears come in, one that I figured was a nice size (it was at least as high as a 45gal drum) I had took the shot when it was presented, but hit too far forward, and got the shoulder. We tracked teh bear as best as we could with no blood sign, or nothing much else to go on. The next time we sat in that stand we had no bear show up at all.

It does seem like my hutning partner was bad luck, everytime he sat at his bait, or sat at my bait (usually we hunted that one together if we sat at it) and would see only a bear or 2. If I sat there alone I generally saw at least 4, or more, but nothing was as good as the one I hit and lost.

Other commitments were coming up, so I decided on Saturday that the first bear to have a decent coat that came in I would take. I got in the stand around 6:15 after chasing a bear out of the bait site. About 15 minutes later I had a very small bear come in (last years cub I would guess). He hang around the bait for ahalf hour or so. I saw a larger bear start coming in, but for some reason the little bear spooked it away, and I never got a really good look at it.

A little further on in the evening, I saw a couple more bears come in, again fairly small bears, and nothing with a good coat. About 8:45 I was starting to get antsy, as I had not seen anyting for about an hour or so, when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. It was the cinninmon that I saw on the first day. It was moving toward my stand, her eyes right on me. I expected her to bolt at any moment. But she turned and stared back the way she came. I drew back, and when at full draw I noticed the arrow was still to the side of the rest. I let down and renocked, luckily the bear hadn’t left yet. I drew back again, and when she was quartering away I triggered the release. The arrow dissapeared behind the front shoulder, giving me a complete pass through. I watched the path of the bear as she bolted from the shot, she bounced of a tree and collapsed no more than 20 yrds away under a pine tree.

I waited about 45 minutes for the area to clear of other bear before climbing down the tree to have a look. After a quick look I headed off to meet my hunting partner at the trail end. Once he arrived at dark, we retrieved the bear and took our photos.

It is not a large bear by any means, in fact a little smaller than we thought, though it has a big head, I will probably have a score in a couple weeks or so. Right now the bear is at the taxidermist getting a life sized wall hung mount.

Lots of thanks to my hunting partner Dan for hte use of his quad, and for setting up the baits.

Bow: Forge Praire Fire XL
Arrow: Gold Tip 5575
Fletching: Duravane 3D 3”
Broadheads: 85grain Thunderhead fixed blades.

[captain2k_ca]

'Bout time ya getted sumtin wit dat der pointy stick thingey!!


Congrats on a really nice little bear. Love the color

So what was the quote from the stuffer guy??

[toxic111]

The mount will be somewhere between $1000 & $1500.. depending on final outcomes..

BTW the green score on the skull is 16" B&C not bad for a little bear.

[gd357]

Congrats man! Anything taken with archery equipment is a trophy, and one you've spent more than enough time to earn. A big thumbs up! Hopefully the first of many for you.

gd

[Drew_CarreyAB]

Jen wants to know what a life sized wall hung mount looks like..........Me I say congrats on a nice bear(which is bigger than mine and darker too LOL) Now to get you a deer/moose/antelope with your bow *G* Congrats again, Brad.

[toxic111]

Drew, see Link for what I am doing with the mount

[Drew_CarreyAB]

Way cool looking mount.......Is it going to be that style or something similar????

[toxic111]

Going to be pretty close to that mount.. at least I hope so at the end... we will see I guess.. I still have to find a log as well.. or fork out $200 + shipping for the one in the pic