Black Bear from Ground Blind

[ogopogoman]

Well I'll be hunting Black Bear from a  ground blind at aorund 15 yards in about two weeks!! Could be potentially dangerous but should go without insident. at least...that's what I'm telling my wife!.LOL
 I'll be hunting with a 1967 Fred bear Tigercat Recurve @ 53# and a 1948 York Lemonwood Longbow @ 50 #.
 I'll post some picture when the time is right!

[Donavan Daniel]

Ogopogoman, I use to guide bear hunters. The outfitter I worked for use to catch bear cubs for zoos.

He use to just chase the sow far enough away, that he could cut down the tree and catch the cubs. Not something I'd recommend LOL, but he did it for many years with no incedent.

His son would also sit at a bait with a camera, and film the bears (sitting on the ground). He had bears walk right up to him and lick his boots.

Obviously, they had no fear of bears and knew the signs to look for in an agressive bear. They definatly have more courage then I.

I'm sure that you will be just fine on the ground. And what stories you will have!

Can't wait to see your pics when you get back    ! Good luck!

Cheers,
Donavan

[VinnieB]

check out livehunt.com and look at the another year on the ground videos. they shoot quite a few blackbears out of a ground blind without anything serious happening.

[capt eddie]

I did it this year.  After shooting my bear, while waiting for the guide to pick us up we had three more bear come to the bait and it was very hard to scare them away from us.  After we saw how hard it was to scare the first one away.  We both stood up and kept talking and trying to scare the bear away as soon as we saw them.  It made no differance to them. I had my uncle to video.  No gun back up.  We did carry bear spray. They were not aggressive toward us, they did not care.  In camp that week three other hunters killed their bear while being agressive to them at the bait.  The owner said he has never had bear that brave or agressive.

[ogopogoman]

I had two around three seasons ago, poppin jaws at each other as we were walking in to the stand. I didn't feel too comfortable at all.
 Black bears here, are a problem and can be notoriously territorial. As the spring bear hunt has been gone for a long time and their numbers increase, and they need their own space to inhabit.
 with the Blacks being so Nomadic, we are seeing them absolutly everywhere, and many have been shott due to aggresion this year already in residential towns and resorts.
 It seems they are even MORE Nomadic now, trying to find a spot where no other competetor in already inhabiting.
 I treat a Bear that does not respond to me, or my presence when I make it known as Potentially Aggressive.

[Mark Smeltzer]

Here is a smaller 200lb bear I did a spot and stalk on. Ten yard shot with my selfbow.
Mark
 
 

[John D]

Ogopogoman,

Your certainly no stranger, to Black bears from what I read in your post. The only ones that get me a little nervous is a sow with cubs.

I've see them fight a boar twice their size and kick his ars, it sounds like you will do just fine.

I hunted many times in Quebec, this year the bears were very bold. I shot this one at 11 yards
on the ground, with the LDB
 

This one I shot at 6-7 yards on the ground, in 2005.  

I will be hunting Alaska, next June for Black Bear, on the ground, Lord I'm hoping for a 15-20 yard shot.

Good Luck to You and Be Safe
John

[Octavian]

Nice bear. I like the bow too.

[ogopogoman]

awesome pictures guys!!!! gives me great hope to be amoung you in the ground blind club!

[Rusty Izatt]

Ok, it's October 9th. Where are the pictures and story. Hope the bears did not get the opopogoman!    

Rusty

[jrchambers]

ive noticed every bear ive baited was curios but very mindfull.  as soon as they realize that there realy is another living thing looking back at them 10 yards away they freak out and take the nearest exit. almost the same reaction as if they had been stuck with out the groaning

[Doug Deese]

I have some experience hunting bears and handling nuisance bears.  I would say that it is O.K. to hunt Black bears on the ground.  Im not saying that is safe because theres nothing safe about bowhuntings bears anyway!  Black bears will rarely get close enough to make physical  contact with you (even sows with cubs).  They may get very close, whoof, Huff, Slap the ground, snap jaws, bite trees, bluff charge.    I always carry a large caliber handgun here in Alaska while hunting anything because no matter what your hunting you better be prepared to deal with a Grizz/Brownbear!  Brown bears hit black bear bait sites alot.  If you are going to bowhunt black bears from the ground over bait  in AK you better have your S*!T together!  Its possible but you better have your hero boots on and be prepared to do the right thing when 500-1000 lbs of hate shows up with cubs of the year.  It will be spectacular!!  I dont recomend doing it in Alaska without a backup with a rifle or you with a handgun worthy of the cause.  If your using a guide you will be fine(AK bear guides are rock solid and always prepared for the worst).  Good Luck!  AKbearb8