Bear shots

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Black bears are thin skinned nd thin ribbed. The shoulder blade is heavy compared to a deer. Bears have relatively small lung capacity and die quickly to chest shots compared to deer type animals. Been on plenty of bear blood trails and have never had an issue finding bears shot with big broadheads. A bear is built like a 200 lb coon.

I like to get them quartering away and shoot to hit offside front leg, just like you would a deer. Often this would lead to shooting the bear in the middle...its all about angles.

Also I'd look into what TSA wants for travelling with a kid that isn't yours.  You may need some documentation with copy of birth cert. Etc.  Also...if you ever had a DUI you will have problems with entry to Canada.

Best of luck!  Spring bears are a blast!

R

[Wudstix]

Looks like you shoot them similar to a hog, @1/3 up and tight to the front leg, with leg forward. 

[Bowguy67]

Think the point of all this is that a bears vitals are back a bit further than what we are all used to.  If you hit the crease you may miss everything.  Nobody is advocating to gut shoot a bear. When crossing the border i have had better luck crossing at some of the smaller ports of entry.  And don't be a smartass or a comedian.  Know the name of the outfitter and where your going.  Take your sunglasses off.  Don't try and sneak stuff across.  Your allowed a case of beer  a fifth of whiskey and a role of copenhagen.  Anything more than that you have to declare.  If you plan on taking food items do the research many items are prohibited.  Good luck and have fun.  I love bear hunting.

Why do you say they are back further? Look to the posted anatomy. In case you missed it.

[Bowguy67]

Here’s another. This is from an older book on trailing but it’s still good info. Look at how many bears were taken in this thread alone up front.

[Bowguy67]

Now I believe you can be further than inches from the shoulder but not real far back. Keep your shots fwd guys

[Bowguy67]

One more thing fellas. It’s regarding height. Im sure the majority understand this but we don’t know who is reading that maybe isn’t as famaliar. In my hunter ed classes I teach the vitals of any animal are sorta suspended in a sense like in the middle of a barrel. When discussing height if we were on the ground, very low, or the bear was out a bit the height could be midway up. As the angle changes as in the bear being extremely close and we’re up say 18’ a shot mid body height wise could miss lots of vitals. We might hit say only one lung. We want to adjust for that. If the bear was quartering hard just as on a deer we aim slightly back of where we want the arrow center punching.
The big difference here is bears sometimes give better and more shooting opportunities, (by no means always) so it’s easy to wait. If the shot on any animal isn’t there we don’t wanna push it.

[KSdan]

I think these artist's rendition of the actual anatomy are poor- or at least misleading to me.  The autopsies we looked at on bears is much more to reality of both images posted by Brushwolf and Beeman.   Brushwolf's is excellent in my opinion.

Assuming a broadside bear (obviously modifying for a quarter away)- I put a large "cross-hair" on the bear body mass from front of the chest to the rear. ( I do not include the neck in that mass).  The vertical is half way from front to back.  The horizontal is mid way up belly-line to back (It is really easy to envision this on a live bear for me- easy to pick a spot too because of it).  From a 8-12' high treestand at 10-15 yds I put the arrow on the horizontal "crosshair" and just 3-4 inches in front of the vertical "crosshair."  That center punches the lungs and major heart arteries.

As to how this looks- it really does look different for me than shooting a deer.  For a broadside deer I actually follow up the back side of the leg and put the arrow 2-3" above the "elbow"- which centers the vitals on a whitetail.

My 2C  ( Still love to see Ryan to weigh in)
Dan in KS           

[Bowguy67]

Isn’t an autopsy done on an already dead bear?? If you take the air out of your tire does it sit exactly where it did inflated? Course not. When things die things change. Best actual pic would be a medical type scan of where vitals sit when alive.

[BrushWolf]

When I first went black bear hunting I asked the same question. Where do you aim? I have a buddy that has killed several bears. He also has a full body mount in his living room. I went to his house, studied the mount with him and this was his advice. It’s not if you will see a bear, cause you will. Prepare yourself mentally for that. Then look at the bear. Do you want to shoot this bear ? If the answer is yes. Position the bear- wait for him to get him to the angle you want. Then pick a spot. He said come half way up the body and a hands width from the back of the front leg. He said or visualize 4-5”from back of the leg. I did this on my first bear, hit exactly in the spot I was looking, and the bear fell not very far from the tree. The death moan told me he was down in seconds. I did not get a pass through either. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere in the front leg. The meat alone  was thick enough to prohibit good penetration. I am in no way an expert but this is the advice I will use again this spring. Here is a good picture that shows what I am trying to portray. Bear hunting is one of the exciting things a bowhunter can do. Edge of your seat excitement.

[KSdan]

Bowguy-  I think anyone who takes the time will easily see where an arrow enters and exits the carcass and what organs are penetrated.  Pretty easy to determine.  Been there done that. . .  Deflated plenty of lungs.   

[beemann]

Bowguy Im not looking for a fight but i just feel like your renderings are incorrect.  Lots of bears are lost each year when guys think they made a perfect shot "just like on a deer"..  I have two bear targets,  one form thirty years ago and one from present times.  The old target has the vitals forward like a whitetail.  The new target has them similar to the pic I posted.  I think current knowledge says vitals are further back than we originally thought in regards to a bear.....  Good hunting boys.....

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

So I typed out a big explanation and somehow it’s not posting. Not doing that again!

Yes, shoot them like deer. Middle of the middle is intentionally shooting them in the liver or guts. 1/2 way up a couple inches behind the crease is perfect.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Anatomy pic posted by Bowguy67 is accurate. However, I wish the lungs were as big as the ones in Beemann’s pic. That bear would win marathons

[David Mitchell]

Don't try to joke with the boarder guards they have no sense of humor. Some years ago my buddy and I crossed over for a spring bear hunt. When they ask what was our reason to be in Canada my buddy blurted out, "We're here to kill some of your bears" next question, "Do you have any guns?" He say's, "no we don't need guns". Next statement from the boarder guard, "pull your vehicle over there".....they took EVERYTHING out of our truck and made us stand back and watch...… live and learn 

Ron, a buddy of mine had the same experience going into Canada on a fishing trip.  One of the guys with him made some joke and they did the same to them...pulled over everything, and I mean everything, was cleared out of the truck.  Yes, they mean business and don't appreciate funny comments.  Oh, and they didn't put the stuff back into his truck, just left it laying on the ground.

[Wudstix]

Yes, Sir.  No, Sir.  Good answers.   

[MnFn]

Error

[KSdan]

Thanks Ryan for weighing in.

[Ronald Roberts]

Thanks to all for feedback!! Fire up and can’t wait for trip!! I know Ryan will take care of us and we will have a great adventure that will hook us on bears and bear hunting!!

[beemann]

Good luck to you buddy.  Hope you have blast.  Listen to your guide and please post an update let us know how you did....

[Tim Finley]

I've shot a lot of bears and taken many apart,  bow guy 67 has it right and the right anatomy pics. I always found my best shot was broadside not quartering away, that way you get 2 holes. Most bears go down in about 30 yards but occasionally one evidentially can hold his breath along time and cover maybe more than a 100 yards I had a couple of these so more holes better blood trails. About an inch behind the front shoulder vertically in the middle of the body broadside is my favorite shot
  Tree stand height is something you should also take into consideration . Too high and you may get only one lung we had a rule 10 yard from the bait no more than 10 ft. high 8 yards not more than 8 ft. etc. A bears rib cage is more horizontally shaped than a deer so if you are too high you may shoot under the opposite lung or just touch it.