It started as a slow first season up here. Heat, rain, copious amounts of blackberries, raspberries, and thimble berries have slowed down the bear activity. Add in a lack of big boarsand two huge sows with the cubs each......
Well, let’s just say I had to repair/straighten my blind 6 times. Besides passing a small boar I spent many an hour watching a swamp and listening to bard owls hunt.
I’ve always enjoyed shooting Northren mist longbows. Last week I found a beautiful “Superior” in the classifieds that I couldn’t say no to. It didn’t take but a day to “familiarize” myself with her. She’s a graceful lady compared to some of my other ASLs.
I took the bow on a long rove to a blackberry patch. Nothing softens a lady more than taking her berry picking. On the way back to my camp I was shooting the bow better and better, so much so it claimed it’s first kill in the form of a chipmunk that was attempting to take up residence in my shed.
Once I tuned arrows and broadheads I decided to take her bear hunting with me that evening. I was using a tall tines LB that had been my go-to, but something just felt so right when I held the superior— I just had to take it into the swamp with me.
Yesterday this guy walked in at about 620 pm. He milled about for a few minutes before politely presenting at me with a quartering shot. I was able to get my heart rate down before drawing and releasing. In slow motion I saw the arrow fly where I aimed it. The bear never knew it was coming.
The arrow took him behind his right shoulder, he pitched forward and lept on a log a few few to his left. I noticed my fletched end of my arrow suspended in a thimble berry plant. I looked down and nocked a fresh arrow.....when I looked up he was gone. Not a sound gave away his escape.
I was just about to begin to doubt my shot placement when I heard the labored breathing of the bear off to my right. Within a few seconds the breathing became the wheeze of a tire rapidly loosing air.
I waited an extra 10 minutes before starting out on the track. He ended up only going 25 yards before succumbing. And as fate would have it he died going toward the very trail I would use to draw him out of the swamp.
Bow: Northren Mist Superior LB, 41 ish pounds at my draw.
Arrows: Big Jim Dark Timbers 700 spine tipped with 150 grain Woodsman elite.
The arrow found the lungs and was finally stopped by the opposite hind leg.
I was fortunate to have my family come down to help get him out of the woods and toast both the hunt and the beast.
Topic: Upper Michigan bear (Read 3982 times)
