Somebody has a story to tell....AND now the story....

[smokin joe]

Wudstix -- The coolest thing about bear hunting, in my opinion, is watching the bears and waiting for the opportunity of a shot presentation. That feeling of anticipation is incredible.

[Terry Green]

A Royal Congratulations my friend.  Well done!!! 

[JamesD]

I would say that waiting for a broadside presentation with all four paws on the ground is sound advice to be noted. How far back from the front leg/shoulder area did you hit the bear?

[DuckBoss15]

Wudstix -- The coolest thing about bear hunting, in my opinion, is watching the bears and waiting for the opportunity of a shot presentation. That feeling of anticipation is incredible.

I totally agree.
Watching bears up close,eating,sleeping,climbing trees and interacting with other bears is worth the price of admission IMO Congrats on your bear!

[smokin joe]

James --
In studying the anatomy of a bear from a broadside presentation, and in discussing it with Ryan Derlago, I have come to the following conclusion:

If you divide the area from the front leg to the back leg of a broadside bear in half, shoot for the exact center of the front half. On a normal adult bear that would be about six inches or so behind the shoulder. As far as elevation is concerned, half way up the body is best. Forget about the space the hair takes up on the silhouette, just be half way. That elevation is best whether you are on the ground or in a tree stand.

Of course, never shoot straight down because you won't get both lungs.

Good luck on your bear hunt this year.

[JamesD]

Joe,

     Thank you for sharing the shot placement information. I’m beyond elated for you and Bill having a great hunt! Thanks for the well wishes. Weston and I headed out earlier today for Stickflingers.

[Shinken]

 

WAY TO GO !!!

Nice bear....

Shoot straight, Shinken

[Rob Emerson]

Great bear!  What did he measure?!?

[smokin joe]

Rob -- Believe it or not, I did not measure or weigh him. I am having a taxidermist clean his skull and I might measure that when I get it back, because the skull measurement system for a bear is simple enough for me to do. 

[Hud]

Thank you, I thought there was a reason, maybe that bear knew it too. It had to be incredibly tough waiting 3 hrs. for a shot.

[Chad R]

Congratulations Joe!   Thanks for sharing all this with us.

[Hud]

Congratulations on a fine bear, great story and pictures. Do you know when the bears in that area come out of hibernation, and when does Ryan start his operation?  Thanks again for the tips on shot placement.

[Terry Green]

Good stuff Joe!

James, here's a couple of bear vitals images I added to the shot placement thread.

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=168283.20

[Bamboozle]

Congratulations Smokin Joe!!!

Way to wait out the shot. 

[smokin joe]

Hud --
The bears hibernate from late October to early April according to information I found when I looked it up. I believe that Ryan runs his hunts from May until the end of the season in June. He is booking 2026 now. You may wish to get on the Stickflingers website and inquire about exact dates.