Question for bear hunters

[Muskoxman]

How quick does a grizzly die when stuck good with an arrow ? The other evening I was sitting on the edge of a swamp doing my cow moose call trying to get a couple of bulls to come out of the woods when a 7ft grizz came at me like a bee line threw the tall grass. Apparently my moose call is actually a bear call, anyhow I blasted him with my pistol instead of waiting for him to get within bow range. I guess the question is would they die before they ran over the top of you ? Or should you have your buddy behind you with some big iron?
Probably always a good idea.

Thanks, John

[John3]

You would for sure want a big bore gun with a good shooting buddy as a back up. Even a perfect shot will not put the bear down that fast. It could and will come for you before it dies. The only non gun back up grizz hunt I would consider would be a treestand hunt. Even then I am not sure I would do it...

They told me stories in British Columbia while we were stalking black bears. Grizzly bears scare me.

John III

[woodchucker]

You could carry a BIG knife,like my "Brother" adkmountainken  

He carries some "big iron" on his belt LOL!!!!! and lots of it too!!!!!

(a HUGE Bowie and usualy a tommahawk or two)   :eek:

[jrchambers]

i think that you could expect the same results out of a brown bear with a good hit as a large black bear if you take out both lungs bears die very quick.  i know a couple of archery kills on them that took seconds and then a few that took much longer.

[freeman]

Originally posted by Muskoxman:
How quick does a grizzly die when stuck good with an arrow ? The other evening I was sitting on the edge of a swamp doing my cow moose call trying to get a couple of bulls to come out of the woods when a 7ft grizz came at me like a bee line threw the tall grass. Apparently my moose call is actually a bear call, anyhow I blasted him with my pistol instead of waiting for him to get within bow range. I guess the question is would they die before they ran over the top of you ? Or should you have your buddy behind you with some big iron?
Probably always a good idea.

Thanks, John

I wouldn't count on an arrow as a defensive weapon against a bear unless it was all I had. Figure how long it would take for the bears system to shut down from lack of oxygen, and then figure how much damage a bear could do to you before that happened.
 Did your pistol shot just scare him off, or did you drop him?
-Lance

[Muskoxman]

lance,

My pistol knocked the crap out of him, he didn't make it ten feet. Just got done buthering him and found the bullet in the hind leg where it had shattered the femur, I hit him in the chest coming towards me so it traveled the full length of his body before it hit that bone. Of coarse it helps when your shooting a freedom arms 83 in 475 linebaugh pushin a 375gr hard cast bullet about 1400fps. The bullet still wieghed 327.
That pistols worth every penny !

John

[BMOELLER]

Better change your drawers while your at it.    If he only went ten feet, how far was that from you?  Way to hang in there and not panic.

[Muskoxman]

My dad told me that if I came face to face with a bear and didn't have a gun to just reach back and grab some **** and throw it in his face. Of coarse I had to ask what if I couldn't find any ****. He said, "don't worry, you come face to face with a bear, you reach back it will be there"
He wasn't close enough it was there, about 50 yrds.

John

[blueline]

John
The Moose call is my favorite BIG BEAR call! It really works as you found out. To answer your question on how fast they expire with an arrow, even with great shot placement never fast enough for me expecially when they are within 20 steps. A good guide will keep his clients between him  and the Bear LOL