One thing that I want to mention is that the hunt was outfitted by Chris Cassidy of Fair Chase Adventure. He is based out of Colorado.
I love the blood on your shoulder.
Mike
Must have killed you to have one in the dupmster behind the restaurant, though. That's how it works.
FYI, In Canada we once left a stinky, sweaty t-shirt behind after peeing all around it. Next morning we came back to the blood trail to find that another bear had chewed the t-shirt to shreds and dragged it off into the bushes. So much for that.
Thanks for sharing with us!
But I guess that Alaska's well known "wanton waste" laws don't apply to Brown Bears. Why is it that you don't have to take out bear meat?
LBB
What was the set-up you used on your bear? Arrow weight, broadhead, kinetic energy etc. Very impressive blood trail! Congrats on a great hunt!
If you don't mind....what general part of the island did you hunt? Only reason I ask is I'm headed to Afognak this Sept. for blacktails and fishing. Staying near the fish hatchery on the NE side of the island.
Thanks and congrats again!
Russ
Awesome story. Way to stick with it. Love following along with someone who appreciate the outdoors like you do.
Call me, I have great idea for that project we talked about.
Lee
I don't know why bear meat isn't required to be carried out. I ate my grizzly bear (It tasted like anchovies, of course). Even if we HAD removed the brown bear meat, I wouldn't have eaten it....the bear had a nest of tapeworms in his gut the size of a volleyball.
BTW, I'll send you some more videos soon.
Mike (INbowdude),
You can bet the house on it....the horseshoe was right there!!
Russ (Gobblestopper),
We hunted the North/Northwestern part of the island. I shoot Easton Axis arrows with Slick Tricks. Right now, I am getting about 90-95ft/lbs of KE.
Ron
OFFHNTN
Telling this story to friends over the years gives it some momentum and really inspires all of us in any endeavor in life that we just couldn't get right the first time.
Although at 5'10", I have given up trying to dunk a basketball ;)
Congrats buddy!
As Mark and I were sitting back at base camp for a couple days (waiting for high tide and daylight to coincide so Seahawk Air could come get us), we got to talking about food, and the Moose Tooth made honorable mention (remember when the three of us had lunch there last Spring?). Mark is good egg...calm, knowledgeable, and best of all....hardcore. Now I have to delete this post before he can read it!!
I remember seeing your name (and Frank Noska's, I believe), on the Seahawk Air flight board when we returned from Afognak. They even sent me a Christmas card.....talk about follow-up!
Jake
I don't understand the "jinx" verbiage. It was a one day brown bear for crying out loud.;)
BTW, I thought the gray bearded fellow did a great post kill synopsis. You should take him hunting more often.
Rick M
Chip
michael
What arrows?....LOL.
Scott
Congratulations!! Well deserved my friend! I have known Mark Gutsmiedl and his wife Cindy for a few years now GREAT people. They don't come any better or any more hardcore than Mark.
Tony
Tapeworms or not, I don't think I could eat something that "looks too much like folk" (in the words of Jerry Clower).
-Cheryl n Matt
I was impatiently waiting to see the full story.
Congrats on a great bear.
Great story and video footage! You’re perseverance and never give up attitude made it happen. Congrats on a great bear and awesome adventure!
Never goes simple, quiet and easy with you does it? LOL! I remember the polar bear hunt(s)! It's been debated on this site to death sometimes. Not any problem when you don't need it, nothing like a heavy arrow from a heavy bow when you really need it. Good job.
Congrats on a great bear and completing a personal goal that was turning into an ordeal of sorts. Gotta be a nice warm feeling in there. Betting that's one you'll take out now and then and roll around in for some time.
Well, that and 30 years from now nobody will be posting a photo of a human skull, bear skull and an old busted up bow with no arrows they found and everyone wondering what the heck happened.....
You are the first person to mention that gnarly bear photo.....but it did help "set the stage" for my hunt. LOL.
I agree with you and Tom inPa....perseverance and a high draw weight win every time. I don't think that I have ever heard someone complain about archery gear that "over penetrates".....
I don't think there are many big bear guides that would have allowed that. In fact many would have shot that bear with their rifle as soon as it turned to run, I've seen that on shows, heard it in stories.
I'm guessing that was all hashed out ahead of time between you two? Or maybe next time the guide swears he'll tie a leash to Jake? LOL!
Very cool nerves shown by both hunter and guide. Good job.
I bet filling your tag after seeing the people in the boat and deer hunters was the last thing on your mind. Just goes to show that things happen when least expected.
Dale
It really wasn't any big deal. Even though I didn't know how much blood the bear had lost until after the fact, it was in the middle of a large field, probably two hundred yards from cover. It hadn't covered one third of the field when it started to really slow down. I doubt that Mark could see my first arrow hit....he probably saw how quickly the bear started to fade. Let's also remember that the bear was laying on its back just moments after being wounded....no way it's going to do that unless it is mortally hit.
As TD mentioned, Mark and I had discussed scenarios prior to the stalk, and if things would have gone awry, Mark would have done what was necessary to ensure that I wasn't in jeopardy. I don't remember for sure, but I probably gave him my "until he's chewing on leg, don't shoot him with a gun" talk. Not that Mark wouldn't have interceded regardless of my wishes if he felt I was in trouble.....
You shouldn't be chastised. You are just stating an opinion.
The bear went 100 yards and bedded down. He would have bled out right there. I could have sat there and watched him suffer, but then said that it was a one arrow kill (but while he bed quickly, I didn't know for sure, the extent of his injuries). I simply accelerated the process. You remark that my shot was not the best...I agree...I was 1 1/2" to the left of where I aimed.
I must also mention that the point of entry was the back ham....barely. I actually sent a photo of the first arrow's entry location to Pat, but he chose not to use it for the article (maybe I can post it). That arrow went completely through the ham AND through the body cavity. If I had shot him from the front and the arrow had quartered through him coming OUT of the ham, no one would care.....so what difference would the direction of the arrow make as long as it transected the animal?
For the record, it was a FOLLOW-UP shot that hit the bear in the butt....and by then, the boar was too sick to do anything about it.
[Therefore, the arrow hit him in the right, rear ham with excellent penetration.]
Regardless , again congrats on killing the bear !
Based on your "handle", do I dare to ask how Chris got the nickname? LOL!!
Outfitter,
Perhaps I should have said right ham, instead of right rear ham.....after all, whoever heard of a FRONT ham?? LOL.
Nice to see you got him congrats !
Be well Brother, Jay
Jake did you slice the femoral , what organs did you take out with the first shot ,did the bear move while the arrow was in flight ,
Pound for pound bears go down quick ,Deer, elk ,lope I find are a lot tougher ,, more will i guess louis
I don't think that I hit the femoral artery, as I just caught the back leg. However, I do think that I must have hit a major artery to explain such a blood trail. The arrow went through the ham, intestines (and a BIG ball of tapeworms), and liver....I don't think that it quite caught the back of the left lung.
The bear was walking away while the arrow was in flight, but the arrows are going 290 ft/sec and he was just walking at 40-42 yards. I do agree that pound for pound bears are not as tough as some other animals after they are wounded.
I think that it was my 52nd or 53rd day of chasing brown bears before I was able to put a tag on this boar.
I hear tape worms add a delicate "nutty" flavor to brown bear meat......you really missed out.
If I were a betting man, I'd say you would have picked up rocks and started pummeling the brute if you'd run out of arrows.
Very nice write up, video, and hunt.
[The arrow went through the ham, intestines (and a BIG ball of tapeworms), and liver....I don't think that it quite caught the back of the left lung.]
1) When did they change the backside of a walking bear at over 40 yards to an ethical Kill Zone And
[I think that it was my 52nd or 53rd day of chasing brown bears before I was able to put a tag on this boar]
2) Would you have "honestly" taken this exact same shot on Day # 1 or would you have waited and hoped for a better kill zone shot ??
To me this shot is a modified Texas heart shot or could have been very easily.
I mean no disrespect at all , but the fact is you spent a lot of cash and time hunting this species , and I would be interested if you "Honestly" thought about either of these things just prior to taking that shot or earlier.
It might have been my 52nd day or whatever, but it WAS the first day of this particular hunt.
I felt that I could make the shot.....(I never said that everyone would agree with me for taking it). Perhaps I have more confidence in the killing power of my bow than most, because of its draw weight....perhaps I shouldn't have taken the shot.....But I DID.
People could second guess me on three or four of the shots that I have taken over the years, if you want the honest truth. However, I always try to put it out there the way that it happened. People sometimes warn me against that, but it all boils down to opinions. I would submit that a large number of people tend to "gloss over" shots that others might criticize.....I try not to....if it means "second guessing", that is fine. Maybe it will help others....
Many 3D archery targets have a second "bullseye" located somewhat behind the ribcage. In fact, I have a 3d lifesize brown bear target, and in all honesty, I practiced that very shot angle. When the animal is turned to present a quartering away shot, that particular bullseye then represents what is a very deadly shot. A quartering away shot at dangerous game...what's NOT to like? If you're calling into question the distance, that is a different matter. Like I said, I felt that I could make the shot.
Mark Gutsmiedl is a bowhunter as well. Afterwards, I asked him if HE would have taken the shot and I believe he said that he would have shot.
IF there was a young bowhunter here reading your account and shot , would you recommend he take it ?
AND visualize this for me , an animal is quartering away and as you say , What is not to like ? However , if you shot and your arrow went 5-6 inches left and you hit the ham , it would be obvious that you pulled the shot for whatever reason , BUT you only pulled the shot 1 - 1 1/2 inches and hit the ham , that tells me the animal was severely quartering away or nearly walking directly away not quite. There is no way you could hit ham and only pull the shot that little bit on a quartering away (properly ) shot. JMHO The shot placement/ shot selection is the only thing I critque , based on the sniff test Would I recommend it to a young hunter. Thank you.
As I stated in the very thread to which you have responded...."MAYBE IT WILL HELP OTHERS." If a beginners arrow is 5"-6" off, then I would submit that they may not have practiced enough. Furthermore, even if the animal was broadside, and the arrow was 5"-6" off, we'd STILL be talking about a questionable outcome. It is doubtful that a beginner would be going after dangerous game with an arrow, so we can dispense of the danger perspective for purposes of this discussion.
For the record, of the four shots which I have taken that could be "second guessed", three of those animals were recovered. I'll put that up against the recovery rate of everyone's questionable shot outcomes.....we are an imperfect lot, we humans.
Based on your "handle", I would be willing to guess that you have seen your share of gong show shots.
Now let me have MY question. Are you telling me that you have never taken a questionable shot? Assuming that you have....how did you reconcile your decision to shoot after the smoke had cleared? After all, an outfitter's decision to shoot would be subject to as much or more scrutiny as mine, here on Bowsite. The same is true of your decisions as hunter, not just as an outfitter.
Again, no right or wrong....just differences of opinion. I train and practice as much as any bowhunter that I have ever met. That practice and attention to detail afford me some degree of confidence when I am afield. It does not make my decisions perfect, nor my outcomes. I accept the results of those shots, and I don't try to cover them up.
Perhaps this debate between your concerns and my attempts to address them, is best reduced to this ......As archers, we should practice and train as much as possible before attempting to take an animals life. When the decision is made to release that string, be aware of the consequences AND be willing to accept those them. I am and I do.
I would submit that the message to the new or younger could be a LOT worse than that.
I won't second guess an experienced bowhunter. If he was confident he could make the shot he was right to shoot. Dead Bear.
Right on. I think NASCAR should have a 55 mph limit on it too. How dare those guys even imagine they might drive faster than those people taking their driving tests down at the DMV....
Seriously, I love the fact that Jake, and Pat also in a few of his hunts, always lay it all out on the line. No sugarcoating, no unicorns and rainbows. Fairies and gnomes need not apply. It happened this way....
He took a shot he felt he could make. Made the decision in a split second based on his experience, years of what is undeniably world class experience. It's all you can ask of anyone, especially not being there. He made it. The rest is inarguable.
Only if someone not understanding the lethality of the shot rushed the tracking job.
Strong Quartering away are anything but "butt shots" as you so eloquently characterized and are very deadly.
Would I shoot a 10 FOOTER like that? No but large Blackies and 8 foot Browns....yes.
Nothing wrong with entry into the hind quarter (if you yip the shot a little)if you don't hit hip.Same fate as the scapula if your too far forward.
Of my two Brownies I've killed one punched ham and lungs (70 yards recovery).I was in thick alders and did not take up trail for 4 hours.
From the film it was obvious Jake's bear didn't need a follow up shot but with the open country the option was there for him.
In thick cover this bear lives a few hours longer and is a little stiff for trophy pics....
I raised my sons to freakin fire away on strong quarters as well (whitetails).It's served them well.
Nobody is advocating aiming for the hind quarter but if that's your worst case scenario (re: margin for error)on a quarter away shot angle ......"WHAT"S NOT TO LIKE?"... is spot on.
I didn't post to "defend" Jake on a personal level (he wouldn't want that)but just wanted to personally advocate that strong quartering away shots are great options for younger hunters pulling 60 lbs or more.
Having to lift and roll that big dude out of that hole was probably punishment enough for your 1.5" error LOL!
I'll be on Afognak in Sept. chasing blacktails, halibut, and salmon......can't wait!!
As Jake said it is a question of opinions on ethical shot placement , nothing more.
I have one very respected bowhunter shooting a bear from behind , (Jake)
Another extremely respected bowhunter saying you can shoot an 8 footer but not a 10 footer like this (Genesis) and yet another
Saying you can shoot this shot as long as you are pulling heavy poundage. ( Bigguy)
So the lesson to take from all this is to load up on bow weight , practice lots , shoot from any angle at a walking animal over 40 yards away and pick up 3 out of 4 animals in the end.
The fact that the hunter is willing to make a video and take responsibility for the shots just because he can , does not make it right in my mind. If you aired that short shot segement on Youtube and asked for a shot analysis , I think the comments would be somewhat different then what they are here on bowsite.
I now understand why folks buy the big magnum rifles to hunt in North America as well .
JMHO - Enough said by me , sorry for critiquing a bowhunting legends shot placement.
NOPE....I said "I" would and "I" wouldn't.There you go twisting the hay for your Straw Man again.....
"So the lesson to take from all this is to load up on bow weight , practice lots , shoot from any angle at a walking animal over 40 yards away and pick up 3 out of 4 animals in the end."
No....the lesson to take is if you are gonna call someone out on a shot you better know what your talking about.
Until now, I have understood and respected your point of view. It not the same as mine, thus further text as we try to discuss the merits of both perspectives.
However, "So the lesson to take from all this is to load up on bow weight , practice lots , shoot from any angle at a walking animal over 40 yards away and pick up 3 out of 4 animals in the end." is nothing but twisting of the facts in an attempt to fit your opinion.
I have made many quick, clean one arrow kills over the course of my bowhunting lifetime. THOSE aren't in question....only the few that I could be "called-out" on. Perhaps you didn't read Loesshillsarcher's post....but I HAVE passed on shots closer than the one that I took at that brown bear (i.e. the grizzly bear), so I DON'T shoot at any angle. Not everyone CAN feel comfortable drawing high poundages, but luckily for me, my body frame allows me to do so. However, I DO feel that higher poundages would help reduce the number of wounded animals, provided it isn't beyond a person's ability to properly handle the bow.
I felt that 40+/- yards was close to my maximum distance for brown bear....was it over 40? I don't know, as I didn't have the time to range it. If I was there, and I am not certain of the precise distance, I am curious how you justify your "over" 40 yards comment. In my text, I believe that I felt that the animal was 40-42 yards away.....if you want to split hairs over a "possible" two yard differential as it pertains to my sight pins, I submit that that aspect of your concern is weak at best.
Remember, that 3 out of 4 ratio is as it pertains to shots that you might deem questionable. If we review the sum of all of my shots, that ratio would tilt convincingly in my favor. As an outfitter, would you accept a 75% recover rate on your hunter's "less than perfect" shots? I submit that you would.
I also noticed that you never addressed the ONE or two questions that I asked of you.......
By producers, I mean people who are willing to write up their stories, take pictures of their hunts, download those pictures to their computers, compresss the pictures to fit within the parameters, edit the video, etc, etc, etc.
Maybe we do rally behind the guys that produce fantastic feature articles here, but I think its fair considering those of us who won't be hunting brown bear, polar bear, muskox, cape buffalo, pr lion, any time soon really enjoyed the article, video, and pics.
What purpose is there to degrade someone else's experience other than to feel better about one's own situation?
Great job Jake. That is one awesome trophy. I think I got a sneak peek on that one in Indy.
Also shooting heavy bows , cut on contact heads etc should not allow a hunter 2 base his shot selection on his bows weight,thats bad judgement .
Heavy bows cut on contact heads are best used when a GOOD shot turns BAD, then you can reap the benifits of your equpiment .
In my opinion of this. It happens so fast animal is there , bow is drawn , arrow on its way , in this time frame a lot can happen. We arent allways give the luxury of time .
I see this as Jake made a bad shot that tuned out good. Bear expired fast .
Funny if I posted this or others I would be hung out to dry. LOL
Outfitter you need to read my grizz hunt now thats entertaiment
louis
That streetlight is what enabled me to see the 10 footer on the road before he saw me. Then I just scooted (OK,OK, I sprinted) between the vehicles to get to the front doors of the Hotel. It was hilarious in hindsight, but my pulse was going pretty fast until I made to the front door!
I ran to my room and got my camera, but the big bear was gone by the time that I got back to the lobby....so I never got a photo of him.
There you go, Randy (Owl)........
Damn, that was funny, Owl! You should write for Dennis Miller.
As far as I can tell, you did everything just right
Thanks for putting this up for everybody to experience and enjoy
And having put foot on the ground out there, it never ceases to amaze me how those beautiful vista can so quickly morph into inhospitable bush. Experiencing vertigo mid-descent. :)
Rick M
Way to keep at it. I really liked the "second arrow" mode comment that you made. I would not do it any differently.
That's bowhunting. Even so-called "perfect" broadside shots don't always turn out the way we expect. When I do my semi-live hunts, as you do, we understand going-in that there is a certain degree of trust and honesty expected of the writer. That's the difference between a true accounting of a hunt vs. a written version of edited TV hunts.
Great job, my friend.
Loved the video footage of him walking down the river.
Jake, you are one straight up good natured dude.
By now I would be using 16 letter words pieced together from 4 letter ones.
Tell Nancy "hey" for me.
:-)
Congratulations! Great story and video,thanks for sharing.
How do you haul something like that around?
Is that a Colorado Bighorn in the background above the lamp?
Rock,
Good eyes!!
Are you referring to the bear or Nancy? LOL!!
Jake
She got all excited and said "Let's go to Cabelas!"....True story -
The Cabelas in Dundee, Michigan is about 4 - 4.5 hours away, and we have been to the one west of Pittsburgh, across the stateline ...... so, for our one night "honeymoon" (until after the new year, when we'll head out of town for a longer vacation), we went to Cabelas. A woman that wants to spend part of her wedding day at Cabelas!.....maybe that's part of the reason why I got married (or perhaps why I stayed single until I was 55!!) LOL.
-Matt and Cheryl
I was talking about the back side of the bear actually. I would never ask a guy to send a picture of his new brides back side. LOL
Wow Cabelas for a honeymooon trip! You did get a good one didn't you. If you could get a wife measured for record book status I think Nancy would rank right up at the top.
I mean with Nancy, the bear is impressive but he's already committed about as much as he's going to in that relationship....
I like the "eloped" part. Pretty cool. There is no relationship between the success of a marriage and the price of the wedding facade. Put the money toward something you will remember..... like another hunt, er OK, another hunt together .... =D
Good job. In your future together, my heartfelt best wishes to both of you.
Live long and prosper...
I went back to my video of the hunt, AND the kill photos, and I can see a slight "light" streak on the bears arm. He was so wet that perhaps it "darkened" the fur, because I never noticed the rubbing, and it is significant!!
I'll post a follow-up photo of the degree of rubbing on the boar tomorrow, as I remember someone asking about the degree of rubbing on Spring bears versus Fall bears in another Bowsite thread recently.
Jake
Ps jake i told u i would have killed that big 10ft on kodaik bald or not ..
I finally got a photo of my brown bear. You can see the difference in the fur quality of the head and upper shoulders compared to the majority of the rest of the body. I swear It didn't look that rubbed when he was wading through that stream......even now, when I look at the photos (or the video) of the bear, it doesn't look anywhere NEAR that rubbed. This bear was shot on the sixth of November. I would have thought that he would have had a full, thick coat of fur by that time in the season.....which is why I wonder if the tapeworms might have been responsible for the compromised coat of fur. Just a thought....nothing I can prove, but it seems fairly plausible.
Ron Popeil has a can of stuff he says will thicken hair even cover bald spots. you might even talk him out of some steak knifes. HaHa
