NJ Bear hunt...
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
At request of a couple of guys I added the entire story a lil further down...
Took a pretty good one... Thanks to the guys who helped getting it out included Steve (KiKe). By helped I mean they worked I watched..
He went 130 yards on a super heavy blood trail... surprisingly.
He weighed 438# dressed out and his skull green scored 21 2/16... The tattoo on his lip showed he was 13 yrs old and had been handled 3 times by fish and game
From: Jack Harris
12-Oct-17
Well congratulations again! That's a great bear in any part of the world.
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
Thanks Jack
From: Scar Finga
12-Oct-17
Beautiful Bear! Congratulations!
From: stick n string
12-Oct-17
Good deal! Congrats!!
From: Zackman
12-Oct-17
Congrats Shug!
From: Ken Taylor
12-Oct-17
You look like you lost weight Mark... you look smaller, LOL!
Again, congratulations ole buddy.
From: HUNT MAN
12-Oct-17
Dam fine bear. Congrats.
From: Rut Nut
12-Oct-17
VERY nice bear! Congrats!
From: T Mac
12-Oct-17
What a beast congrats Shug!
From: ryanrc
12-Oct-17
Awesome! Congrats
From: PREZ
12-Oct-17
Great bear Mark....congrats.
From: Paul
12-Oct-17
Well done
From: Ibow
12-Oct-17
Congrats Mark! That is a dandy bear for sure! Nice work and thanks for sharing!
From: stick n string
12-Oct-17
Got a story? If u dont, make one up.... Itchin for a good read...;^)
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
Thanks guys... and Ken and Steve TY both...S and S I did write up a big story... but 1/2 way through I was like F this....and deleted it.
Should I re write it?....lol
From: stick n string
12-Oct-17
Hell to the yes..... ha. I love reading the hunt recaps. My favorite thing from bowsite.... i will absolutely take a bear story while waiting for the Saint to post his moose story.
From: BIG BEAR
12-Oct-17
Huge bear !!!! Congrats !!!!
From: Shear Madness
12-Oct-17
Please tell the story. Always wanted a bear but Im down in south jersey. Maybe I'll get my PA bear some year
From: Tracker
12-Oct-17
Very nice bear. I came up to NJ for the hunt from MD. Had a great time but no shots. Tuff when you do not have the ability to set up a bait station. I did have a nice bear at 40 yards on Wed but just couldn't get a good shot. Congrats again.
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
Ok ... Slip back 41 years ago... my very first hunting season. Sitting on a ridge top that rose up from the banks of the Delaware river... just as day broke the sound of running caught my attention and in a flash someone's Labrador retriever ran past me st 30 yards...Before I finished the thought of who's dog is it I realized it was a bear. The excitement of seeing my first wild bear had me shaking and a fire was lit that burns as bright still today decades later.
As a child it was my dream to take a NJ bear with my bow but we had no season and it would be over 30 yards before bear numbers blew up forcing a season. The only problem was No Bowhunting... because you can't kill a bear with a bow. TBC
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
I don't gun hunt... so for 6 or 7 years as we had a gun hunt each December I felt left out but I also felt almost sad as I watched giant bear after bear being taken by gun hunters leaving less for me to chase when we would we would finally get an archery season. Some amazing bears were taken the first years of the gun hunt 22 and 23 inch class bears..amazing animals!!
Last year they finally allowed a bow season to say I was excited would be an understatement.
Last year the season started October 10 th... I started baiting in mid April and drove an hour and a half 1-2 times a week each week...do the math just don't tell me the numbers because if we put a dollar and time value on what we do it takes away from it...TBC
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
Last year I passed 17 different bears in the 6 day long season waiting on one of the Giants I had on camera ... none showed but it was still a great experience. Last years bear season made me smarter in regards to this years season ... I started baiting in July this year saving 2 months of time and gas....lol The two baits I ran this year are 8 miles apart both had 15/20 bears and both had a few really big bears but the one that stood out was one with a floppy bent over ear...very recognizable If and when he finally stepped in front of me...The first two days of the season October 9-10 th were slow with just a few bears spotted I believe due to the weather... rain... hot... 100% humidity... it just curled my hair...TBC
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
My view from the blind...
My view from the blind...
So when the weather broke on the third day I approached my blind with a different feeling than the previous days... In NJ it is illegal to hunt over bait from a tree stand or man made structure closer than 100 yards to the bait. A blow down or rock pile to hide in is fine and you can sit as close as you like
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
Each day I would sneak within 100 yards of the bait then wait for daylight to make the final approach just in case there was a bear there... As I closed in on the bait site I thought I heard something large in the area of the barrel so I slowed down even more...Standing right in front of my hide I spotted a bear 10 yards off the side of the barrel in a little brush. He couldn't see me due to a large boulder that semi blocked him... I quickly knocked an arrow and waited....
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
Only seeing parts of the bear I had no idea if it was the one I wanted but as soon as he stepped out from behind the boulder I instantly recognized him as the one I dreamed of all summer... hundreds of trail cam photos and video clips made me intimate with this bear( that doesn't sound good) but this was our first face to face meeting... He walked out completely into the open right in front of the bait barrel glancing up at me then at the barrel... I drew my bow
From: Shug
12-Oct-17
I needed to shoot over the small log in the previous photo but ended up shooting a little higher. The arrow struck high and forward hitting the edge of the shoulder blade and penetrating a little more than 1/2 way.
I knew the hit wasn't ideal but would be good so I sat down and listened for the death moan ... it never came. I waited 30 minutes and walked to where the bear was standing.. An immediate spray of blood was visible and it got heavier in the first 10 yards. I decided to wait an hour due to the shoulder hit so I sat down by the blind and waited another 30 minutes...
From: Shug
13-Oct-17
18 1/2" bear skull I shot this year in Quebec next to the NJ bear skull
18 1/2" bear skull I shot this year in Quebec next to the NJ bear skull
Lip Tattoo
Lip Tattoo
I was able to follow the trail 80 yards crawling through the swamp he ran into with relative ease again a profuse spray of blood led me to an empty bed and I could see another empty bed 10 yards past the first. I decided to back out thinking I may have bumped him... A call to Steve (KiKe) ended with him insisting on helping... An hour later as I waited for another friend to show Steve got on the trail and got to the bear 30 yards from the last bed... He was dead quickly but I guess It's better to be safe than sorry...
From: Shug
13-Oct-17
Ok all done... Hope it was up to par Stick and String and madness...
From: mattandersen
13-Oct-17
Awesome Shug! Congrats!
From: Smtn10PT
13-Oct-17
great job on the bear!
From: DoubleGunDennis
13-Oct-17
Congrats Shug! I wasnt able to take off of work to go during the week so i have to take a gamble trying to connect tomorrow in Sussex County. Very happy you got to take such a beautiful bear!
From: Trophy8
13-Oct-17
Congrats Shug!!!
From: otcWill
13-Oct-17
Awesome bear and thanks for the story!
From: GhostBird
13-Oct-17
Congratulations... beautiful bear.
From: njbuck
13-Oct-17
Congrats on a great bear. This year was tough with the weather and early acorns.
From: stick n string
13-Oct-17
Thatll certainly do, my friend. Well done. So so cool!
From: Shug
13-Oct-17
Thanks guys.... good luck Double Gun
From: TREESTANDWOLF
13-Oct-17
Great bear Shug ! Congrats
From: Ron Niziolek
13-Oct-17
Congrats Mark!
From: BigOk
13-Oct-17
Congrats
From: DMC65
13-Oct-17
Doin your part for managing the resource!! Awesome bear!!!
From: Shug
17-Oct-17
Thanks guys....
From: kscowboy
17-Oct-17
"I don't gun hunt... so for 6 or 7 years as we had a gun hunt each December I felt left out but I also felt almost sad as I watched giant bear after bear being taken by gun hunters leaving less for me to chase when we would we would finally get an archery season."
Are you not allowed to use bows, crossbows, and muzzleloaders during gun season. Lots of states allow this, so kind of BS if New Jersey didn't.
From: Shug
17-Oct-17
Cowboy...For deer yes we can "hunt down" with a bow during gun season... For bear no... you are correct BS!
From: Shug
17-Oct-17
New Jersey Bowhunting legend... Steve ( kiKe ) Neildizewski saved my spinal fused back...Ty again pal
From: Shug
17-Oct-17
Thanks Steve
From: Paul@thefort
17-Oct-17
What a nice story of success. Well earned. my best, Paul
From: Nick Muche
18-Oct-17
Very nice Mark! Congrats!
From: Aubs8
18-Oct-17
Beauty Mark! Congratulations! Mike
From: t-roy
18-Oct-17
Great bear and story. Congrats Shug!
Are your resident bear tags over the counter or do you have to apply to try and draw one? Also, are there only certain parts of the state open to bear hunting or is it open statewide? Residents only or can nonresidents get a tag as well?
From: Shug
18-Oct-17
T- Over the counter with limited permits...Open to only northern zones...also its open to Non residents... in fact I think we have had hunters from as many as 35 different states participate in the hunt possibly more
From: bohuntr
18-Oct-17
Congratulations on an awesome bear!
From: Fuzzy
18-Oct-17
Great bear, and a great story!
From: Shug
18-Oct-17
Thanks again guys....
From: Shear Madness
19-Oct-17
Awesome! Thanks
