Your first bear
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: elkmtngear
01-Mar-24
Similar story for me, Todd.
I was also in my early 20s. I had hiked about 3/4 mile up into a canyon, to a small spring that expressed into a small pool. I had climbed up a live oak tree uphill from the spring, which had a fork that fit my butt perfectly, and hung my bow up on a nearby limb.
Heard what I was hoping to be a deer moving in...it was a huge 400ish pound boar. He flopped right down in the spring on his belly, and proceeded to suck all the water out of that small pool. I wasn't going to shoot, but, when he was leaving, he walked over toward my tree and gave me a perfect broadside opportunity.
I smacked him right in the "shiddle", and he was pissed!! Rolling, growling, snapping his jaws. He rolled/ran down the ravine, and piled up in plain sight. Then, the "death moan" started. Most pathetic, soul-crushing sound I could imagine...It made me feel like I was murdering a dog !
I was seriously afraid to approach him after about 30 minutes, but finally got the balls to gut him out. Thought I'd just grab his legs, and slide him down out of that Canyon...couldn't even move him, lol.
Had to drive 20 miles back to Town, and get my brother and a friend. With ropes and a flashlight, we finally got him loaded up, and hung in my Dad's cold room.
That was my first, and last bear...in 1983 !
From: Screwball
01-Mar-24
First one I killed, hunting with Chris at Pine Acres, 1986ish. Bait after I had missed several, Chris kindly called me "missed and missed again", he even kept a wood bait box with my Zwickey embedded in it next to the Bears Den for years just to taunt me. I still get excited but not like those days, when I would shake so bad.
From: Dale06
01-Mar-24
I believe it was 1981. I was baiting bear on Mt Hood in Oregon and was apparently feeding several bears, as I could not keep my bait site stocked. I climbed into my stand about 3 pm on opening day. Very shortly there after I looked down and there was a bear directly under me. It sauntered over to the bait and gave me an easy broad side shot. It ran about 30 yards and was dead. That was the first bear I ever saw in the wild. I killed another on that bait site the following year.
From: RK
01-Mar-24
1993. Colorado Hwy 12 just north of Cuhara, around 10pm- F350 Moderate damage to Ford, Bear dead
From: Norseman
01-Mar-24
8th grade. My cousin and i stole a six pack from our uncle’s fridge down by the boat house. Went back and drank it out in the woods along with a watermelon we stole from the neighbors garden
From: Scoot
01-Mar-24
Haha Norseman, your ND spelling education is coming through!
From: ILbowhntr
01-Mar-24
Was 29, had hair and a brown beard. Shot him off the ground at Ranger Lake Lodge.
From: BOHUNTER09
01-Mar-24
Shot mine in 1984 at Gordon Bently’s Bear Paw Landing in Ontario . He climbed up to the tree stand platform and I don’t know which of us was more surprised. It was the only animal I ever shot with a string tracker. Arrow passed through and I could pull the string and see the arrow move. Easy tracking with that string to follow.
From: Tobpitbull
01-Mar-24
Idaho spring Big Black bear… B-Bar C outfitters with Mike Stockton… Earl Hoyt jr. Personally made recurve.
From: Rgiesey
01-Mar-24
Killed one in 1982 at bear paw landing.
From: spike buck
01-Mar-24
As soon as I passed my hunters safety I shot this bear... About 76'
As soon as I passed my hunters safety I shot this bear... About 76'
From: WV Mountaineer
01-Mar-24
Wv. Around 2004.
From: spike buck
01-Mar-24
Screwballs (Brian) first Bear...
Screwballs (Brian) first Bear...
Srewball posted above so here is his picture.... I dont think he knows I have his picture. I remember going down this old logging road called check station rd to track his Bear. I got to Screwballs (Brians) bait first. I shut my quad down and listened to Brian racing as fast as his little Quad could go. Could hear his machine rev up as he changed gears multiple times then pure silence. I jumped on my quad to go look for him... he hit the bushes and ditched it. Had to rescue him from the trees LOL!!
From: fuzzy
02-Mar-24
I passed a couple bears in VA over the years gun hunting. Really wanted my first one to be with bow. Finally did a baited hunt in NF ten years ago with bow. Didn't even see a bear the whole week. Went back in '15 with my son and we both killed bears. Since then I've killed one in VA with ML
From: huntr4477
02-Mar-24
Probably 80' or81' near Elk Lake Ontario. Broadside shot at about 40 yds.( gun, not bow). He ran about 60 yds and died in a 3 foot deep swamp. I would've bet my paycheck that he was 400 lbs. Good thing I didn't! He weighed in at 140.
From: Ricky The Cabel Guy
02-Mar-24
first one was killed with a rifle in ontario in about 99 or 2000. took another in ontario with my recurve about 5 years later. it was fun both times but im not a real fan of the meat so i never had the desire to kill another.
From: mgmicky
02-Mar-24
2017 in New Brunswick. My 3rd season with the longbow. Last season here in E TN I had a young bear at 15 yards, but I decided he had some growing to do and let him pass. Hoping to get another chance next fall.
From: FORESTBOWS
03-Mar-24
10 yards
From: dnovo
03-Mar-24
First one was in Manitoba in spring of 99. Average bear about 175 taken on last day of hunt. 2nd one was spot and stalk with Homer Ocean charter in 2001. Shot him at 8 yards on the ground. Another average bear but it was last morning to hunt and I could only see parts of him in the bush. 3rd one and probably my last was 410 pounds and 19 3/16. All of those were taken with a longbow.
From: Old Reb
03-Mar-24
Qubec in1997. I have killed 2 more since. The 2nd in Qubec also. 3rd was on a hunt with hounds in Maine. Hound hunt was rifle kill. Outfitter didn't allow bowhunting. He wanted the bear dead when it hit the ground. Safety concern for hounds. It was a very exciting hunt. IMO the meat is delicious.
From: Basil
03-Mar-24
Had a bad broadhead cut on my hand which took me out of most of the season. Last day a buddy called me & said come quick there’s a big one in the yard. It wandered off before I could get there but was able to find it down by the lake & arrow it. It was lazy & getting ready to den so it hadn’t gone far. Was the biggest I’ve shot by a bit. Maybe 350-375# but never weighed it.
From: Jaquomo
03-Mar-24
I was working a bull elk in the sagebrush with a lost calf call. He tried to circle around me to get my scent so I was crawling to reposition below the bench he was on, looked to the side, and a gorgeous blonde bear was running through the sagebrush toward me. I raised up to shoot and he stood up, so I shot him standing.
The elk never knew any of this happened and dropped over the lip to try to get downwind of me while I watched the bear run back into the timber. Killed the bear, not the bull.
From: Paul@thefort
04-Mar-24
Called in this Colorado bear with a predator call in 2001. Twenty yards shot, 70 yard recovery. It was in the morning and I was on his breakfast menu, :) A few days later, he was on my dinner menu.
From: DL
04-Mar-24
I went out on a last minute hunt in the snow with some Houndsmen. Said I wanted a young bear for eating. This was the first tracks we came upon and they let the first hound out. Within 10 minutes she found him and the rest of them were released. Quite a learning experience on the different sounds the hounds made and what they meant.
From: Glunt@work
04-Mar-24
Alberta in the 90s. Buddy took me to a new site where you sorta snuck in and didn't see the barrels until about 1/2 way up the tree. Small bear came in. Too small so I took some pics. When he got next to a barrel, he looked bigger based on how my buddy had said to compare them to the barrel. After a bit I decided to shoot knowing he wasn't big but not as small as I originally thought. Shot was good, got down and realized they were 35 gallon barrels at this site instead of 55. He was absolutely as small as I originally thought :^)
From: Rock
04-Mar-24
First was in 1981 in Colorado on a bait I had setup, like others have said I thought it was a 400 pounder but was only a little over 200. Nice chocolate color the next year I shout another one on that bait just like the first same color but slightly bigger.
From: Shug
06-Mar-24
Maine 1982 Bear recurve…
