whauburger
6.5 Creedmoor
Not feeling to good right now. Yesterday I left work a little early and go in a stand which usually has high odds of seeing deer. At about 3:45 a doe, 2 fawns, and a yearling come in at a bad angle from my right side. The fawns are right in front of me about 12 yards out, Doe is about 25 yards out not presenting any type of shot possibility if I would have wanted, and Yearling is about 3 yards to my right. The fawns start stomping and looking towards my left side. Didn't think much of it b/c momma didn't even raise her head to look. Then yearling almost right under me now stomps and is looking to my left. None had a clue I was there. So my first thought is, buck might be coming up from my left and will push them away. Before I could turn and look they all take off running. Now I hear what sounds like a person walking towards me so I think WTF. I slowly turn my head and see black feet through under brush. It takes me a second to process that it is a black bear....
Side bar, I have deer hunted a long time and have see a bear in the woods probably twice in my life. I have always said i'd like to take a bear with a bow if I had a chance. Rifle hunting a bear just never appealed to me. So back to the story.
Now this bear is walking at a good pace towards my tree. I draw back quickly and set myself, it walks in front of me about 7 or 8 yards away slightly quartered away and stops. I settle my pin and shoot. Now I am shaking like a bitch. I see what looked like a good shot, passed through. Arrow went into dirt/ mud I watched it walk about 45 yards and down a hill out of my sight.
I waited an hour and started tracking. I had very good blood from the shot about 125 yards into thick high reeds/ cat tails. I backed off (had my old man come down to help me out) and we sat watching the reeds move and hearing stuff break and rustle for about 45 minutes. I did catch a glimpse of it in this thick stuff. We decided since it sounded like it was pretty hurt and bedding rolling around in there to let it sit over night. Hopefully bed and bleed out rather then push it in what was very thick hard to see area. Plus I was nervous to be honest of a wounded bear vs me with a bow at that distance.
Went back this morning to the spot, found bloody vomit. Pushed around that thicket a bunch and could not locate the bear.
I called Deer Search Inc. at this point and around 2ish a dog handler should be able to get out to assist me. I want to go walk around more but at this point don't want to dirty the area up with more scent.
Just wanted to vent my frustration a bit.
Side bar, I have deer hunted a long time and have see a bear in the woods probably twice in my life. I have always said i'd like to take a bear with a bow if I had a chance. Rifle hunting a bear just never appealed to me. So back to the story.
Now this bear is walking at a good pace towards my tree. I draw back quickly and set myself, it walks in front of me about 7 or 8 yards away slightly quartered away and stops. I settle my pin and shoot. Now I am shaking like a bitch. I see what looked like a good shot, passed through. Arrow went into dirt/ mud I watched it walk about 45 yards and down a hill out of my sight.
I waited an hour and started tracking. I had very good blood from the shot about 125 yards into thick high reeds/ cat tails. I backed off (had my old man come down to help me out) and we sat watching the reeds move and hearing stuff break and rustle for about 45 minutes. I did catch a glimpse of it in this thick stuff. We decided since it sounded like it was pretty hurt and bedding rolling around in there to let it sit over night. Hopefully bed and bleed out rather then push it in what was very thick hard to see area. Plus I was nervous to be honest of a wounded bear vs me with a bow at that distance.
Went back this morning to the spot, found bloody vomit. Pushed around that thicket a bunch and could not locate the bear.
I called Deer Search Inc. at this point and around 2ish a dog handler should be able to get out to assist me. I want to go walk around more but at this point don't want to dirty the area up with more scent.
Just wanted to vent my frustration a bit.
keep us posted 
congratulations 
