Hunters have a pattern to them.

[35 Whelen]

Having just returned from a Bear Hunt in New Brunswick with two hunters from Pa ,neither of them having ever shot bears before. Thought I would share with the gang on here the details of the hunt.
Both guys are decent deer hunters from Pa and one of them has hunted here in Maine with us before. Wanting to do a Spring hunt for bears I took them over to a fellow outfitters in Northern NB Canada , he has been baitin for about a week before we arrived. There is a TON of bears in this area with the game cameras showing lots of different sized bears at every station. Some of them in the two hundred and fifty lb class [dressed weight] and all the baits being hit regularly in daylight hours.
I had spent a fair amount of time discussing how to judge the bear against the barrels and where to not shoot them so we wouldn't have to look for them with a flashlight half the nite. I went into explicit detail to NOT shoot them like you would a deer behind the shoulder, but to instead shoot them right in the middle of the shoulder and break the whole front end down to anchor them on the spot. I also told them with so many bears hitting and us having a full five days to hunt NOT to hurry and NOT to shoot the first bear they saw unless they were positive it was a monster!
Well here is the outcome of the trip ................ hunter no 1 Shot his bear the first nite and shot the first one that came in.................................. he hit it EXACTLY where I told him not to. It ran off, Bear dressed in at 150lbs............... I went over all of this again with hunter no 2; and he assured me, that he understood exactly, what I was trying to point out to him, about the size, and the placement of the shot.
Second nite he shot the first bear he saw, and once again, hit it EXACTLY were I told him not too................... bear ran off same as hunter no 1's bear, bear weighted in simalar at 160lbs..................... both hunters, said they thought the bears were much larger than they were, and that neither could remember exactly where??? they actually aimed????? Both were equally quiet and sheepish, when I got to them, and their bears. I have been watching this for nearly fourty years, and have no logical explaination for this; Except just because a person nods his head, and says he understands, Apparently doesn't mean he really does.............................. :?

 

[Oldtrader3]

Earl, that is an issue with all humans. I have worked in 15 different countries during my life and it is the same everywhere, human nature! You give people explicit instructions and when the time comes they revert to what they know and understand, not what you told them!

 

[DrMike]

Bears almost always cause hyperventilation in hunters. They see the animals and cannot begin to estimate the size--all bears look as it they will square seven feet to newbie hunters. It takes incredible discipline to actually pause and look at all the clues. How many pictures have I seen of smallish bears taken by new hunters. It is one thing when taking a bear as a meat bear; it is another thing when you are paying good money to get on a big bear. Good story, Earl.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah...bears are more subject to "ground shrinkage" than any thing else I'm aware of.

I wish I had a nickel for every 10' bear story...

 

[JD338]

Earle,

Bears can give a hunter a real rush if they have not seen many bears.
As an FYI, the Japanese always nod their heads "yes". It doesn't mean they under stand, it just means they heard you speaking.

JD338

 

[big rifle man]

Always remembered what my hunting buddy told me about hunting bears. He hunted for Bears in Maine and became a good judge on size. His comment was look at the head. If the head is small in relation to the rest of the body your looking at a good size animal.

 

[DrMike]

I see a video of my first bear hunt on the ledge above my desk. I never even pulled the trigger. I can be heard, as the camera focuses on the bear, hyperventilating. After almost three minutes, the bear had enough of presenting himself for a shot and ambled off. He was a good looking six foot cinnamon coloured bear. I still get pretty excited on bears, but I'm able to whack them now. Also, I've become reasonably good at judging. Seeing a few hundred bears over the years helps. However, that first tape is still good for a laugh.

 

[bbearhntr]

Yep, been there done that too. Ground shrinkage is mighty common for new hunters and the occasional seasoned vet. I have been exposed to it myself. I have myself on video once after shooting a bear ranting about him beeing at least 300 lbs only to climb out of my tree and find him dress at 140. I have also shot a bear square in the shoulder with 180g 30-06 slug and witnessed him rumble stumble and tumble over 150 yds through some of the nastiest swampy alder thickets you could imagine. It is NO fun trailing a bear on your hands and knees through that crap. Some just don't want to die no matter where they are shot. I keep shooting now until it stops moving. IMHO that is the only way to truely "anchor" a bear, fill him with lead.

 

[Guy Miner]

Only two bear kills I've been in on were pretty dissimilar.

My sons bear at about 150 yards, required I think four shots to stop it. Though it was a hurting puppy from the first hit. That thing was intent on getting away, down, down, down, into the brush choked draw.

My bear at about 300 yards required but one shot, through the shoulders, breaking him down pretty fast. He still managed to crawl a few feet after dropping, but only a few feet.

It's not just bears though. I'm an avowed shoulder-shooter. Why then last fall did I shoot BOTH my pronghorn and my mulie behind the shoulder? I dunno. That's where the crosshairs steadied up, and both were instant one-shot kills. Beats me. Generally I go for the shoulder, ruin a little meat and enjoy the instant drop.

Going for bear again this fall. Hope to enjoy a couple of those one-shot-drops this year as well!

Guy

 

[Divernhunter]

I shot this bear the 1st time I saw him. He was a 15.5 year old boar. After cutting about 6" of fat off him all over he hung up 287 lbs without hide/head or internals.
This is a photo of him on a queen size bed. Not the best photo but it will give you an idea.
Hunted with dogs and shot it in the eye using a 44mag pistol.

 

[35 Whelen]

Now that puts the queen into queensized.......................... :lol:

 

[gerry]

That's a really nice boar, congrats. 15.5 years old makes him an old timer for sure.