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Thread: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Squamish
    Posts
    6,082

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    That sucks, but I wouldn't have done anything different.

    Your stories over the years have painted a pretty clear picture of an ethical hunter. Shit happens. Don't beat yourself up.

    Here's hoping it was a muscle injury like VLD suggests.
    Is Justin Competent, or just incompetent?

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    3,080

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    To me from your video that looks like a through and through on a leg. Smaller droplets separated from a larger pool of on quite a few of those in your video. Entrance vs exit wounds, with only a few inches separating them. And the fact that it is low and concentrated like that consistently says it might not be body cavity.

    Doubtful that is a liver hit though in my mind, nothing shakes off a liver hit. For there to be that much blood on the ground there would be ten times as much in the body cavity and with leaving him for 10 hours before follow up he wouldn't have gone too far before getting sick and holing up in the brush. You didn't mention anything about finding a bed anywhere, so it is pretty unlikely he has a hole in his body cavity.

    Was the shot up or down? Or just a level poke?
    Regardless, don't beat yourself up too hard over it. You put in some good effort and did what you could. Sometimes something goes wrong and it doesn't turn out the way you want.


  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    6,032

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    Quote Originally Posted by KodiakHntr View Post
    To me from your video that looks like a through and through on a leg. Smaller droplets separated from a larger pool of on quite a few of those in your video. Entrance vs exit wounds, with only a few inches separating them. And the fact that it is low and concentrated like that consistently says it might not be body cavity.

    Doubtful that is a liver hit though in my mind, nothing shakes off a liver hit. For there to be that much blood on the ground there would be ten times as much in the body cavity and with leaving him for 10 hours before follow up he wouldn't have gone too far before getting sick and holing up in the brush. You didn't mention anything about finding a bed anywhere, so it is pretty unlikely he has a hole in his body cavity.

    Was the shot up or down? Or just a level poke?
    Regardless, don't beat yourself up too hard over it. You put in some good effort and did what you could. Sometimes something goes wrong and it doesn't turn out the way you want.
    Slight incline... bear was higher, maybe 30 yards up and about 120 yards away. I was going for dead center double lung. I think (know for a fact) I jerked the trigger that it would have gone a bit right, so maybe armpit or limb near by.

    Thinking more hindsight, I never would have taken the shot with a bow at 15 yards. I guess that is my takeaway. Have to follow the same process with breathing and being zen, not anticipating the shot. I got flustered after forgetting to switch off the safety (another mistake, goes to show the mindset) on the first go.

    I know what I did wrong and appreciate all the experienced and observant replies with regard to the blood trail.... and the chin up too posts. I'll get there but it will take some time.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    1,676

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    Thats hunting man. Happens too all of us at some point. All you can do is try your best to locate the animal and you definitely did. Shake it off and get after the next one!
    WSSBC
    CCFR

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cranbrook
    Posts
    2,744

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    As has been posted already, most likely the outer parts of the bear or one of the limbs of the bear. Often can result in quite a bit of blood drying up. However, I've also seen bears bleed really good and then stop over time due to fat/hair/etc stopping some of the blood loss. I've recovered bears that have bled really good and then trickled to a stop before expiring. I've also trailed bears when I guided that were hit on the 'outskirts' and bled like crazing before drying up and never to be found. Worst one I saw was a grizz likely over 8' that was shot standing straight up and the bullet hit the right side of the arm. Never recovered after a long tiring search.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    998

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    I hunt with a Drahthaar.

    Think about a dog... That much blood, it should lay down an die. Dog would find it.

    I have been there. I chose not to post about it. Too many unfriendly eyes.

    Sorry for your loss. It will weigh on your heart. Worse when it is a moose.
    The Pharmaceutical Industry is just as interested in World Health as the Arms Industry is in World Peace.

    "We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one." -Confucius

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    6,032

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    Quote Originally Posted by elch jager View Post
    I hunt with a Drahthaar.

    Think about a dog... That much blood, it should lay down an die. Dog would find it.

    I have been there. I chose not to post about it. Too many unfriendly eyes.

    Sorry for your loss. It will weigh on your heart. Worse when it is a moose.
    Thought crossed my mind wishing I had a trained dog at my disposal. They can do some impressive tracking. I don't recall the YouTube channel but there is a guy helps with tracking frequently. Pretty impressive.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    N. Okanagan
    Posts
    14,182

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    Tough hunt, just another example of a bears tenacity.

    Thats it though, from now on you are Candorguy
    Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    lower Mainland
    Posts
    2,146

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    Lost a beauty Buck in a somewhat similar way last fall.

    He was mortally wounded though...

    It sucks

    Not to worry to much,

    the local wildlife would thank you if it could
    He's anything but a hunter.
    More like another, Rain Coast Sociopath Fraud. Living off the prevails of his chronic lies, like the rest of them...

    It's an issue, because these sociopath environmentalist's, will dilute the facts.
    To the point you or Joe public, won't know them any more..
    They count on that big time..

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hope, BC
    Posts
    37

    Re: Terrible weekend. Messed up two shots and lost my bear.

    That’s tough man. I had a similar experience two years ago. I still wonder if that bear is out there. It doesn’t feel good to wound an animal and not know. It’s also really hard to diagnose a hit without hands on the animal. The next two bears that I was present for (one for me and one for my dad) both had previously healed bullet wounds to the shoulder and were big healthy brutes despite a limp. So, they can continue to survive well.

    The experience has made me slow down and focus more during shot opportunities. Not that I was rushing before, but I don’t want to do that again. I’ve missed one or two chances at a shot as a result. I’d rather continue hunting though, with hopes of a better chance, than spend the day(s) searching and regretting.

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