Bears: The death moan

[two-feet]

Some bears, when fatally hit, will emit a moan or bawl. What is your knowledge or experience with this?

My story: I was a fairly seasoned hunter and had been on several bear hunts with my dad, but had never shot a bear. This year I decided to give it a try, and was hiking up my favourite power line, the same place I had harvested my first moose many years before. Back then it was open clear cuts, now it is an absolute jungle of birch, aspen, alder and willow with coniferous trees trying to make a go of it. I topped a rise and saw a good bear walking across the right of way. I realised my window of opportunity was short so I quickly set up for a shot before the bear got into the thick brush. My model 99 savage in .308 was a trusted gun for me so I fired, and the bear hunched up and then ran into the jungle. This all happened very quickly.

As a mix of adrenaline and emotions flooded through me, a strange bawling sound came from the bush. Honestly, the thought fleetingly crossed my mind that I had shot a cow. I think there were three distinct howls. I gave it 20 mins and went to have a look.

To make a long story short, I started looking in the wrong place and it took me 2 hours to find the bear when it had only gone about 10 yrds. But to be fair, that bush was THICK. Visibility of 6" thick. So 2 hours of nervously stumbling around in thick rhubarb after a bear. Maybe not the smartest thing on Earth, but a guy is feeling truly alive in those scenarios.

I found the bear and enjoyed the meat and memories. Anybody else have a story to tell?

[two-feet]

And do grizzlies do this?

[Stillhunt]

And do grizzlies do this?
And rabbits and deer and coyotes...I think if you shot me I'd give a little "facka yuu"! Or an F-M-L.

[two-feet]

And rabbits and deer and coyotes...I think if you shot me I'd give a little "facka yuu"! Or an F-M-L.

ha ha good. FML for sure

[HarryToolips]

My first black bear harvested I saw eating grass by a roadside, I watched it for a while, took my time, could hear it munching away from a distance, and it couldn't hear me as I crept into position, threw out my bipod lags and got steady, boom - it went a short distance, and howled that horrible howl foronly a few seconds before dying..definitely a horrible sound, but they taste good and they're worth it..

[scotty30-06]

Do you recall where you hit the bear....i would think if you double lunged him he would have trouble getting that out...in a pose to a heart shot where they still might have a few seconds to bitch and lots of air in the lungs to do so...but also have to factor in that like us....each bear is different...big grumpy old boar maybe bawl more then a panicked younger bear..or vise versa....just a few thoughts that I have had for the reason why some do and some don't....and like mentioned most animals do it but some can make a big noise like that then a bear.

[tigrr]

I have shot 3 in the last few years and none have made any sounds. They didn't go far either.

[two-feet]

The one I got that did the wailing was a double lung through and through.

[HarryToolips]

^^^same with mine...

[caddisguy]

So far no moans or howls, just bang-flop. We have been lucky. None of our bears went anywhere. We did have one that tried to get moving with the use of its front paws but when dressing it, we found both lungs were shot and the spine was completely severed. Not sure how one bullet did that. We recovered the bullet and it looks in tact.

I did hear something that sounded like an ongoing death moan in a tree line way up a steep slash. I have tried to describe it to a few people and some have said moose. To me it sounded like a Hollywood grizzly roar, every 10 seconds or so.

[Fella]

Shot one a few years ago that didn't so much moan as it huffed a couple times. Double lung so that probably explains it.

[Grizz.325]

The death moan happens more with archery kills then rifle, for whatever reason. Grizzlies tend not to moan as much when hit. I would describe a grizz as a very angry growl.

[ekul246]

My first bear made a hell of a death moan, at least is seemed to me at the time.

I was extremely in experienced. My ears were ringing like hell from the three shots I took (first one did him in, the others were misses). Couldn't hear a damn thing, but through it, I heard the death moan. Threw me for a loop. Had never been told they did that. I looked at my dad and asked him "what is that?" "His death moan", he said. Immediately felt terrible and thought he wasn't dying fast enough. In actuality he didn't last very long at all. But made me consider, as we drove home, that I might not want to shoot another bear.

Fast forward a few years, I shot my second bear last June and don't even remember whether it moaned or not. And didn't feel bad at all. Just soaked the whole experience in. (I also get my muffs on before shooting. Much nicer to revel in success when you can hear)

[Rotorwash]

I had one moan on a double lung. ran a little ways then flopped over and started that horrible noise. I knew they do sometimes but its still pretty disturbing.. like a bawling child. I put another shot behind the ear to make him stop.

awful noise...

[Sportster]

I was watching a African hunting show and the ph (professional hunter )said that the only animal that has a different death moan besides the North American black bear is the Cape buffalo.

[tuner]

The death moan is really unnerving, very very unpleasant.

[two-feet]

I have heard that when you hear the moan it means the shot was fatal. So in a strange way a nice thing to hear.

[Ron.C]

Ya I had a bear moan after the shot a few years ago. He went on for about 30 seconds. I understand that not all game dies the second it's hit , even with good shot placement but I didn't enjoy listening to that.

[scotty30-06]

Yup...conformation of success

[squamishhunter]

Always head/neck shoot my bears, almost always the moan. Sure makes you thankful for the bear giving himself to you.

[rocksteady]

I once shot a spike whitetail buck, who hopped just as I pulled the trigger. Spine shot him. He howled like a banshee, til I got over and ended his suffering..

terrible sound, but if you hunt long enough you will hear something like that

[Rob]

The death moan happens more with archery kills then rifle, for whatever reason. Grizzlies tend not to moan as much when hit. I would describe a grizz as a very angry growl.

Thats what we had last weekend...

[Farmer001]

Never had them moan, I shot a big bear and gave him enough time to expire, or so I thought and with knife in hand I attempted to start moving him and he let out a loud Grunt. Just about crapped my pants. He was done but sure got the last laugh.

[Weatherby Fan]

Quite a few years back I shot a 5pt Elk in the chest facing me and he bugled the meanest roar I've ever heard before tipping over dead !

[Thunderstix]

Several of my blackies have made this sound. Two of which collapsed in full view of me and never moved even the smallest muscle while doing the eerie death moan.....completely motionless....freaky.

[gmachine19]

I heard this for the first time when I was accompanying a buddy last spring hunt. Felt pity for the bear so I shot it in the back of the head and it stopped moaning.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Have only heard it once in 18 plus bears that I've been in on....grizz and blacks.

[4 point]

Was told a long time ago that bears are in the pig family thus the bawling in some cases prior to expiring.

[Bear Chaser]

I like the sound.
Adds a little bit to the anticipation before you walk up on them. Also nice if he runs into the thick stuff.

[SaintSix]

Ive had one bear shot with my bow, single lung and exit was a bit far back and a rifle frontal shot just over the collar bone and bullet traveled down his spine do the death moan and 3 bears that didn't not. I'm not a fan of hearing the sounds, kinda depressing but on the other hand confirms where the bear is and that's its down. when hunting in thick bush.

[steel_ram]

Was told a long time ago that bears are in the pig family thus the bawling in some cases prior to expiring.

A common myth. Not even close. They are both mammals and that's about it. Bears are more closely related to raccoons and dogs.

[two-feet]

A common myth. Not even close. They are both mammals and that's about it. Bears are more closely related to raccoons and dogs.

also related to seals and sea lions somewhere on the tree i think. Not pig though

[Dour]

That's the sound of a successful shot that death howl means he's gone It's definitely a wtf!!!! Why you a hole !!!! I'm a bear ! Doing what bears Do mother f/er that's all that is.