Bear jump the river to run for his life?

[rollingrock]

Let's say a bear was shot. He might have been shot vital or non vital, but he was hit hard as the hunter saw him tumble to the right side after he was hit. A follow up shot was fired. But the hunter wasn't sure if he hit it as the bear was unbelievably agile given his size. Then behind the spot there was thick bush/woods. So he must have run into the woods. So the hunter went to look for him, no blood which wasn't unusual, but the grass was run down. But when going into the woods, the hunter couldn't find any obvious trail such as broken branches or run-down shrubs etc. The woods is on a steep slope, and at the bottom there was a 20 to 30 yard deep steep cliff with a fast big river running underneath. The hunter knew that usually the pig would run to any water source after he was hit. So he searched along the edge of the cliff. Saw lots of bear prints. But when the hunter looked further down, he couldn't believe the bear would have jumped off the cliff into the water. This wasn't a small creek, this was a major river in BC which has taken quite a few people's lives.

The bear was a huge monster. Any comments?:p

[bigwhiteys]

How far away did this "hunter" shoot from?

Has he tried to contact anyone with tracking dogs?

I couldn't see a bear jumping into the river off the cliff but then again they do have a mind of their own.

My dad has told me stories of sheep and goats trying to plunge themselves off cliffs after being shot or wounded.

So maybe a bear would too?

Happy Hunting!
Carl

[rollingrock]

The bear was spotted over 300 meters away with wind in face. Ran and stalked over 250 meters to catch up with the bear as he was wandering away. The shots were taken at 110 meters after the bear stopped and looked over his shoulder.

Would the tracking dogs be able to pick up the bear trail after heavy rain?

[bigwhiteys]

RollingRock,

The bear was looking over his shoulder so he obviously wasn't broadside right? The vitals on a bear when he's walking away looking back over his shoulder isn't a very big target. I personally would have held off on the shot.

Contrary to common belief rain doesn't really wash the scent away as fast as you think it would. HEAT is the quickest killer of a scent trail at least thats what I have been told by people with tracking dogs.

If this happened yesterday, I think there is a very real possibility of tracking dogs finding a trail but the clock is ticking!

Happy Hunting!
Carl

[Barracuda]

dogs would have a pretty rough time if a track is old and rained out and the scent molecules are washed away and burned off.
Sounds like the bear was quartering away and it has been gut/poorly shot . I have to ask who the hunter was???

[rollingrock]

dogs would have a pretty rough time if a track is old and rained out and the scent molecules are washed away and burned off.
Sounds like the bear was quartering away and it has been gut/poorly shot . I have to ask who the hunter was???

That's what I think.

Well that guy has been pulling his hair after a long tough search in the woods. He has lost one cinemon and one monster blackie in the last 72 hours. He's a good shooter, but he was just unlucky.

[bigwhiteys]

RollingRock,


He has lost one cinemon and one monster blackie in the last 72 hours. He's a good shooter, but he was just unlucky.


He's lost two bears in 72 hours...? Some stories are better left untold.

I'll definitely say he's unlucky but I'd also have to question the "Good Shooter" part though. It sounds like someone may have gotten a little too excited.

Sorry... I just don't like to hear about this stuff.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

[rollingrock]

Carl, there're some stories behind. But anything could happen when you pull the trigger, and there's always a lesson you can learn every time.

[harbinger]

kinda embarrasing how many guys are not getting there bears after so many hits!:sad:

[bigwhiteys]

Rollingrock,

I hope that some lessons were learned then!

Personally I think excitement and adrenaline takes over for too many hunters and they don't let their cooler head prevail in these situations. Regardless of how good of a shooter they are.

With a little more patience and some rational thinking, situations like this should be few and far between if not never occuring in the first place.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

[rollingrock]

:) Carl, that guy has been cool for whole his life. The first cinemon he was gonna shoot was facing him at 50 yards for a good headshot. he pull the trigger, the tigger didn't move. he looked down, the cartridge wasn't loaded entirely as the neck of the case wasn't crimped properly which he has never seen in his entire life.

[bigwhiteys]

RollingRock,

That sucks! I apologize for my assumption then :) I could imagine how frustrating it would be having a technical issue in that situation let alone on something on the rare side such as a cinnimon bear. I would be upset about that for sure.

In any event if that black bear was in fact wounded he will be found and used by mother nature if your friend does not locate him.

Just be sure to kick your friend in the ass and say "NO WAIT" if he ever wants to make a quartering away shot on a moving animal again! :)

I've gotten quite a few black bears to turn around and go broadside with either a wail on the predator call or a loud whistle or yell, even if they were running scared.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

[Elkhound]

Well there is being a good shooter and then there is a good shooter who waits for the best shot, and not trying to squeeze one off while an animal is walking away. He might have hit it in the ass. It could have gone a long way shot like that. But I was not there.

I do know Symon and I have let alot of bears walk away cause it did not present an ideal shot for him.

[Iron-Head]

I think you have pretty much summed it up Bigwhitey's. I dont think there anything more important than good shot placement,especially on bears. They are some seriosly tuff' critters and it takes a good shot to put them down.There are plenty of bears out the to be shot so take your time and wait for a good broadsider'.
Best of luck for your friend and you on hunts to come tho!
Symon

[rollingrock]

:)he said from now on he would check each bullet before going out hunting. he's got some weird luck. he was lucky in the way that he saw three decent bear in 72 hours and had the opportunities of taking two of them. the reason that I said he's good shooter was because most of his deer was taken with head shots.

[cowboy-up69]

:) Carl, that guy has been cool for whole his life. The first cinemon he was gonna shoot was facing him at 50 yards for a good headshot. he pull the trigger, the tigger didn't move. he looked down, the cartridge wasn't loaded entirely as the neck of the case wasn't crimped properly which he has never seen in his entire life.


This has happened to me twice, but with nice bucks standin in front of me, and it jamms and its a b%^#@ to get it un jammed. Now I take my time, and make sure everything is in good workin condition.

[Barracuda]

:)he said from now on he would check each bullet before going out hunting. he's got some weird luck. he was lucky in the way that he saw three decent bear in 72 hours and had the opportunities of taking two of them. the reason that I said he's good shooter was because most of his deer was taken with head shots.

Well as everyone has said it is pretty tough to make a choice till you are in the thick of it your self . Head shooting an animal is not always the best medicine , on a bear think incapacitation Break bone such as shoulders or spine ,and or heart & lungs ,
I have passed on a number of bears this season because my self imposed conditions and criteria were not met and it hasnt diminished how much i have enjoyed myself.. :smile:

Sounds like this fellow can find them , so perhaps take him with you as a set of eyes and a backup, let him spot the bear and you take it and show him how its done :mrgreen:

A smart person learns by their mistakes, a smarter person learns by other peoples mistakes:tongue:

Good luck .

[boxhitch]

:) he pull the trigger, the tigger didn't move. he looked down, the cartridge wasn't loaded entirely as the neck of the case wasn't crimped properly which he has never seen in his entire life.
Read, and re-read, but still can't get a picture of this ??
As far as the idea of a bear going down a 'cliff' - to you and me it may be a cliff, but to an animal that has it as part of his backyard, it may only be an easy escape route, to a safe spot without crossing the river.
Good shooters may be able to make good shots, but nothing says all the shots are good. Waiting for the best, now thats a good shooter.

[bsa30-06]

first let me say rollingrock, i feel bad your friend .
second, i 'd like to say thank you to all you guys who posted advice on where to shoot bears and the kind of shots you should wait for.When i took my first bear this year i replayed all that advice in my mind and made a quick clean kill.I waited for the broadside shot and even though it was only a 60 yard shot instead of rushing it i found an old stump to use as a rest and then squezed of my shot.i believe because of all the advice i read posted here and the stories of bears not recovered that i was better educated and prepared for that shot.Best of luck with the recovery of that bear.

[Barracuda]

one would think if he was able to close the bolt he would have been able to pull the trigger an uncrimped round will chamber and fire .

[Elkhound]

bsa30-06, I am so glad you posted that. I read all these posts (not just on this thread but on others as well) and to the person who wounded the animal it must sound like we are "Know it alls" who never miss and that we are picking on the guy. Not so, most of us have made similar if not the same mistakes and don't want others to have to go through those same crappy feelings we experienced. I and others do use alot of the advice we learn here from more experienced hunters. I know I sure have. Happy to hear you took the learnings and put it to good use. Thats the main reason I come to these sites. To learn more. Some times you need to put on the chest waders to get to the good stuff though:wink:

[youngfellla]

one would think if he was able to close the bolt he would have been able to pull the trigger an uncrimped round will chamber and fire .

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.

I wonder if the bullet creeped out a bit and he wasn't able to close the bolt all the way? A friend of mine had that happen with some 338 Win. Federal High Energy ammo, some of the rounds in the box were not crimped and the bullets creeped out of the case, and couldn't be chambered.:roll:

[rollingrock]

bsa30-06, I am so glad you posted that. I read all these posts (not just on this thread but on others as well) and to the person who wounded the animal it must sound like we are "Know it alls" who never miss and that we are picking on the guy. Not so, most of us have made similar if not the same mistakes and don't want others to have to go through those same crappy feelings we experienced. I and others do use alot of the advice we learn here from more experienced hunters. I know I sure have. Happy to hear you took the learnings and put it to good use. Thats the main reason I come to these sites. To learn more. Some times you need to put on the chest waders to get to the good stuff though:wink:

That's so true!

[rollingrock]

Sounds like this fellow can find them , so perhaps take him with you as a set of eyes and a backup, let him spot the bear and you take it and show him how its done :mrgreen:


Good luck .

:-) Yah he told me that he found another good spot and would go try it in a few days. That's all about figure out the pattern of bear movements. Hope he could get a decent one soon.

[Barracuda]

I saw one this morning actually:grin: I went into the woods on the back of the property and came across a couple of fresh bear turds (the hounds have been going crazy)so i hiked further down and low and behold a black bear, around a five footer and he really wasnt sure what to make of me at first, I took my pup down by himself after on the lead and he was very cautious but interested . at first he back off from the scat ad then he investigated . I took him further down and let him trail the track for a bit. I was heading back to the house with him and on the way back he got wind of where the bear marked and crapped ,he stopped dead and cautiously barking at a dark log that was in the bushes till he got the courage to get close and check it out and decide it was ok. all in all pretty funny . It will be fun to see when he matures and grows a pair:smile:

Bears are where ya find them
Good luck

[boxhitch]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.

I wonder if the bullet creeped out a bit and he wasn't able to close the bolt all the way? A friend of mine had that happen with some 338 Win. Federal High Energy ammo, some of the rounds in the box were not crimped and the bullets creeped out of the case, and couldn't be chambered.:roll:
Nope, can't get my head around this one either. We are talking factory loads here, right? The crimp does not hold the bullet in the case, neck tension will do it. IF the round is crimped incorrectly, which will lessen neck tension, there is still nothing to push the bullet out of the case. Recoil can cause the cartridge to jump in the magazine, and bunt up against the wall, which may push the bullet deeper. A proper crimp will help prevent this. IF you have rounds that hte bullet is loose enough, to the point it is wiggley or loose enough to pull apart by hand, there is a serious problem.
Handloads ? well, thats a different bag of maggots.

[Barracuda]

as far as i can figure , if you can close the bolt you can pull the trigger . I dont know of anyone that would not know if they had closed the bolt all the way .

I have had a bit of machining ridge that would catch the edge of a un crimped handload case and even cause it to mark the case and slightly crunch the neck a bit but it would still chamber and fire?

[rollingrock]

I have had a bit of machining ridge that would catch the edge of a un crimped handload case and even cause it to mark the case and slightly crunch the neck a bit but it would still chamber and fire?

this was exactly what happened. don't take any chance in case when you see the game, grab the gun, load the ammo, and 'close' the bolt without knowing that the ammo isn't actually loaded, then you're screwed.

[Barracuda]

Make sure to get that ridge smoothed out it will feed better and not mark the crap outa your brass.
On my rifle it was covered under warrenty so they cleaned it up with no questioned asked, It sure was silky smooth after :smile: .
I "Try" to make sure i work out the bugs on the range or during testing ,(simulated fast loading, snap shots etc...) but at the end of the day it all comes down to a particular and exact set of circumstances that can be the cause of grief and lost opportunity

[bsa30-06]

bsa30-06, I am so glad you posted that. I read all these posts (not just on this thread but on others as well) and to the person who wounded the animal it must sound like we are "Know it alls" who never miss and that we are picking on the guy. Not so, most of us have made similar if not the same mistakes and don't want others to have to go through those same crappy feelings we experienced. I and others do use alot of the advice we learn here from more experienced hunters. I know I sure have. Happy to hear you took the learnings and put it to good use. Thats the main reason I come to these sites. To learn more. Some times you need to put on the chest waders to get to the good stuff though:wink:
This site is a great place to learn specially if you listen with your ears and not your mouth, and i just wanted the people who post this info to know that some of us actually use what we learn here.Thanxs again guys.

[Steeleco]

You never stop learning till the day they close the lid, it's even better when it's something you can't do without!!!

[MB_Boy]

On a complete side note.....hats off to the members for keeping this thread as somewhat of a learning experience. We have ALL seen where a thread starting out as this one did can go....:roll:.....and reading it the other morning I thought this would be another.