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Thread: Blood Bath Bear

  1. #1
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    Oct 2006
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    Blood Bath Bear

    I've always shot behind the shoulder and over the years have killed a bunch but have lost a few. I think Ive got a new point of aim lol.

    Just to clarify as I talk about bear size Im going to use on the body nose to base of tail measurements as thats the way my brain works. Apparently the square measurement comes from the fur market. Skin the bear, lay out the hide and measure nose to base of tail and then front paw to paw, add the 2 and divide by 2 which gives you a good idea of how much hide you are buying...you generally gain a foot or more as the hide is longer off the body depending on how long the bears legs are.

    I was in region 7 hanging out and helping a buddy with some bear guiding and camp chores etc and had a few days to head out to look for a bear for myself. I havent shot one in a few years and had the itch. I drove a few roads just outside the territory with no luck...not much sign, no sightings...not familiar with the area I remembered one of the guides who lives local told me about a good road to check out so I headed that way...weather was really hot and I didn't see much till right before dark and then there were bears everywhere. Lots of 4 footers, 1 5 1/2' and then I saw a good bear as I came around the corner at 300 yards. The clients in camp hadn't shot a bear yet and I really didn't want to bring one back to camp before them so I idled up closer with the truck telling myself if it lets me get to 50 yards I'd try and shoot it. It let me get to about 100.

    Next day was hot again, drove around all day and only saw one sow which was surprising because there was sign everywhere! The golden hour of late evening came around and I headed back to the main road and saw all the same bears again. It kinda feels like cheating because the bears are conditioned to vehicles. They run into the bush and then come out again when the cars are gone. Hunting takes many forms and outsmarting the game is usually always part of the game but it still felt a bit like cheating. It didnt seem like there were too many bear hunters around to condition the bears other wise or so I thought. I ended up parked staring at the same big bear again, clients still hadn't shot one yet so I was leary to be the asshole that rubs it in bringing a bear back to camp. I was trying to decide how big the bear was, it looked just under 6ft but bears are super hard to judge, I like to be conservative and called it a 5'6" plus in my head. It had a long polar bear kneck, shoulders/chest were the same size as the rear. Belly was high off the ground which seems normal for spring bears unless they live in coquitlam lol. I was parked at 300 yards and planned on stalking up closer to have a better look. Just then I heard a truck coming, they slowed down, probably to ask if I was alright I thought, I waved them on, they passed then saw the bear and reversed. It was a polite couple with 3 kids that were bear hunting. They asked if I was going to shoot it, I said I was going to have a closer look but if they wanted to take it, go ahead, then I can see how big it is lol.



    I witnessed a short stock, the wife shot it off shooting sticks at 150 or so and it just dropped on the spot...moved a little but died in minutes. I asked where she shot and and she said neck. The local guide that recommended the road knows them and said he reloaded for their 338 when they couldn't find ammo. Boom! Great shot. I asked if it were ok if I take a look at the bear and take a few pics. The bear was an awesome bear!



    Big crease in the forehead! Judging bears for me is humbling, I didn't put a tape on him but I'd bet he was 6 foot plus on the body. Great bear! The couple asked me if I would have shot it after seeing it and I replied yes, they were too nice and felt bad that I passed it up lol I was more sad I didn't judge it better. I congratulated them and continued down the road as there was still 20 minutes of shooting light left.
    "Our arrows will block out the sun!" "Then we shall fight in the dark!" K.L. Government is not the solution to our problem, it is the problem. R.R. “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” M.F. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClJ...fYFveARiWyqjQA

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  3. #2
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    I continued down the road and it didn't take long till I saw another decent one. I was still leary to shoot one so I got out of the truck at 200 yards and stalked up on it. It was moving fast down the ditch and I had to speed walk to gain on it. I decided not to shoot it as it wasn't a monster and decided to take a selfie at 50 yards. The picture is stupid and makes it look like 300 yards lol.



    The wind was good I got to 30 yards before he either sensed me or got a wiff of my havent showered in 5 days ass lol He ran into the thick stuff breaking branches and huffing all the way scared shitless.
    "Our arrows will block out the sun!" "Then we shall fight in the dark!" K.L. Government is not the solution to our problem, it is the problem. R.R. “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” M.F. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClJ...fYFveARiWyqjQA

  4. #3
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    Good deal. Now you both have a story to tell.

  5. #4
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    Next day I skipped the day hunting, did some chores, had a couple beers, a bacon cheeseburger, had a nap, woke up at 430 and headed out. The clients had killed one now, so I had it in my head I was coming back with a bear. I saw a few 4 footers and then spotted a decent one at 250 yards. I was calling it 5ft 8 ish, I parked the truck, wind was good, I started sneaking up the ditch towards the bear. I was about halfway there when I heard a truck coming, the bear ran back in the bush as the truck passed they slowed to ask if I was alright. I got a bino harness, electronic ear muffs and a loaded tikka t3 super light 300 win mag with a muzzxle brake, the bipod extended, Im stylin lol. They carried on, I turned around walked back to the truck waited 15 minutes with no bear sightings. Part of the road/ditch was obsured by the dip in the road so I decided to drive by and set up on the other side of where the bear was as it had beter visibility. The wind wan't as good but I figured if I set up at 200 yards it would be fine. I waited 15 more minutes and sure enough the bear came right back out again. Im not the kind of guy with nerves of steel, I was excited to shoot a bear after a few years and my cross hairs were dancing all over the place. It was pissing me off. I had a perfect shot as the bear seemed tired and bored and actually sat down in the middle of the road. Back legs out, it looked funny actually. Just then I heard another vehicle. Tree planters, they didn't slow down, just cruised by. The bear went back in the bush.

    Not 2 minutes later it was out again. At 207 yards my wind wasn't good. The bear kept looking in my direction. Not sure if he caught wiffs of me or if he just sensed something wasnt right, either way he seemed more curious than scared. After all this time I was calm. My only worry was trailing a bear into the thick stuff in the dark by myself. Without much debate in my head I decided on a kneck shot after witnessing the results the night before. In the last year Ive been reloading and shooting a lot. I was confident that if my cross hairs were steady, the bullet would land where I aimed. The bear stopped quartering towards me and I lined up center just under the chin. I squeezed the light trigger and the gun jumped, even with the brake I still lose sight in the recoil, I find the bear again and he hasn't moved an inch. I watched ready to send another round as he expires.

    I drove up and was shocked by the amount of blood! Center of the road lol





    I guess I hit jugular and it pumped all its blood out. It looked like a murder scene! Whatever happened I was happy there was not gonna be any searching or cutting and packing in the dark. It was a decent size bear, pics don't do it justice as there is no close reference for size. Not a super old bear, no forehead crease no broken teeth, no scars, but a big healthy bear that would keep our family in ground meat for a while. It was all I could do to drag him 4 feet to the side of the road. I found some ratchet straps in the back of my buddys truck and winched his back paws up over the tailgate, tightening one, re setting the other and vice versa till he was half up. I then grabbed him by under the arm pits and it took everything I had to swing him up onto the tailgate. I ended up pulling a bicep muscle. He was heavy.

    He ended up being 6ft on the body and squared 7'3" as he had super long legs. I was slightly higher than him when I shot and found the 200 grain Accubond in his back strap. I'm now a big fan of the kneck shot and named this bear blood bath bear for apparent reasons. Love to be there when the next guy drives down the road lol

    "Our arrows will block out the sun!" "Then we shall fight in the dark!" K.L. Government is not the solution to our problem, it is the problem. R.R. “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” M.F. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClJ...fYFveARiWyqjQA

  6. #5
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    Dec 2007
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    I've been on many hunts and seen dozens of not a hundred animals shot and I've never seen one bleed out like that. Wow! Awesome bear and good write up. Congrats!

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
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    2,598

    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    Same here, dozens of animals I’ve watched been harvested and helped with the clean up after and never once was there even 1/10 of that amount of blood. You definitely hit his jugular and the heart kept pumping away! Wonder how it’s going to taste.

    either way congrats! Zone seven seems to be alive with bears.


    zone 3 has been a bust for me.. 8 trips out and only a couple sows and cubs. Might be the first year I take a bear tag into the fall lol

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    Usin a 50 cal, LOL

  9. #8
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by .330 Dakota View Post
    Usin a 50 cal, LOL
    I got into cell service and set the picture to my BIL Rick Guage and he replied, " What you shoot it with? An RPG?"

  10. #9
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    Apr 2017
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    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    Good bear down pictures, the more that get knocked over the better. I'll have to try that neck shot on the next few bears and see how it works out.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2022
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    2,164

    Re: Blood Bath Bear

    good story tfs
    tell more about the shots, yours and the other shooters, I'm not a fan of neck shots due to a bad experience but open about it
    pic makes it look like you ripped him open good !
    Glad to say I have hunted Northern BC

    Simon Fraser had pretty good judgement on what he found in BC

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