Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: Mesophilic on September 06, 2020, 06:26:40 pm
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Thanks for all the tips in my other post. Successfully harvested this bear we were hunting for the last 4 or 5 days.
Not only my first bear kill, my first with a trad bow!!!
So here's the bear story now that I have a breather:
Got up at the BCD, moved near where we called the Mt. Lion the other night. Took a little bit to figure wind and where we wanted to be.
Got down behind some deadfall. Put a few pine sprigs in my hat (very important good medicine apparently)
Buddy turned on his call. Literally 5 seconds later I told him to glass a hillside where I saw movement. Tried explaining where I saw it when I saw more movement a little further down the hill. Before I could pick up my little mono scope thingy, she came out of the trees and I saw she was a bear.
My heart was beating like a heavy metal drum solo, started getting a little light headed from the anticipation...like the beginning of a panic attack. A little deep breathing and some mental concentration helped a bit.
Buddy readied his rifle just in case things went south, having lost confidence in the .45 wheel gun he tried to take the mountain lion with.
She came out of the trees with a purpose. This all happened in about 30 seconds from the time we turned on the call.
She paused for just a second trying to figure out where the distressed elk calf was that it was hearing but not seeing. Perfect broad side.
In that pause I drew and loosed the arrow. I don't remember aiming, I don't remember applying any archery fundamentals. I don't even remember releasing the string. Do remember seeing the arrow hit and heard a hollow thump. I put rabbit fur poofies behind my fletchings, and for that fraction of a second saw the big white tracer in her shoulder area.
She jumped a couple feet off the ground and spun around. Then jogged around us in the forest. She paused for a second and pulled out the the arrow with her teeth and dropped it. Then sort of...I won't say casually, but walked off not in a hurry.
Waited 30 impatient mins like the ADD kid in class with a full bladder and a dirty joke he just has to tell someone. It was an agonizing long wait.
Had a million thoughts going through my head. Worried she was only wounded and was going to attack a hiker or camper. Worried I only stuck her scapula, as I didn't know at the time she'd only pulled out the back half of the arrow. Worried my broadhead failed me. And many more thoughts.
After the 30 mins, we started trailing blood. She was bleeding pretty good from the get go. Found where she'd pulled out the back half of the arrow, and lost a good amount of blood. Eventually found the front half of the arrow covered in blood and that boosted my confidence that I got her good.
Then less than a 100 yards from where I shot we were trying to pick up the blood trail again, fearing we'd have to pursue in to a thick stand of aspens we look down and she's right there at our feet lying on her back.
Punctured both lungs. It was a perfect shot just behind the scapula, missed the heart but hit both lungs.
Guessing about 100 to 120 pound female probably about 18 mmonths old. We skinned and quartered in the field so I can't get an accurate weight.
Sorry for the gargantuan pics, like Phil Robertson said "I'm a low tech man in a high tech world"
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/8a1ae3576400f88acf518472d0511906/cf9dd119675bdc6b-cd/s2048x3072/ddcbaa3f741298003d072418201352c496a09c44.jpg)
Arrow impact site
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/495597deca8c636d33a866fafb202f74/f13800588e94e251-50/s2048x3072/46618ebf9c4096aca3dec7d2574ed9a27df2e474.jpg)
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/8edca805e1d8d6910c0969f035b0c07c/12a59706e21e1935-33/s640x960/400518423dcf04d949cff5698188a0b42bd2d53b.jpg)
Recovered broadhead made from circular saw blade. The wite paint helps me see the tip and the dots represent rhe southern cross constellation...my Marine brothers from 1st Mar Div will understand the medicine here.
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/d122a570b4249e9b3f9662a7f49cd30c/696de5592779bfe2-0c/s2048x3072/48a1e15a22d6be4685ae632bb5e02d86492007fa.jpg)
My Grozer with the arrow. I know it's not a true hornbow, but it's the best I can do right now.
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/e755a34e2b064f626f99ee22b1d79569/b427786a8aa023f0-5a/s2048x3072/8c344bb3a5f621b409c5babf2aa5331b6ffc2f0d.jpg)
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Kudos and congratulations! Nice telling of the hunt!
Hawkdancer
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congratulations !!!
great success :OK :OK :OK
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Congratulations.
Your pics are way too big though.
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Nice color phase bear. Well done
Ahawn~
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Congratulations! Very happy for you. That is definitely on my bucket list.
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Thanks, guys.
Sorry about the pic size, Pat. I've never been able to master resizing.
On day two of waiting for a game warden to issue me a pelt tag. All Game and Fish field offices are closed but they're still requiring an officer issue the pelt tag.
I've got the hide in an ice chest with lots of bagged ice but I hope they get back we me soon so I can get started on her.
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Congrats!! looks like some fine eating and a fine fur to tan!
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good job!! that will be something to tell your friends around the fire! make sure to cook it well. bears have a certain parasite in the meat that needs to be completely killed and cooked out or else the parasites will open up in your stomach. i wouldnt take risks eating it rare!! -C-
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oh yeah its called Trichinosis. just make sure the internal temp of the meat is 160 F or 71 C
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Well done Mesophilic. There are no wild bears here in England, but I can imagine how exciting it was. Can you say what gear you used: bow length, draw-weight and so on, and arrow weight and broadhead type?
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Mesophilic, I just re-read your post and saw your comments about the arrow head, so please forget that question.
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Way to go glad you got one.
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Thanks, Deerhunter, gonna make sure she's well cooked.
Well, we butchered Mary tonight (I always give my kills a name, as I feel names are important in the afterlife)
Not as much meat as I thought there would be but it smells very clean, definitely wasn't a regular trash can tosser.
The interesting part was getting through the fat to check out the path of the broadhead. Couldn't repeat this shot with a hundred arrows.
The broadhead barely kissed the lower left portion of the left scapula, passed just behind the humorous and clipped an artery. There was a huge pocket of blood clot in the tissues there (is it called blood shot in archery?).
Passed between two ribs without hitting either, passed through both lungs, and exited out the right side in the same manner...missing the ribs, the humorous, and scapula by millimeters.
The edges of the broadhead show no signs of nicks or rolled edges. Wish I had alot more of this particular circular saw blade for future hunts.
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One more updste: she tastes amazing!!!
I cooked up a patty of ground bear with just a little beef fat mixed in. Tasted great. No gamey flavor or smell. In fact, if I slipped you some of this bear and told you it was bison, you'd have no reason to believe otherwise. Kid you not. Best wild game I've had in years.
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hahah!!! thats good! my question though... what does bison taste like????? (=)
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hahah!!! thats good! my question though... what does bison taste like????? (=)
Tastes like young bear that's been eating acorns, rose hips, and grasses ;D ;D ;D (AT)
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I'd thought I'd heard that bear tastes like pork but maybe what I heard was cook it like pork.
The bison I had tasted like beef.
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I'd thought I'd heard that bear tastes like pork but maybe what I heard was cook it like pork.
The bison I had tasted like beef.
no no no no. shark tastes like pork! bear tastes like bison, and bison taste like beef! (=) (=) ;) ;D ;D ;D
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no no no no. shark tastes like pork! bear tastes like bison, and bison taste like beef! (=) (=) ;) ;D ;D ;D
I thought everybody knew, shark tastes like chicken.
Meso! Man, that's the good stuff! Thanks for sharing your story. Felt like I was right there with you. Way to persist and bring it all together.
Thomas