Black bear falls to a Firefly...bow that is. Great story too!

SlowBowinMO · June 14, 2011, 04:48:00 PM

Hello Trad Gang,

We got this e-mail from Mikel Flores, who bought a Firefly stock bow from Braveheart. Nice bear and a great story too! He took this bear last week in Idaho.

Tim,

I just got back Wednesday night from Idaho with some great memories. I've attached a picture of the bear I took on the last night of the hunt. I took this boar at 10 yards, it was pretty incredible.

I had hunted all week and never saw a bear until the last evening's hunt. Everyone in camp either had gotten a bear or had an opportunity at one and missed. There were larger ones that were captured on the game cams that would appear at odd times.

On the last day of the hunt it rained most of the morning and finally cleared up about 1:30 PM. One of the guides asked if I wanted to hunt a different area that required some steep hiking to get to and I told him, I'm in. We carried a tree stand and climbing sticks into this bait site just before 3:45 PM. As we were setting up with the climbing sticks clanging togther along with the tree stand the guide hissed "there's a bear". 300 yards up the side of the hill was this large black form slowly making it's way down the trail toward the bait site. I had just sat down in the tree stand to "seat" it into place on the tree. I had no camo on, just wool pants and a black thermal top. The guide handed me my longbow and then he lay flat on the ground with his face planted in the dirt. Within 20 minutes the bear walked within 6 yards of the guide toward the bait site. Because I had no time to prepare I was faced with a bramble of branches in front of me from the adjacent tree. The bear began pulling food out of the bait site then a clap of thunder overhead spooked him. He ran up the hill about 40 yards, paused and came back. As the bear would go into the bait site, he would turn around and pass behind a tree and walk just uphill (90 degrees to me) and pause. The first two times he did this I took the opportunity to thread the top limb of my longbow through the adjacent tree branches until my bow was at the ready. The third time the bear did this, the guide told me I looked like I went into auto pilot. I drew, anchored and released. I remember my follow through as I watched my yellow fletching rotate toward his jet black form and disappear. The bear took off uphill about 35 yards, turned left 45 degrees and ran down 20 yards made a quick death moan and lay dead, five seconds after I had released my arrow. The guide had the best seat in the house. He told me he watched my arrow disappear and exit the other side and stick in the ground. Upon field dressing found out I took out both lungs and hit the top of the heart, the bear weighed approximately 260 lbs.

I still think of the experience as one of the best 35 minutes of my life.

Please pass this on to Jim and tell him thank you for making such a great bow. Upon finishing up my summer field archery league I will ship the riser off to you so Jim can make some lighter "target" limbs.

Mikel

Congratulations Mikel on a great hunt and a fine bear!

Tim

owlbait · June 14, 2011, 04:51:00 PM

Nasty bite from that Firefly! Great story and great outcome. Congrats all around!

BWD · June 14, 2011, 05:00:00 PM

Infectious Bite. Congratulations on a fine bear.

cacciatore · June 14, 2011, 05:08:00 PM

Well done,clean job.

TWarrows · June 14, 2011, 05:13:00 PM

great shot on a great hunt..

fillmorehd · June 14, 2011, 05:49:00 PM

Tim thanks for sharing this story. I am glad that Mike took such a fine bear with his little Firefly! Especially loved the part where the guide watched the arrow pass through and stick in the dirt. Just shows what I know about these bows. There bite is something to see.

Right Wing · June 14, 2011, 06:48:00 PM

Great job! Awesome hunt!

J. Holden · June 14, 2011, 06:53:00 PM

Great story. It seems like a lot of situations happen like above. You plan and plan and then all of the sudden, when you least expect it, an opportunity presents itself. Very cool!

-Jeremy

Terry Lightle · June 14, 2011, 09:14:00 PM

Attaboy

kennym · June 14, 2011, 09:19:00 PM

COOL!!

And for the guide

KyStickbow · June 14, 2011, 09:24:00 PM

Awesome job!!

coaster500 · June 14, 2011, 10:38:00 PM

Great Bear Sir... I love Idaho, good job getting set up like that when the chips were down!! you got it done

Pops · June 14, 2011, 10:45:00 PM

Very nice bear

June 14, 2011, 10:49:00 PM

Congrats!

Bisch

tracker1 · June 15, 2011, 01:17:00 AM

Good job

Hud · June 15, 2011, 01:55:00 AM

Great story, and congratulations to Mikel.

Thumper Dunker · June 15, 2011, 02:55:00 AM

Way to go.

GRINCH · June 15, 2011, 03:12:00 AM

Congrats Mike,great hunt.

Rick Wiltshire · June 15, 2011, 02:52:00 PM

Mikel,

Congrats on the fine bear.

Did any of you guys get a color phase at Gary's? That Weitas Creek Guard Station is a great place.

Rick

pitbull · June 15, 2011, 04:04:00 PM

An awesome adventure, Congrats on a fine bruin.