Manitoba Black Bear

[Stringwacker]

My personal notes on my phone of the hunt as it happened.....

"After a 80 miles in the truck and then a 5 mile ATV ride; I've arrived at my first hunt location. It's blazing hot and I'm over dressed.... but the bears have emptied about 3/4 of a 55 gallon drum of bait. That very promising and the main trail runs right under my stand! It's about 4:45 so I'm settling in for the 5.5 hour sit with high hopes!

Well the action hasn't taken but three minutes to start. Saw the first bear at 4:48 and it was under my stand at 4:50.  I have now watched the bear for 20 minutes eating the corn on the ground. It's not at the top of the barrel and the hips are rounded like a sow. It gets a hard pass. A few minutes later the bear faded back into the woods. It was a good start to the 6 day hunt.

The another sow came in about 15 minutes later; this time accompanied by two tiny cubs. They all fed for the next 30 minutes and then vanished into the forest. It's all quiet again as I write.

It's 7:10 and I've had my most unsettling moment ever while bear hunting just a minute or so ago. Another sow came in and she walked right below my stand; looked up, and started to climb my ladder!!!! The outfitter said don't yell at the bear or make unnatural noises if a bear approaches you; mostly not to educate the bears I suppose.That said, I watched as the bear climbed the first rung, then the second rung, then the third, but when her paw hit the fourth rung, that exceeded my comfort zone at 6 ft and I stomped  the bottom of my ladder platform .....and the bear hopped in one motion back down. It wasn't scared. It just went back to the barrel, laid down and started eating 15 yards away.

She hadn't been there but 5 minutes and she bolted! Coming up behind my tree was another bear and I was concerned about this one. I first thought it was boar but later I determined it was just another sow. After a little while both bears went to the bait. They postured and showed aggression to each other for a few minutes before accepting each other's presence; eventually eating together at the bait after a few minutes of getting acquainted with each other. This was about 7:30.

It's now about 8:00 and my hunt is over though my fate isn't known!!!!!

I watched a big boar come in that was at the top of the drum. For 25 minutes he fed in every position except the one that would give me a good shot. He is a bruiser with a mottled white patch on his chest. He either was too far on the opposite side of the drum or he was laying down. (I don't shoot bears laying down) No other bear would come close to him. At least 4 bears were circling the bait during that time but they didn't dare come in due to this boar. Apparently he has a nasty reputation!

Eventually, another slightly smaller boar challenged him and he came quickly to the front of the barrel to confront the other bear. He paused briefly broadside at 17 yards and I quickly drew and released. The arrow hit him tight behind the shoulder and penetrated about 3/4 the 27" arrow. He growled and took off on a hard run. No death moan but many bears don't do that here. That said with no death moan I'm worried.

So why am I worried? The shot was rather low, not dreadfully so...but low. You don't shoot bears low as they have often have 6" of hair hanging down that make you think the vitals are lower than you think they are.  I'm about 9" above the bottom hairline. It's about 2 hrs to dark so I'm just going to sit here and ponder my fate. The hunt is over either way. Reading this you are going to know what happen with the next paragraph or picture. On the other hand I'm going to have a lot of anxiety and doubt until I know what has happen in about two hours. So I now sit. I've noticed two large splotches of blood on the barrel while I have waited to dark. Regardless of the outcome I'm ok. I've seen 12 bears today as of 9:15 with a little more an hour to go in my last hunt. This is an incredible place.

It's now 9:30. I've had another small boar come straight to my tree, and start climbing! I hit the platform again with my boot and he just climbed down and went to the barrel. These dang bears have little fear. Likely because the are so isolated. I hear them huffing everywhere. Here comes another. Is that 14 now?

We went back the next morning and got started around 9 am.  The blood trail was heavy as the two blade Magnus Stinger, at least initially, provided a heavy blood trail. About 150 yards later the blood was still good and we found my 2018 aluminum arrow....still useable it appears.

As the trail lengthen to 250 yards and the blood started to be hard to find...my anxiety began to change to despair. It's a long way to travel, expensive, and a wound sends you home.

I can hardly tell you how this ends. Perhaps I can finish this later today.

The trail was continued, the blood had become sporadic. My worries became a rampant despair as we continued. 250 yard trails usually don't turn out well.

The guides worked together along with myself to steady keep going. Finally, one guide calmly stated "I see him I think". Soon we were standing over him. His size didn't disappoint.

It's odd given the shot entrance and the exit between his legs why he went so far. Blood was splashed everywhere for the first 150 yards and looked like a perfect heart shot. Regardless it gets a free ride back home.

[LookMomNoSights]

WOW!!!!        Congrats to you Sir on a fine bear!  Awesome break down in the story, I love how you laid it out til the grand finale,  you posed with the rewards of the hunt     Fine job!
It's funny how in the woods,  we truly never know what is really going to happen or how it will play out.  Definitely one of the reasons we love it so I'd have to say.  Sometimes even with the perfect hit and significant blood on the ground,  animals can surprise us.  They have a will to live I believe that surpasses that of what most humans have.  Great respect for the animals of the wild.  Again,  Congratulations big time 

[Clarkansas]

Congratulations!!!

[Basinboy]

 Congratulations on a fine bear Sir! 

[WFC]

Well done! Way to keep at it. That is a toad of a bear!

[MnFn]

Beautiful big bear!
Congratulations!

[smokin joe]

Excellent

[Stringwacker]

I appreciate all the comments.

Smoking Joe I enjoyed meeting you up here on the last trip!

[frassettor]

Congratulations on a fine bear! What poundage now were you shooting?  Beautiful bow too

[Stringwacker]

On this trip I was shooting a 48 pound Black Widow @ 27". I was having some TP and I could handle the lower poundage better.

 It's the first time I have shot an animal with a bow in the 40's. I also used an aluminum arrow for the first time in years.

[Breakfast Boy]

Congratulations on a beautiful bear!

[trad_bowhunter1965]

Congratulations     

[Tim Finley]

Great looking bear good for you . We leave for Manitoba tomorrow my grandson is going to be the shooter Im going to be the payer .

[Stringwacker]

Good luck to your Grandson! I'm sure you checked with your outfitter about the wildfires here. Many are burning out of control and the province is under an emergency alert.

Thank you and everyone else who has commented!

[California Tradbow Hunter]

Excellent Story Mark!

You had me hanging on every word, partly because I'm leaving in a week for the same hunt, but mainly because it was a great story and well told.

Congrats a a stroker of a bear 

[dhaverstick]

Congratulations on a fine bear!

Darren

[Mike Bolin]

Congratulations! Great job on the bear and the write up.

[rastaman]

Nice bear and great write up! Congratulations sir!  

[Herdbull]

Well done. You are correct. Try not to shoot the bears too low.
Mike

[doubleo]

That's a dandy!Congrats!