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The day before the hunt was supposed
to be the day of the hunt. Things seldom go as planned and
derailment in our train yard kept me late at work with not
enough daylight left for a trek in the woods.
The following day things went well at
work and I was able the get home, pick up my 10 year old son
Riley, and get ready before my friend from work swung by to get
us. Jeff picked us up curb side and we were off on the 40 mile
drive. After a short 4 mile trip on Jeff’s quad with 3
passengers we stopped to stretch our legs and ready our weapons.
Jeff brought his 12 gauge with buckshot and slugs for backup.
Riley had his 40# compound with Razorheads for his own peace of
mind. My 59# Checkmate Recurve, Easton arrows, and Bear
Razorheads felt like the old friends that they are.
As we approached the hunting grounds
on foot I told Riley to be ready to see a bear. As we were
sneaking over an embankment Jeff said “Whoa”. He had seen a
bear cub. Momma would be close. Riley was breathing so heavily
that I could hear him from 10 ft. away. “Just stay behind Jeff”
I told Riley.
After seeing the momma bear and her 3
cubs, 1 black and 2 blondes, we backed off and headed up the
bank to the main trail. While I was trying to Riley to take a
practice shot a bear wandered in to take a drink from a creek to
our left. I went to the left to get into position for a shot.
Jeff and Riley stayed put and crouched down. I watched as the
bear came in and got down on his elbows to drink. He was 20
yards away when I took a deep breathe to calm myself, stood,
drew my bow and sent an arrow no more than an inch over the
bears back. The bear got up on all fours and remained there. ‘A
second chance’ was all I could think as I readied another
arrow. As I stood to draw and shoot again he was running away
from me at about 50 yards.
I rejoined Jeff and Riley. Jeff told
me he tried to get the shot on his 35 mm camera. Riley then took
two practice shots at my arrow. After I retrieved the three
arrows from the bear’s water hole we chatted about the
scenario that we had just experienced. Jeff pointed over my
shoulder down the trail. A black bear was crossing right to
left. Same bear I shot at? I didn’t know for sure. Was it
another opportunity? For sure.
I angled off the trail toward the
bears crossing. 40 yards into the bush my senses were
overloaded. Too much information too fast. A bear was running,
sounds of claws on tree bark, and Jeff’s epithets in the
distance caused an instant adrenaline rush. The bear had run up
a tree, a scenario which provided for good shot placement. My
first shot was under his ribs but angling forward. I thought ‘good,
but another arrow higher would be better’.
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The bear moved to the
other side of the tree and my second arrow buried itself in the
tree at the bears chest height, too far left of its intended
target. I was rattled! The bear was coming down the tree fast! I
got my third arrow ready. The bear hit the ground with no shot
presented as the tree was hiding his chest. The bear then does a
head bob to the left and one to the right and then takes off to
the right. My third arrow misses, hitting behind the running
bear. Hindsight tells me I forgot to lead. Even at ten yards I’ve
got to realize I’m not shooting laser beams. The bear is still
running at 25 yards when I launch my fourth arrow. The arrow is
flying perfectly towards the chest when it hits a 1 inch
diameter alder tree and sticks half way through. I then lost the
bear from my view.
To my left 20 yards are my hunting
partners. We converge at ‘the tree’. There’s good blood
sign up the tree as well as the base. Riley says “Good shot
dad!” I told him that I wished I had gotten another one in ‘em.
I decide to follow on
sight and sound way too soon. No dice. I start from scratch with
al three of us blood trailing. Jeff and I leap frog from sign to
sign. We lost the trail once only to hear Riley say “here’s
blood.” About 100 yards into tracking I pointed to a small
spruce tree with black showing on both sides of it. “Is that my
bear?” I asked. Jeff said “Don’t know.” We had both left
our binoculars in our packs up on the main trail. Movement
confirmed that it was my bear lying on its back with its head
uphill and resting on the ground. I would go ahead and confirm
which end of the bear was which end of the bear was the head. Jeff
had strict instructions from me that if the bear stepped so much
as one towards me he should shoot. I positioned myself to the
right of the bear. My fifth arrow put a hole in each armpit from
15 yards. The bear raised and lowered its head, then began the
famed ‘death moan’. It was quite loud at that distance. I had
my sixth arrow nocked just in case.
Riley and Jeff were called down by me to
witness the last sounds of the bear. Riley said “I can’t believe
you actually got a bear!” I said “I’m glad you got to be here
Kiddo!” We all watched for other bears while I skinned and quartered
the bear. It was dark before we got home. I kept the secret from my
wife and other kids until morning when I told the younger boys I had
something for them to see in the back yard. I had thrown my bear skin
over some boxes to look more realistic. They really enjoyed examining
the skin and I enjoyed the whole adventure. I’m still enjoying it.
Written by: Kyle Amundson
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