Bear Hunting and Rain

Guys:

Checked out the forecast, and it could be a wet one. How do bears react to rain? Hole up and are never seen? Hit the bait like any other day?

Also, I know these things are notorious for not bleeding well, at what point would you put the archery equipment away and opt for the rifle? My goal is to harvest a mature bear, and I’d love to do it with archery equipment. At the same time, I’m not going to push the envelope if ethically I’ve got a somewhat poor chance of recovery, even if I make a good hit.

Opinions?

Joel

Very good question… I’d be interested in the answer as well!

I’ll be toting my ’06 instead of my bow tomorrow, but I’d still interested in how rain might affect bear activity / movement / feeding.

Thanks, and good post!

Mike

ARROWED THREE BEARS WITH MY BOW, ONE RAN 20 YARDS WITH A HOLE SQUARE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE HEART, THE OTHER 2 WERE LUNG SHOTS AND WENT NO MORE THEN 50 YARDS, SHOT PLACEMENT IS KEY, ARROWS ARE FOR SURE MORE LETHAL THAN A BULLET, CLEAN, CUTS THAT KILL. PUT THE FIRE STICKS AWAY AND PICK A SPOT THEY WILL BE RIGHT WHERE YOU KNOW THEY WILL BE, 15 YARDS?? AS FAR AS POURING RAIN GOES, ID BET THEY WILL LAY LOW DURING AND FEED BEFORE OR AFTER?? GOOD LUCK

I’d be all over using the bow, but a number of reasons have sent me the direction of the rifle this season… Next June in Newfoundland will be a different story, though. 600 lbers with the bowtech?? No problem.

Mike

Thats the best bear hunting there is! a nice steady rain, cool temps, best sleeping i get in all year

Bears will move in the rain I guess if the weather is that bad I will hang out in camp for the night and have a or 2 . Joel, I take both … Only reason for the gun is if I have a bear that hangs up on me out of bow range and I know he is a good one, he will eat a slug for his last meal Take the bow it’s a RUSH

Light and steady rain…no problem. But hard rain and wind curtails their senses and makes them unlikely to move.

Quote:

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ARROWS ARE FOR SURE MORE LETHAL THAN A BULLET, CLEAN, CUTS THAT KILL.

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I have very little experience with bear (been hunting twice before, never have shot one)… I’m certainly not disagreeing with the above statement, but I’m wondering what guys (with much more experience than myself) think about the above.

As always, shot placement is key. Unfortunately, bad shots happen with either bow or gun, no matter how much you practice. I wonder, all else being equal, how many bears are recovered after being shot with a bow vs gun (poor shots included in the results)… Also, I would wonder what the average distance from shot to recovery is with a gun vs bow (again, all shots good and bad included)

Interesting thought, anyway. It would be interesting to get a guide’s experience/viewpoint with this issue…. As a guide, would you rather see a hunter roll into camp with a rifle or bow (again all other things being equal)

I have seen more gun shot deer go alot further then you would ever imagine on a vital hit then any good bow shot. A well placed arrow is hard to beat. My .02 cents as a passionate archer Gunning a bear at a predetermined range and location in any conditions is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel to me? What do I know, I am going to Alaska next year to stick a moose and Grizzly.

Still give me a shotgun with a slug!!! I know of one NW WI guide that will not take a bow hunter unless he has been qualified. What that process is, I don’t know… Back to the shotgun, shot accuracy at short range at steep angles and big holes going in and going out. I know I have had to handle a PO’ed buck at close range, certainly something I am not really interested in doing with a bear of any size!!!

Mark