first bear.

[Ron Roettger]

#4275

Hi all,

I got my first bear 163# male, 50″ nose to base of tail.

Shot it with my long bow at 4:35 pm Tuesday Sept, 9th. I had moved to a different tree West of my Highland bait because of the East wind. Was having trouble staying awake. Looked to my right (West) and there was a bear 8 yards out walking towards me. My stand was 8′ up in a very small oak. I was seated, bow hanging in a close by tree. I slowly reached for it, nocked an arrow, stood up, and turned 180 degree to shoot. He was now 5 yards away. My arrow passed thought the bear and he ran down into the river bottoms. I waited 30 minutes but with rain coming I took up the trail. Good blood, but 150 yards into the trailing I knew I had only hit one lung, rain had started falling so I kept after it with longbow in hand in knee deep water/muck, head high swamp grass/weeds most places only being able to see a few feet. About 300 yards into the trailing I could hear it maybe 20 yards ahead. I approached slowly until I could see it just 5 yards ahead laying facing me in 9″ deep water and waste high grass. I nocked an arrow, and tried to move for a better vital shot- it rose up to look at me. I shot, it turned and sprinted about 10 yards and went down. I feel bad that the first arrow had not got both lungs for a much more humane kill. The rain was falling hard now, when it stopped briefly I snapped a quick photo (because of the high swamp grass I could not set up the photo very well, the other two photos are from my stand to where it stood, and where it stood to my stand) I drug it to slightly higher and dryer ground. Went back and grabbed gear to hang/skin/quarter my bear. As I got back to the jeep/trailer at 11:00 pm The sky opened up and 4″ of rain fell over night. I went back in at 7:00 am today, still raining, the small 4 foot wide creek near where I left the bear carcass hanging was now 40 feet wide and about 4 feet deeper than normal. I got the rest of the bear up to the trailer went to register it and then spent the day cutting up and packaging the meat.

Take care

Ron

[Doc Nock]

#28942

Nothing like “doing it the hard way” Ron.

Extreme congratulations! And with a wee bit of silver in your locks and beard!

Kudos!8)

[shaneharley]

#29149

Congrats

[Etter1]

#29322

Way to go! Ive never met an animal that would have the ability to find the most hellish places to run to. Great bear!

[Bernie Clancey]

#29371

Congratulations, that must have been a little nerve racking to track it thru that grass and then come upon it still alive. Great story, a great bear. Way to go.

[Bunyan Morris]

#29534

Congratulations! What a difficult track. Making haste in the tracking paid off.

[tigertrad]

#32420

Congrats! Great story and serious nerve shown to get that swamp bear.

[David Fudala]

#33458

Way too go! Congrats! Gotta love trackin’ blackies!

[Ptaylor]

#39503

Nice job Ron, especially with all that rain.

How were you able to tell you had only hit one lung while you were tracking it?

[Ron Roettger]

#39776

Ptaylor wrote: Nice job Ron, especially with all that rain.

How were you able to tell you had only hit one lung while you were tracking it?

With the bear only 15 feet out and my arrow leaving the bow about 12 feet above him. the almost 45 degree shot should have been good where I aimed and hit. Had a good blood trail not great. Both lungs he should had expired before the first 150 yards. As it turns out the arrow deflected downward only grazing the bottom of the far (left lung) First bear I have shot, but with talking with those that have shot them they told me a solid Double lung hit and a bear goes down quick.

[Ron Roettger]

#39782

Doc Nock wrote: Nothing like “doing it the hard way” Ron.

Extreme congratulations! And with a wee bit of silver in your locks and beard!

Kudos!8)

thanks you wouldn’t think he would be that grey only being a 3.5 year old bear!:D

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