It was the second evening of the 2005 bear season , for me my first time bear hunting. It was a beautiful night with hardly any wind to worry about, almost the perfect evening as you might call it. My father came along with me and we were in the stand by 6:00pm . At 6:40 pm I said “Dad… BEAR!”. We never heard one branch snap or a bush shake when he walked out but we could hear the squirrels chattering nervously around in the woods. He had his front shoulders and head stuck out of the bushes sniffing the air. Dad said “it’s the big one” I reached for my bow which was hanging on the tree to the left of me. I Held it in my lap until the right time. He stood there for about a minute or two then laid down in my bait pile. He laid there for about 2 or 3 minutes eating at the corn and then he stood up, broad side, 27 yards to be exact. I had shot my target bag out of the stand before and 27 yards was the distance to aim ,so I set my site tape for that on my movable sight and pulled back slowly as he was eating. Good thing I invested in the drop away “shaky” hunter rest that I purchased from Common Cross Archery, because that arrow was bouncing every where. I almost even got the “bear fever” draw lock as you may call it when you can’t get your bow pulled back. I set my pin right into the end of a white crease in his front shoulder and released. Arrow missed by a hair under him and the bear ran off about 10 yards, not completly scared because he had no idea what just took place. It was a clean miss.

Dad and I very quietly talked about what just happened because we could still see the bear in behind, he wasn’t scared at all. I never shot my arrows with my broadheads on before the hunt, now I know why they stressed it so much at the BowHunting Course I put the bow back on the tree and waited, frustrated , knowing that he may come back out because he did not run away fast.

Later at 7:20 I said “bear” again to my Dad, he came out the same path but yet very cautious this time. He walked over to the corn and started eating again. I got my bow back off my tree and set my pin sight to 30 yards this time and thought to myself that I will still aim about 4 inches higher. He then walked over to the 45 gallon drum that was full of fat. We watched him for over 20 minutes eating and scoping the fat out and licking his paws and listening to his tongue smack.  He sat on his bottom, head on to us, just going right at the fat. His front shoulders where so wide! Then he started playing with the barrel like it weighed nothing, moving it around to different positions. He would stand on it with his front paws and play with it. Then he went broad side and Dad said “now!”, I got my bow back of the bow hook to my left, nocked an arrow, slowly stood up and clipped my release on the bow string, drew back, a lot calmer this time and was at full draw for about 10 seconds really thinking my shot over . I released and got a perfect shot in the engine room .Arrow went straight threw and he took off like lightning, into the same trail he took coming in. We heard thrashing and crashing about 5 minutes after and Dad said “I think you got him by the way that sounds”. We never heard the death moan and I have been told to listen for it when shooting a bear. This became a concern. So we got out from the stand and went home to let him do his thing. I called Blake Milbury (aka “Bowhunter”) up because I knew he hunted bears before and talked my situation over with him and explained how the bear had reacted after the hit. He said it sounded to him like the bear was down, but it might be wise to wait til morning. However, we went back in that night. Four guys with flashlights and 40 yards of the bloodiest trail I have ever seen and we came across him. While cleaning him there was a triangle cut through the heart and liver, couldn’t get any better. At least I now know that my mechanical broadheads will do the job!.

What can I say really, it was so amazing to see that bear feed like that, so shiny and black. People think they are a dirty animal, but they are so clean and shiny. I am hooked now and will be going out again next year with my bow for the elusive Nova Scotia Black Bear.  I would like to thank Blake for the advice over the phone and I have one thing to say to all of you Bowhunters out there. Shoot your arrows with your broad heads on before you go hunting! Trust me that evening that bear might not have come back and gave me a second chance!  Good luck guys!

by Shane Rafuse