Handgun Hunting Afield

A few years ago, I tried black bear hunting for the first time. Since I knew almost nothing about it, my plan was simple: head out, glass the hillsides, and have fun in the woods. Remember, a bad day hunting is still better than a good day working. Aside from finding a few old tracks and signs, I did not manage to locate a single bear.

Controversial

Black bear hunting is a controversial topic, even though the bear population is steadily climbing despite hunting. Regulated hunting is one of the most effective tools for managing and maintaining a healthy population. The controversy does not stop there. Mention bear baiting, and you will start a completely different argument, this time among hunters.

People have watched too many hunting videos where encountering multiple bears every single day at the bait is very common. I used to think the same until I tried it myself. What many don’t realize is that those hunts usually take place in areas with high bear densities. More importantly, those specific bait sites are topped off daily. On camera, everything looks easy, like shooting a fish in a barrel, but reality is completely different. Most bait sites are incredibly difficult to access, requiring a massive investment of time and physical effort just to keep them from being empty regularly. And even then, there’s zero guarantee that a bear, let alone a mature one, will ever show up during daylight hours.

My friend Garrett, whom I met a few years ago, runs a bear-baiting business with his dad, The Bear Barn Sweets and Treats LLC, and he was more than willing to teach me about bear baiting and hunting. Planning for the hunt started long before the season even opened; I was asking him a ton of questions and making plans with him.

The Hunt

That day finally came. After grabbing my pack and a heavy bucket of bait, I started my hike.

The last 400 yards, I slowed down and made frequent stops to listen carefully.  Again, I was under the impression that bear baiting is easy; multiple bears would come to the bait, and all I needed to do was wait for a mature one. Those hunting videos made it look easy. I thought there must be some bears already at the bait. As it turned out, there was no bear at the site.

I emptied the bait from the bucket into the barrel, climbed into the tree stand, and the waiting began. Since this was all new to me, I was praying to at least see a bear that day. It was more important for me to see some action, as I had never been so close to a bear before while hunting.

Quite a few of the bait-thieving squirrels and a few birds absolutely loved the setup, but I had no such luck with the bears. As it got darker, I started thinking more and more that no bear would show up.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked myself. 

At sunset, in a small clearing between trees, I caught a glimpse of something black moving through the trees. I knew for sure it was a bear. But I was not sure how big the bear was since I had only seen a part of it. I glassed that area, trying to relocate that bear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it approaching from the left side. While legal, it was not a “shooter” to me. It appeared to be a 3 years old bear. I was excited to watch it, but once it reached the bait barrel, the bear did not like something. Ultimately, it decided to leave, stopping every so often to look back, as if sensing danger, maybe another bear nearby. I looked around but saw no other bears. That evening, hiking out was all but ordinary. I needed to sneak out without spooking any nearby bears and, more importantly, stay safe. 

Creeping In

It snowed during the night, and the temperature dropped below freezing. I slowly sneaked into my stand at around first legal light. There were fresh bear tracks on the trail. A log that was stuck in the barrel opening was removed, suggesting bear activity during the night. After two hours, the cold set in despite my extra layers. Apart from many squirrels and birds, I saw nothing else that morning. Before leaving, I replaced the log to keep the bait safe. Bear baiting wasn’t as easy as it looked in the videos.

By the late afternoon, the snow had melted. While it was warmer, I still expected it to be cold in the stand because it was in a mostly shaded spot. I hiked back in, and after adding the bait to the barrel, I climbed to the stand. The log was still in the barrel, so I didn’t need to check the trail camera.

The evening felt slower than the morning, but it was slightly warmer. As time went on and nothing big happened, I started to wonder again, “Did I do something wrong? If not, why aren’t the bears showing up?”

As the sun began to set, I texted Garret.  “If I don’t see a bear tonight, can I use another bait site tomorrow?”  Little did I know, things were about to change very soon.

Go-time

Most of the time, while sitting in the stand, one mostly focuses on the area in front of them. From time to time, I would glance to the sides. I looked to my right and, to my surprise, saw a very decent bear only about 10 yards away, directly beneath me at about 5 o’clock. It was walking on the trail when it stopped, looked towards the bait, and, for some reason, turned around and started making noise as it walked away. Although I couldn’t see it anymore, I could definitely hear it. As quiet as that bear had been while approaching, it suddenly became quite noisy. It looked like the bear was leaving, but then I caught sight of it at my 1 o’clock, about 70-80 yards away. My guess is the grunting and noise were likely an attempt to scare away whatever might have been near the bait. The bear was not small, but since this was only the second bear I had ever encountered while hunting, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was a “shooter”. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it. It was clearly a mature bear, and when it reached the bait barrel, I could see that, while it wasn’t a monster, it was pretty big compared to the barrel.

The Shot

Even as it was getting dark, I could still see the bear. I grabbed the gun, turned on the dot, and rested the grip on a thick glove placed on the front bar of my stand. I was glad to have my C&H Precision COMP, a green dot sight mounted on my Spohr N670. With the dot brightness at the lowest setting, I could easily see the bear and the dot. It was a nice bear, definitely mature and legal. Since hunting was slow during legal hours, I decided to go for it. I cocked the gun, waiting for a broadside shot. Unfortunately, I never got that opportunity, but the bear turned slightly, presenting a quartering-away shot. I picked the spot, placed a dot on it, and began to apply pressure to the trigger. It broke clean, and a 200 grain Raptor bullet from Cutting Edge Bullets was on its way.

Cutting Edge

The bear jumped, ran a few steps, and then collapsed. I know Cutting Edge Bullets work great, but this was very impressive. Later, I ranged the distance, realizing the bear had only gone seven yards before collapsing. I did not track a single animal I harvested with CE bullets. This was a double lung shot, nowhere near the central nervous system. Energy transfer was so effective and impressive.

The First Bear EVER taken with a Spohr Revolver!

I texted Garrett, “Never mind, I just shot one.” He congratulated me and offered to come and help. I couldn’t say no; it’s always more fun to share the joy with friends, and it’s certainly easier and safer, especially with the bear bait just seven yards away. 

As I was preparing to take photos, I noticed light from Garret’s headlamp not too far away. He arrived much faster than expected, or maybe I lost track of time in all that excitement. After talking and snapping some photos, the real work began. We started skinning and quartering the bear. By the time we got back to the trailhead, it was after 2 AM. It was quite an adventure, and I can’t wait to do it again next spring!

https://precisionshootingsupp.com