think a bazooka is too small for down- ing a bear, the fact is that the same .270 Win. and .30-06 rifles carried while deer hunting will work well for black bears. The key to downing a bear quickly – and avoiding that dreaded deep brush stalk for a wounded bruin – is to shoot the center of chest while also trying to disable a leg or shoulder in the process. Bears have a lot of fat and fur, and excit- ed hunters often push a bullet through marginal areas. Calm down before you shoot, and take a deep breath to steady your body. If you are shaking, use a rest. Again, take only high percentage killing shots because bears are durable animals. One other item that can help you
more accurately place a killing shot is to use a scope with an illuminated reticle. Those battery powered red reticles of- fered by Leupold and other riflescope manufacturers help with precision placement on bear fur. Those fiber-optic lighted reticles by Trijicon also will stand out when a bear fills the riflescope. With an average riflescope, thin black crosshairs simply disappear against dark bear bodies. This factor often leads to the wounded bear horror tales. Bear hunting is a lot of fun, and
over bait you can often sit and observe many bears before selecting one to wear your tag. Enjoy the show as bears feed and forage, or gobble down bait from buckets. Stay alert, however, and if you see a bear pause and stare, or stand to look, if it suddenly swaps ends and dashes into the brush, look where that bear looked. Chances are a much bigger bear is headed your way. the Dark siDe
If you are searching for additional
reasons to add black bears to your varmint list, note that bear numbers have shot up in several regions. Next, you need to recognize the threats – or where the bears are. A 2008 survey of the Eastern states and Canadian provinces that actively manage black bear popula- tions indicated that 75 percent of those areas reported an expansion of black bear ranges. Only Vermont reported a contracting bear range. Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources esti- mates that state’s current population at between 26,000 and 40,000 bruins. This is up from 1989, when the population was estimated at only 9,000. The bears from Wisconsin and Minnesota also are wandering – or moving – south and
have been reported as far south as Iowa as the populations expand. Arkansas and Florida have noted
growing black bear populations, and black bears recently have been reported in Texas. In Georgia, the Department of Natural Resources released information warning north Atlanta residents of pos- sible encounters with black bears. Un- ruly bears are visiting cities in increasing numbers. Other states also are seeing more bears – and all hunters should be bear aware when in forests. Statistics reveal that hunters are
more likely to have an encounter – pos- sibly a deadly encounter – with a black bear than a grizzly. This is because black bears are simply more widespread and more numerous across North America than grizzlies, and because more hunt- ers go afield in black bear habitat. According to the recent incident
reports, however, no fatal bear attacks have involved hunters. Could being armed prevent bear attacks? The answer is anyone’s guess. Another thought is that maybe hunters better understand bears and are more cautious around them. Bears, however, do attack hunters. One bear encounter example in-
volved Jim Zemaitis, a hunter who was participating in a deer drive through a swamp in northwest Wisconsin. What he first thought was a charred black stump soon materialized into a nearby black bear that charged him. “The bear was about 15 yards
away, in the thick swamp brush, when I saw it,” Zemaitis reported. “There was a fire there years ago, and I thought it (the bear) was a burnt stump. I’m 5 foot, 6 inches tall and weigh 200 pounds, and that bear easily knocked me down.” The irate bear charged Zemaitis, knocked him over, and began mauling him. Ze- maitis yelled for help to his cousin who was hunting nearby. That cousin soon arrived and made a shot that chased the bear away. The attack happened quickly – and was over in about a minute. While bears are portrayed on tele-
vision as being cute, slow, clumsy and often clown-like, anyone who knows bears knows better. Bears can be very quiet and very fast for their big size. If you are hunting and encounter
a black bear at close range, note that a physically fit human can run at ap- proximately 30 miles per hour. Most bears, however, can run 35 mph, and
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faster, when danger is perceived. A bear probably will outpace you on a short sprint. If you do consider climbing a tree, note that black bears can climb trees, and sometimes treestands, just as easily as you can walk on flat, even ground or a city sidewalk. During most bear attacks, the victims reported that the bear attacked mere seconds after being spotted at close range. If you see a bear at close range, hastily raise your rifle and be prepared. You could be in for the fight of your life. Black bears are fun to hunt, can be
called, aand make impressive taxidermy mounts. All hunters need to recognize the dangers, and be prepared to take action. The many folks who have had problems with bears will be happy when you down a bad news bear. Aim carefully!
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