Brown bears with a bow

[John Havard]

Hi Scott,

Great story!  I certainly could not imagine a hunt working out any better than that.

I've always felt that IF the bear had no idea you were there and IF the bow is very quiet (like a longbow) and IF you put a good arrow into the bear, then he just might not get too spooked or worked up.  It sounds that your hunt went exactly that way.  Congratulations and thanks for the first-hand experience.

John

[cjones]

This has always been my "Dream Hunt".. Even before i ever shot a longbow i wanted to take a huge brownie with a longbow. I just hope that one day i will be able to afford to make the trip. I have been looking into it alot lately. When i mentioned it to the wife she was all for it until i told her the price!! She said she needed a garage built worse. I swear that woman has her priorities all screwed up. haha


Chad

[Rob S]

Twang, Van

My biologist tells me that leprosy in dillers is sort of like rabies in bats, half of one percent of all bats have rabies, and it could be that or less with leprosy in dillers.

Rob  

[bayoulongbowman]

Hi, I read that same story in TBA % steps ...wow! and only 56# ,,,personally I use at least 60# but closer to 70# ..but thats me and I dont want to get in one legged butt kickin contest over that issue ...But I love bear stories.....#78 mark

[Steve H.]

Well, I still haven't killed a brown bear but I have now hunted them for about 20 days in two years and have been very close, although not 5 yards like Scott, to a handfull of bears.  My closets calls from this past trip (back yesterday), included one bear walking thru my two shooting lanes without slowing down and another quartering toward me thru my only shooting lane.

I have been carrying a 66# selfbow and I know it is more than enough bow, not even a concern or care.  After all brown bears are just flesh and bone like any other animal and not some mystical beast that they are sometimes made out to be and a bow appropriate for that size animal is the same one that one would used for elk and moose, nothing more, and maybe even less cause most brownies are smaller animals than elk and definitley smaller than moose.

I haven't found the ABC Islands' bears aggressive at all in the spring and actually hunted them solo on this last trip.  The only act of "aggression" that I witnessed was a small bear turning broadside and puffing up cause he thought the twig snap he heard was another bear, at first.  When he realized it was human he acted like all the others and was out of there fast!

I would estimate that 95% of the bears I see in the spring are 450-500# or less but I did have one whopper boar at 35 yards on the last day that I am sure would have squared 9 1/4', at least, and likley weighed 800 or so pounds.  A very large animal in the Spring for SEAK.

[gbarmer]

I think hunting brown bear with the bow is the ultimate, but having a big gun close by is smart. I see bears alot here and I am amazed how good of a predators they are : stalking , fast,powerful,fearless but unpredictable.
Greg

[Terry Green]

ttt

[Stagmitis]

By tommorow we should have a shootable prototype of our new Hill style longbow. If all goes well "Viper" will be born and my buddy will tote him on a Brownie hunt in about 4 weeks...I`ll keep you posted...

BTW for any experienced Brownie hunters, if a brown bear charges do you think that a volley of arrow hits will at least slow them down and have them change directions?

Stagmitis

[Stagmitis]

Wish him luck!

My hunting buddy leaves for AK tommorow with a homemade Hill style longbow(#84 625 grn carbon arrow at 196 fps)  in search of MONSTER brownies. The area he will be in only issues one Bear permit a year.

Also in the same area he will have the pleasure to go after goat.

Stagmitis

P.S. He was a little annoyed when I surgically implanted a Lojac in his thigh. I told him I wanted him back regardless...

[2Knives]

This has always been my dream hunt also! Thanks for all the great info guys!!!

[lphuntsman]

I cant think of anything better than taking a Brownie or Grizzly with a Traditional Bow...

Good luck this year guys! Maybe in a few more i will take that challenge on to.

Lance Paulson