Handgun Black Bear hunting
- Login to post comments
I always wanted to hunt large game with a hangun. Then one day the opportunity arose. I found myself on the ground with 44 mag in hand. Five rounds and as they say loaded for bear. I had my own loads - 240 grain Hornady XTP hollow points, 21.8 grains of 2400 powder with a heavy crimp in a S&W Model 29 Classic. It was a two year old black bear early in the hunting season. He was healthy and his coat was shining in the sunlight.
I was walking through some evergreen forest of pine and spruce, the trees were mature and the undergrowth was minimal. That's when I spotted the bear trotting towards me. When he spotted me he attempted to climb a blue spruce. As the bear reached up for the lowest limbs I pulled my gun and brought it up for a shot.
The bear suddenly changed it's mind and dropped to the ground, spoiling any shot I might have had. The bear abruptly turned to it's left and started out at an angle northeasterly away from me. I turned in my tracks and followed it approximately five or six feet parrallel to it's direction of travel. At that point I stopped and (believe it or not) said, "Stop Bear." To my astonishment the bear stopped in it's tracks and sat down like a dog.
I took aim and shot it in the ribs just behind the bear's front shoulder. The bear dropped to the ground and lay still. My brother has hunted many bears and his most important advice to me came flashing back at that moment - "A bear will play possum with you, never advance too quickly after the first shot. It might attack you."
No sooner than this thought flashed across my memory than the bear sat back up. I quickly placed another shot to the ribs behind the shoulder and when the bear hit the ground I advanced to it, finishing it with a shot to the back of the head.
A few hours later we were feasting on this bear over a barbeque, meaning my brother, my kids and our friends. It was a beautiful hunt fulfilling one of my oldest desires. The hunt was a close one with the bear being only 46 feet from me when I fired on it. I have hunted with rifles many times but this hunt tops them all.
I have always had a thought to take a bear with a handgun. I was thinking of either a heavy hardcast bullet in a .41 Magnum or the same in the .44 Magnum. Of course here where I live the biggest thing to contend with is a black bear, although they do get a might big, sometimes around 400-500 pounds.
Congratulations on your handgunned black bear. I was also lucky to get a decent spring black bear in Alaska a few years ago with my FA`s 454...
I think I am missing out on some great hunting! I hunted bears once in my youth but never connected. Since then I have passed on them, for some unexplicable or unconscious reason. You guys are fortunate to have had such good hunts. Chris
Well, now my sons (8 and 12) are on me to take them hunting like that. When they are older. My 12 year old bought his first gun this month - a Daisy Grizzly bb/pellet pump air gun. He is very responsible and hitting things my brother and I can't when shooting with him. It has done wonders for his self esteem and he is learning valuable lessons about safe handling and responsible shooting. Still, I can't wait to handgun with them.
The joy of being able to pass on your love of hunting and handgun hunting, in particular, to your sons is beyond words to express. When my kids were that age we went through Hunter Safety classes and then got started with quail hunting and later deer hunting. Sadly, once they grew to adulthood and moved away to work etc. they lost the love of the sport. My daughter still shoots her 30-06 once in a while but not as a hunter. I miss the days of being a family in the field and enjoying the outdoors. Chris
That sucks that your kids have not carried on with the family tradition. Let's face it, this politically correct society is making cry babies of our youth and then the ones who are not are afraid to be different. I come from a long history of hunting - my ancestors settled here in NS as pioneers on land grants from the Crown. My children are 7th generation on the remainder of that land grant, approximately 100 acres. I have been teaching them to be proud of their heritage and who they are. Hopefully they will continue to hunt and enjoy the outdoors when they are grown. That remains to be seen. In the meantime, thanks again for this forum. Jas
Recent comments
45 weeks 1 day ago
2 years 19 weeks ago
2 years 24 weeks ago
3 years 10 weeks ago
3 years 51 weeks ago
4 years 1 week ago
4 years 1 week ago
4 years 2 weeks ago
4 years 2 weeks ago
4 years 2 weeks ago