Upper Michigan bear

[Yooper-traveler]

It started as a slow first season up here.  Heat, rain, copious amounts of blackberries, raspberries, and thimble berries have slowed down the bear activity.  Add in a lack of big boarsand two huge sows with the cubs each......

Well, let's just say I had to repair/straighten my blind 6 times.  Besides passing a small boar I spent many an hour watching a swamp and listening to bard owls hunt.

I've always enjoyed shooting Northren mist longbows.  Last week I found a beautiful "Superior" in the classifieds that I couldn't say no to.  It didn't take but a day to "familiarize" myself with her.  She's a graceful lady compared to some of my other ASLs.

I took the bow on a long rove to a blackberry patch.  Nothing softens a lady more than taking her berry picking.  On the way back to my camp I was shooting the bow better and better, so much so it claimed it's first kill in the form of a chipmunk that was attempting to take up residence in my shed. 

Once I tuned arrows and broadheads I decided to take her bear hunting with me that evening. I was using a tall tines LB that had been my go-to, but something just felt so right when I held the superior— I just had to take it into the swamp with me.

Yesterday this guy walked in at about 620 pm.  He milled about for a few minutes before politely presenting at me with a quartering shot.  I was able to get my heart rate down before drawing and releasing.  In slow motion I saw the arrow fly where I aimed it.  The bear never knew it was coming.

The arrow took him behind his right shoulder, he pitched forward and lept on a log a few few to his left.  I noticed my fletched end of my arrow suspended in a thimble berry plant.  I looked down and nocked a fresh arrow.....when I looked up he was gone.  Not a sound gave away his escape.

I was just about to begin to doubt my shot placement when I heard the labored breathing of the bear off to my right.  Within a few seconds the breathing became the wheeze of a tire rapidly loosing air.

I waited an extra 10 minutes before starting out on the track.  He ended up only going 25 yards before succumbing.  And as fate would have it he died going toward the very trail I would use to draw him out of the swamp.

Bow:  Northren Mist Superior LB, 41 ish pounds at my draw.

Arrows: Big Jim Dark Timbers 700 spine tipped with 150 grain Woodsman elite.

The arrow found the lungs and was finally stopped by the opposite hind leg.

I was fortunate to have my family come down to help get him out of the woods and toast both the hunt and the beast.




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[Yooper-traveler]

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[Pine]

Way to get it done. 

[Hud]

congratulations, nice trophy.

[Bow man]

Beautiful Bear Congratulations

[JakeD]

Well done, that's a beautiful bear!

[Kopper1013]

Beautiful bear!
Congratulations and great shooting!
Thanks for the great read!

[Trenton G.]

Congrats! That's awesome!
Wish I was a good enough shot to buy a bow and feel comfortable hunting with it the next day!

[Yooper-traveler]

Thanks all!

It ended up being about a 15 yard shot.  I had been looking down when he came in and as I looked up he had just appeared.  My game cam revealed he had walked in from behind me at 7 yards. 

Trenton, I should clarify that.  I shoot every day, and I feel fine going from a Tall Tines LB to a Bama ASL.  So when the Superior came in it was really a matter of adjusting to the grip.  The Bama grip is fuller and while they both have locator grips, the superior is more "precise"?  I'm not doing a good job explaining it but you get it.   

[Burly]

Congrats on a beautiful bear.

[MnFn]

Yes, a pretty bear. Congratulations.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Congrats!

[Bisch]

Congrats on a fine bear!!!!!

Bisch

[Yooper-traveler]

Thanks fellas!

15# brats, 10 # summer sausage and 5# breakfast are chilling overnight.  The rest is ready. Back straps tonight...

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[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Well done sir.....

,,Sam,,

[Chumster]

Nice looking bear!! Thanks for the story and details!

Congrats!

[Ray Lyon]

Congratulations.

[Captain*Kirk]

He's a husky boy. Nice shooting! Thanks for sharing.

[Yooper-traveler]

Congratulations.

Thank.  Any luck yet?

[Ray Lyon]

I think it was too warm and bad moon phase for first part of my hunt. My unit is closed until October 5th when it reopens for one week. Hopefully the bears will be more cooperative.