Anyone here ever spear a black bear? A guy I know who lives down the road from me has
taken a few black bear with a homemade heavy spear. He jumps out of a tree stand onto the
bear driveing the blade through the top of the sholder blades then rolls off to the side. The
spear is very heavy, like 40-50lbs. I think it has a four blade head.

I'll believe that one when I see it. More likely he sits in a treestand above a bait pile. When the hapless bear comes in for a treat the hunter (if that is what you call it) shoves a heavy spear down between the shoulder blades of the bear. "Hunter" stays in the tree where he is quite safe. Bear runs off with possible fatal wounds.
Not my cup of tea.
VH

I never thought I would hear anybody say that "spearing" a bear is not sporting. What will they say next?

There was a guy in canada that got a black bear with a spear he made. It came to the bait pile, he was in a tree stand and gave the throw everything he had. The spear sunk through the bear and passed though about half way through the middle of the bear. He didn't hit any vital organs but the large spear head and metal shaft opened up a hole big enough that he only ran 90 yards and bled to death. It wasn't a big bear, but the size of experience is what counts. He had the hide made into a rug, and mounted the skull with the spear head. It looks really good.

There are also a few people that atlatl hunt for bears from what I hear. I've never heard of any of them getting anything though.

I can't see how spear hunting anything isn't sporting unless you are just really against baiting. If you don't plan on luring your game at least 6 yards away from you, don't hunt with a spear.

Yes he sits over a biat pile. A few others around here have done the same thing. I think the
kill is very fast. The spear head is pretty big. I was told he came down with enough force once
to put the spear point into the groung 6-8" after it went through the bear. Black bears get pretty big in northern Minnesota. I think i would rather throw the spear down through the bear
rather then jump down on it. I would think a heavy, sharp braud head spear would cut through
pretty good when thrown from 10-12' above?

Most spears don't have any trouble prenetrating. Probably the only reason your friend doesn't get throse kind of pass through hits (6-7" in the ground on the other side) is because of that 4 bladed tip you spoke of.

A few (5-7) years there was a vidio from the makers of a tree stand,plastic, I believe it was called a Swivel Stand.....the vidios or mailed free.....on the vidio amoung the gun and bow kills they showed two bears killed with a spear from a tree over bait.....quite a sight to see...loaned the vidio and no longer have it....maybe somebody has seen it.....Hal

You should check on the curent laws to be sure. A few years back the local warden said there was no law saying you could not spear bear. He said as long as it was "sporting and humane" he had no problem with it. And of corse you had to have a bear tag and do it in season.

[ 03-29-2003, 09:14: Message edited by: jeremy w ]

Didn't the male members of the Zulu tribe in Africa have to kill a lion with the spear to "become a man" . I'm sure it was sporting for the lion.

There is a picture of a fellow in a Cold Steel ad with a boar spear and a bear (a DEAD bear).

Interesting. Heard of a guy spearing a deer a few years ago and bragged about it. Untill the warden found out about it.

If a warden is telling you that you can do this because it is not in the regs. .......BOY!

There is no spearing season listed in the regs. and spears are not listed as a hunting impliment for big game. So if a warden says do it because it is not listed, why not try a bowling ball cannon? There not listed either. Sounds like good feed for the people that want to ban all hunting to brag about this.

..Well, I never speared one, but I damn sure lassoed one. You think I didn't have one bitch of a time getting that rope off!!!

Just say it was a big arrow O_~ hehe Really does the game warden do anything? never see one in hunting season O_O

I don't know about in Virginia but there was one out last season here. In California they are armed too, this guy had a semi-auto and a couple extra clips. he was parked on the side of the road stopping cars, checking our licenses, tags and making sure we didn't have any illegal deer in the car.

What happened was they (the warden's I guess) had found the guts and what not of a male deer (they found the testes) but for some reason, I can't remember now, they knew that it was illegal, or they had found it just before season or something. They were looking for poachers basically.

Only time I have run into one up here. Ran into Department of Forestry guys two weekends ago checking campfire permits. really nice guys too, they were even willing to sell a permit on the spot instead of ticketing you. (I had one of course though).

Red

Guys used to spear black bear where I live, in Mn. They used very long-handled spears and poked the bear when it came to bait. Jumping on one would be quite exciting, in my opinion.
Spearing bear was made illegal in Mn., in response to this growing sport. Its been illegal for at least 15 years.

There are several people here in the Atlanta area that have a small club. You can order spear heads from www.atlantacutlery.com. There is to distinct styles, one is dropping from a stand version, the other is toe to toe on the ground, remiscient of the movie the 'EDGE.' I know a couple of them and have an ofer to go, but they also hunt boars with a knife. I admit, I don't think I am man enough yet.

Doc

Used to hunt bear with a club, but there were 50 some of us in the club

wasn't there a guy in the early part of the last century that used to hunt jaguar in south america with a spear and a few dogs.. try that sometime. seems jaguar have been known to double back on their own trail and wait in a convenient tree for the pursuer to come along// surprise surprise

DENNIS59 wrote:"wasn't there a guy in the early part of the last century that used to hunt jaguar in south america with a spear and a few dogs.."

That was Sasha Siemel. He is said to have taken over 270 jaguars, not all of them with a spear.