Three out of four times that bears came to my bait while I was there they took the had way, which meant coming right over top of where I was posted. Last night she did the same thing, but I was ready. Saturday and Sunday nights I hunted looking away from my bait and in the direction that the bears come from, because I hated have bears come up behind me. They make about as much sound as a red squirrel, but without the fast pace. I heard her coming for about two or three minutes, and finally saw hear through the branches of the balsam fir I was hiding behind. I saw her at about twenty-five or thirty yards, and she started down a small hill next to me.

I shot her what I would have sworn was broadside, but the entrance and exit wound clearly show a slightly quartering towards shot. I shot her at about ten to fifteen yards, hitting her high on the shoulder and the bullet exiting low and aft on the ribs. The 405gr. Remington bullet worked great, leaving a 1.5 x 2 inch exit oval. I loaded it with a starting load of H335 and CCI250 primer in a R-P case. Nominally the load is about 1700fps, but I don't have a chronograph.

She bolted forwards after I shot her, and went behind another balsam fir, then swerving to her left and falling down hill. She went about 25 yards from where I shot her, but I believe most of that was just falling down hill. When she came to a stop laying in the weeds one of her front legs floped over last. I thought she was still alive and shot her again in what I believed was the chest, but was the back leg. The last shot was completely unnecessary, and I'm lucky the way it hit damaged little meat. That bullet entered on the inside of one leg and exited on the outside of the same leg. It also left a one and a half inch exit hole from only that much travel.

Even though I don't really like this Marlin rifle very much, I've become a .45-70 believer. Especially for afternoon hunting. I'll still use the .30-30 and .32 Winchester Special, but only in the mornings.

Mike

------------------
Victory through superior firepower!

BTW, I haven't been able to post at 24hr campfire since they changed the site last summer. Have you had any problems there? The webmaster can't or won't fix whatever the problem is, and I suspect that his cookies are incompatable with my security. I've only had a problem with one other site.

My first bear was a 4.5 foot boar. I wasn't being fussy over size at the time (I was 12yo) but it sure looked like an 8 footer to me! Bears are something you need to see a few of to judge size accurately, but there are a few tricks you can pick up along the way.

Great story, too. Thanks for sharing all the details on your .45/70. I agree that it is a great evening-hunt gun. Big holes mean big blood trails, which really help if you need to follow up on a bear after dark (which is never fun!).

Congrats on a great first bear and a trophy you'll remember forever.

Canuck

Mike

------------------
Victory through superior firepower!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Youper:
Last night I shot and killed my first bear.

---

WONDERFUL !!! Great to hear your story and enthusiasm.

You mentioned that a bear looks bigger live than dead? We call that "ground shrink."

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

A week earlier I had a momma and cubs come up behind me in the same place where the one I shot came from the last time. I was posted down wind from my bait, and I believe that the bears knew what the bait was, but didn't know what my smell was. I think they were just courious, and we just couldn't see each other till they were that close.

Has anyone else found this happening when they hunt bears?