Archery Bear Hunting

Archery Bear Hunting: Where Precision Meets Patience

There’s something different about hunting bear with a bow. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a tree stand, over bait, floating a river or taking down brush on a stalk. Each hunt style provides its own “atmosphere” if you will, along with its own challenges. The only common denominator seems to be testing the patience of the archer waiting for the perfect shot. Oh yeah, and the heavy presence of something wild just out of sight.

Archery bear hunting is one of those pursuits that can humble you and teach you things about yourself and your equipment. However, when it all comes together, it can reward you in a way few hunts can.

Why Hunt Bears with a Bow?

Most bowhunters will admit. If you’re looking for an easy kill, bear hunting isn’t the place to find it. Between the dense cover, elusive movement patterns, and anatomical differences from deer or elk, bears demand something different from you.

But that’s the appeal.

Up-Close Encounters

Whether you're running a bait site (in places where it's legal) or glassing for a spot-and-stalk opportunity, bear hunting is typically a close-quarters game. You’re often taking shots at 20–40 yards. That proximity brings a tension you don’t get on most rifle hunts. You’ll hear them breathe. You’ll watch the muscles move under their fur. You’ll feel your heart in your throat. One hunter I’ve talked to recounted his pin bouncing at full draw.  Not from him physically shaking, but to the rhythm of the pulse beating in his hand. If that doesn’t say you’re pumped up, I don’t know what would.

A Mental Game

Bears don’t move on a schedule, unless you’re real lucky. More or less, the only consistent pattern you’ll see with their movement is they are more active at dawn and dusk. You might go days without seeing one, then have 15 seconds to make a shot. It’s a test of your patience, your ability to sit still, and your focus under pressure. Another thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is judging a bear.  As in, is it a “shooter” bear or one to let pass.  This is a little more challenging than judging the size of a rack on an animal.  For judging a bear the only thing you can do is study and observe.  Anything from the size of the body, the head, how small the ears look, to it’s general behavior are used by experienced bear hunters to determine if it’s a shooter bear or not.

Spot-and-Stalk vs. Baited Hunts

The method depends a lot on where you are.

Spot-and-Stalk

Popular in the western US, this method relies on glassing open hillsides, meadows, riverbanks or logged terrain.  Once a good bear is spotted, the next step is making a smart and careful approach. Stalking can be physically demanding and time sensitive in a lot of cases.  There are so many variables to a stalk, I feel like that should be its own blog topic. Some variables you can control, like your path towards the animal. Other things you can’t, like the wind, animal movement, terrain features, etc. Just know going into one of these hunts you’ll probably spend way more time behind optics than behind your bow.

Tips:

• Focus on green-up areas and south-facing slopes.
• Keep the wind in your face at all times, bears live and die by their nose.
• Wait for a clear, broadside shot if possible. Getting a clean pass through with a bow will normally give you a better blood trail and increase your odds of recovery.  Fat on bears are known for plugging up holes and not producing a great blood trail.

Baiting

Legal in states some states and territories, baited hunts allow you to set up within close range and wait for a bear to come in. While it might sound easier, baiting has its own challenges: setting up the site legally and ethically, minimizing human scent, and sometimes sitting for days with no action.

Tips:

• Choose a tree stand or blind location based on wind and entry routes.
• Practice shooting from a seated position and heights if you’re planning on hunting from a tree stand.
• Watch for front leg placement, wait for that near leg to step forward before you release.

Shot Placement on a Bear

This is where many bowhunters go wrong.

Bear anatomy is trickier than some other animals. Bears typically have thick fur and fat that can hide muscle definition, thus making it hard to pick the correct aiming point. The vitals sit lower in a bear than you might expect, but at the same time you don’t want to shoot too low. Since they have that thick fur, sometimes it’s hard to tell where the bottom of the belly really is, which makes it easy to misjudge and shoot below the vitals.

General rule:

• Broadside or slightly quartering-away shots only.
• Avoid shoulder blades and quartering-to angles.

A double-lung shot is your goal. A heart shot is a bonus. Always watch the bear after the shot, don’t assume anything until you’ve tracked it to the end.

Bow Setup Considerations

You don’t need a special rig to hunt bears, but it needs to be solid and tuned.

• Draw weight: More is better, but not so heavy that you have to do acrobatics to get it drawn.  If you shoot lower pounds, check the regulations for where you are going to be sure you meet the minimum.
• Arrow setup: Traditionally hunters tended to go with a heavier arrow and fixed-blade broadhead, however times and fads change constantly in the hunting industry.  Again, check regulations to make sure your desired set-up is legal in the area you are hunting.
• String condition: Check for wear, serving separation or anything that may start to hint that your string is going bad. Bear season is no place for a sloppy setup.

The Payoff

Taking a bear with a bow is something you don’t forget. Not just because of the trophy, or the meat, but the whole experience that leads up to the shot.

Archery bear hunting teaches you to trust your instincts, your preparation, and your gear. Who knows, it might even remind you of why you picked up a bow in the first place.