Black Bear hunt…Gun or Cross-Bow
- Thread starter Justice1327
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tankgijohn72
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2014
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I have only killed 2 black bears. One with a muzzleloader and one with a crossbow. Both went less than 25 yards. That said if i had a choice, it would always be a rifle. Arrow kills very quickly in the lungs, but you get much more effective range with a rifle and there is less concern about hitting the shoulder. You can capitalize with a rifle on shots that you should pass with a bow.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
And .... if you are in a smallish treestand (which is pretty common) a short rifle is a lot easier to hold, maneuver and shoot than a crossbow. I've killed the vast majority of my black bears with a Marlin 1895 in 45-70. Other than that, a short .308 win is just about perfect.
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
Thank you mrbb. Great advice.
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
The reason why this was considered was the various seasons…firearms and bow season.
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
Any recommendations on states or guides/outfitters?
as for 'recommending an outfitter or state
IMO< what you may want to think about is how fat are you willing to travel, what is your MAIN goal on getting a bear, as in is ANY bear OK< or are you setting a goal of a "X" size or aged one?
what accommodations will you expect on the hunt,or maybe more importantly, what will your Wife expect or Want??
about decent outfitter where they can LEGALLY bait bears, will have decent success rates, as bears are easy targets when food is applied to the deal, they cannot help themselves its a magnet to easy meals!
BUT it doesn;'t mean a 100% record for all hunters
as anything can happen and many hunters will PASS on many hoping for what they want, weather or?/
or a BAD outfitter that doesn't stay on top of baiting and or over hunts sites!
other things to consider also, are color fazes, are color faze bears HIGH on the want list,a s some area's are just known to produce more of them!
do you want a remote type hunt, or are you OK with just a few miles out of town!
finding out what states allow for hunting over bait, isn;t that hard if you look online,
some states have bait in the FALL and or spring time, so you have to decide on what time of yr you want to hunt as well!
pro's and con's to both IMO
if I was you I'd start with making a list of what you want to get out of a bear hunt, then start looking for outfitters that work in your list of must have's or most of them!
from there start doing home work on outfitters in the places your looking at, ask for references on successful and un successful hunters, talk to the local warden in there area's as well, be surprised what info a warden can tell you about an outfitter!, plus you can ask them about honest populations of bears in there area, and how hard the area gets hunted!, wardens can be a great tool to you if you work with them when they have TIME to talk!
also a good idea to talk about what gear the outfitter suggests or recommend you have on your hunts
therma cells and GOOD bug suits can be a huge advantage and make a hunt fun or lack of them miserable!
MY suggestion on a bug suit is, BUG Tamer PLus its the BEST suit I have every used and highly recommend them, Hell I'd bring two if I went on any hunt where bugs are even a slight issues , in case you loose or damage one, you have a spare HAHA,
there light weight and durable, but loose one on a hunt and you'll soon regret not having an extra~! been there done that! once on a float plane drop hunt, and after that I will never again not have extra on hand!
some area's also are more known for having B&C class skulls over others
and also, something to consider is, some places that have spring hunts, also have deals on fishing packages too, to take advantage of if you tag out early for mid day time killing at slower periods over sitting all day in a stand! this can be a nice fun addition to a hunt IMO!
fall hunts, you can some times double dip and add a second species to the trip, if one wanted too!
opens up the door to other options while in the stand or going to/from stand!
I don;t know when your planing your hunt, or what state your in
BUT every Feb in PA< we have something called the GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS SHOW,
www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.org
its the largest sportsman show in the USA, and has hundreds of outfitters there, is a GREAT place to meet and talk to outfitters as well as all the other things the show has to offer
folks travel far and wide to go to it,
pending where your at, it also might be something to consider, its a "" like 10 day event
here is a link, many states have wardens there as well , you can get deals on hunts as well
if you look at outfitters before show, ask if they will be there, might be a way ti meet them before booking a hunt and getting a better feel for how they operate
IMO< what you may want to think about is how fat are you willing to travel, what is your MAIN goal on getting a bear, as in is ANY bear OK< or are you setting a goal of a "X" size or aged one?
what accommodations will you expect on the hunt,or maybe more importantly, what will your Wife expect or Want??
about decent outfitter where they can LEGALLY bait bears, will have decent success rates, as bears are easy targets when food is applied to the deal, they cannot help themselves its a magnet to easy meals!
BUT it doesn;'t mean a 100% record for all hunters
as anything can happen and many hunters will PASS on many hoping for what they want, weather or?/
or a BAD outfitter that doesn't stay on top of baiting and or over hunts sites!
other things to consider also, are color fazes, are color faze bears HIGH on the want list,a s some area's are just known to produce more of them!
do you want a remote type hunt, or are you OK with just a few miles out of town!
finding out what states allow for hunting over bait, isn;t that hard if you look online,
some states have bait in the FALL and or spring time, so you have to decide on what time of yr you want to hunt as well!
pro's and con's to both IMO
if I was you I'd start with making a list of what you want to get out of a bear hunt, then start looking for outfitters that work in your list of must have's or most of them!
from there start doing home work on outfitters in the places your looking at, ask for references on successful and un successful hunters, talk to the local warden in there area's as well, be surprised what info a warden can tell you about an outfitter!, plus you can ask them about honest populations of bears in there area, and how hard the area gets hunted!, wardens can be a great tool to you if you work with them when they have TIME to talk!
also a good idea to talk about what gear the outfitter suggests or recommend you have on your hunts
therma cells and GOOD bug suits can be a huge advantage and make a hunt fun or lack of them miserable!
MY suggestion on a bug suit is, BUG Tamer PLus its the BEST suit I have every used and highly recommend them, Hell I'd bring two if I went on any hunt where bugs are even a slight issues , in case you loose or damage one, you have a spare HAHA,
there light weight and durable, but loose one on a hunt and you'll soon regret not having an extra~! been there done that! once on a float plane drop hunt, and after that I will never again not have extra on hand!
some area's also are more known for having B&C class skulls over others
and also, something to consider is, some places that have spring hunts, also have deals on fishing packages too, to take advantage of if you tag out early for mid day time killing at slower periods over sitting all day in a stand! this can be a nice fun addition to a hunt IMO!
fall hunts, you can some times double dip and add a second species to the trip, if one wanted too!
opens up the door to other options while in the stand or going to/from stand!
I don;t know when your planing your hunt, or what state your in
BUT every Feb in PA< we have something called the GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS SHOW,
Great American Outdoor Show
The Great American Outdoor Show is a nine-day event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that celebrates hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions treasured by millions of Americans and their families.
its the largest sportsman show in the USA, and has hundreds of outfitters there, is a GREAT place to meet and talk to outfitters as well as all the other things the show has to offer
folks travel far and wide to go to it,
pending where your at, it also might be something to consider, its a "" like 10 day event
here is a link, many states have wardens there as well , you can get deals on hunts as well
if you look at outfitters before show, ask if they will be there, might be a way ti meet them before booking a hunt and getting a better feel for how they operate
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
Awesome mrbb! Yes lots to consider and I have started to make a list, but will add the bug suit. Over bait is what we want. We have a RV and planned to use it to cut costs. To be honest I don't know what a good size bear is in the various states. The only bear I have got is a 250 pound bear. I was very happy with it as it was a cinnamon bear with blonde mustache and eyebrows. But, I was not bear hunting I was elk and mule deer hunting I just happened to buy a tag and saw one. Great idea on the time of year… wife loves fishing.
Terry Lightle
Well-Known Member
If using a sight or scope and pulling a trigger it would be a rifle if it were me
Critter Picker
Well-Known Member
I've never shot a X bow, but have shot a few black bears with a compound. My thoughts are, if hunting from a tree stand over bait either will be fine. If hunting on the ground,with bait,I would opt for the rifle. If it's a spot and stalk again I would go for the rifle. A third option if you are proficient, would be a handgun,but, rember a 44 mag only has half the kinetic energy of the 30-30. It will do the job,but shot placement is critical. I hit one with a .41 Mag behind the shoulder that exited just ahead of the opposite leg,center of body,and had it on my trail camera a week later.
The important thing is enjoy your hunt. Take both and use what you have in your hands when the right bear shows up. I would use a slick trick broadhead with the X bow, for a rifle 260 or larger, handgun 454 would be first choice and a single shot in a rifle caliber wouldn't be out of the question.
The important thing is enjoy your hunt. Take both and use what you have in your hands when the right bear shows up. I would use a slick trick broadhead with the X bow, for a rifle 260 or larger, handgun 454 would be first choice and a single shot in a rifle caliber wouldn't be out of the question.
