I have been pretty busy lately because I got married last Saturday, but I did have a chance to get out to hunt a few times during bow season. The first Wednesday morning I was sitting in a stand and I decided to carry my wife's (fiancé at the time) crossbow. I had never hunted with a crossbow but took it with me just to try it out. I was in a permanent stand that has always been a good spot on the side of a steep ridge between fields and a cedar thicket. Soon after daylight the turkeys began sounding off on the next ridge over. About a half hour later 2 jakes soared across the hollow and landed about 10 yards from my stand. I watched them scratch around for a while before making their way out of sight. Things were pretty slow after that until 7:45 I noticed something black coming across the ridge about 50 yards above me. It was a bear! I grabbed my crossbow and could tell he was bigger than the one I killed 2 years ago that ended up weighing 140. He made his way into a clearing about 30 yards away and I put the scope on him and squeezed the trigger. He ran off and I thought I heard him crash over in the hollow. I gave it about 15 minutes and climbed down and walked over to where he had been standing. I couldn't find any blood or hair. Another 10 minutes of searching and I found the bolt. It was covered it blood and hair. I looked for another 5 minutes or so and couldn't find any blood on the ground, so I decided to just walk over in the direction he ran and see if I could find him since I thought I heard him crash. About 75 yards later I found him piled up under some brush. As I walked up he was a lot bigger than I thought when I had shot. It actually made me pretty nervous going up to him. I called my dad and brother to come help. The 3 of us could only move him a few inches at a time so I called my uncle to bring a 4 wheeler. It was nearly impossible getting a 4 wheeler up the side of this thick steep ridge, but after about an hour and a half we got it to him. It took about another 2 hours to get him back to the truck from there.

He ended up weighing 404 pounds on the scales at the check station.



Here's a pic my uncle took and printed for me. Not the best quality since it's a picture of a picture, but shows the bear's size better.

Congrads on getting married!!! im not a bear hunter but know that is a big one!! Congrads

Doug

What a hoss, Congratulations on a massive bear.

Congrats on the marriage and also on the brute of a bear. Anything with a bow is a trophy and this one is no exception!

Congrats all around!

Big Bar!! Big Congrats!

Congrats!

congrats

Wow. That is not one l would try to chase out of the cabin with a broom. You think that is groceries off a great mast crop last year or has he been fed in somebody's back yard? What a trophy for a bow. congratulations

Really nice bear, congratulations! Well done with a bow.

Earl

GN I'm not really sure. There aren't any neighborhoods for miles from here but there are a few houses on 50+ acre tracts in the area so someone could be feeding them. I've had several people tell me he must be feeding in corn fields but there aren't any of those for several miles either, although a bear can travel pretty long distances from what I understand. Either way, he has obviously been eating well for quite some time.

Beuitful bear...congratulations

That's a good one.. congrats man.. and on getting married