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HokieGobbler
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:23 am Posts: 891 Location: Luray, VA
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Big Bear with a Crossbow
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.
_________________ Lovin the Hokies!!!
Ryan
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Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:37 pm |
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Doug
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:25 pm Posts: 2092
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Congrads on getting married!!! im not a bear hunter but know that is a big one!! Congrads
Doug
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Wed Nov 04, 2015 12:37 pm |
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beardbuster84
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:48 pm Posts: 790 Location: Westmoreland co. Va
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
What a hoss, Congratulations on a massive bear.
_________________ "If the good Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise." Hank Williams
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Wed Nov 04, 2015 2:11 pm |
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bird_dog07
Longbeard
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 12:22 pm Posts: 176 Location: Smithfield, VA
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
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!
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Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:12 pm |
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Freddy
Boss Gobbler
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:50 pm Posts: 3138 Location: Goodview, VA
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Congrats all around!
_________________ "You have to pay for every bird you kill and the coin you use to pay for them is time." - Tom Kelly
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Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:15 am |
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Big Bird
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:08 pm Posts: 604 Location: Christiansburg, VA
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Love your opening sentence! Congratulations Ryan on both of those achievements. That is a heck of a bear.
_________________ When the student is ready, the teacher will appear...
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Thu Nov 05, 2015 3:47 pm |
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Bird Dog
King of Spring
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:50 pm Posts: 2650 Location: central Va
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Big Bar!! Big Congrats!
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Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:46 am |
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Vic
King of Spring
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:40 am Posts: 2706 Location: Baltimore, MD
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Congrats!
_________________ Vic
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)
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Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:34 am |
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bronco2
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:22 pm Posts: 310 Location: bland county va.
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
congrats
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Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:39 am |
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Gobblenow
Co-Owner/Dog Feeder
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am Posts: 3806
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
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
_________________ "even after almost a half-century of hunting of the noblest game bird I am going to confess that I am still in the kindergarten; and I doubt if any human being ever acquires a complete education in this high art."
- Archibald Rutledge
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Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:36 am |
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Greyghost
King of Spring
Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:12 am Posts: 2451 Location: Midland, VA
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Really nice bear, congratulations! Well done with a bow.
Earl
_________________ God, Family, Country, Corps and then the Wild Turkey.
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Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:48 am |
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HokieGobbler
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:23 am Posts: 891 Location: Luray, VA
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Gobblenow wrote: 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 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.
_________________ Lovin the Hokies!!!
Ryan
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Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:55 am |
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vabirdhunter
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:55 pm Posts: 966 Location: Chesapeake, Virginia
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
Beuitful bear...congratulations
_________________ Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees . . Stonewall Jackson
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Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:30 am |
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WVBOY
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:33 pm Posts: 3038 Location: Powhatan, VA
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Re: Big Bear with a Crossbow
That's a good one.. congrats man.. and on getting married
_________________ RB
Take me Home Country Roads.
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Thu Nov 12, 2015 3:21 pm |
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