Black bear caliber
- Thread starter bud69
- Start date
1400lbs when he was still on the BC side of the rockies...
This^
Thread in a nutshell: OP's question devolves into "My bear is bigger than your bear"
Big bodied bears across Canada regardless where you go, just have to look for them. The bears with the biggest skulls seem to come out of Pennsylvania though.
Some states conduct surveys of hunter harvest of black bears and the average weight is generally less that 200 pounds. How many sub 200lb bears shot in Canada...tons...even in BC and Ontario I bet. Except these ones don't get bragged about. Or if they do the hunter adds a few inches (seems to happen a lot on this site) and 150lbs.
Big bodied bears across Canada regardless where you go, just have to look for them. The bears with the biggest skulls seem to come out of Pennsylvania though.
Some states conduct surveys of hunter harvest of black bears and the average weight is generally less that 200 pounds. How many sub 200lb bears shot in Canada...tons...even in BC and Ontario I bet. Except these ones don't get bragged about. Or if they do the hunter adds a few inches (seems to happen a lot on this site) and 150lbs.
Quote Originally Posted by Mount Sweetness View Post
12ga slug
Josh:
This^
This seems to be a common consensus but I can tell you from experience this is not always the case. When things get stressful and both you and the bear are moving, for whatever reason, mostly the bear running as fast as it can to get out of sight, that slug can just make the situation go from bad to nasty very quickly if it isn't placed in proper manner on said bear.
If everything is done properly on the shooter's part the demise is fast. If the shooter is excited and misses a debilitating shot then the tables can be turned very quickly. Try shooting a bear in a barn or tent with no visible escape route. All hell can break loose in a heartbeat.
This is why my "bear load" is SSGs in a 12gauge. That load at close range doesn't spread much, maybe to a couple of cm at 5-10 feet but it spreads once it hits and increases the damage while doing so. I have shot more than one black bear in such conditions and I can tell you, the slug ripped all the way through one shoulder and angled through the top of the facing lung and out the back end of the offside lung. That slug also went through the wall behind the bear and kept right on going. That's OK under most circumstances but not acceptable in a campground, where other people are in proximity. It's also OK for hunting purposes.
The other two were shot with SSGs at close range in a 12x15 tent, full of gear and one other hunter in both cases. I used SSGs. They expended all of their energy in the animals and didn't exit. One was hit from face on in the left side of its chest and part of its jaw. It stopped just long enough for me to get off another shot to its face which dropped it on the spot. I have no idea if it was aggressive but it wasn't trying to back out and I wasn't taking any chances. The second bear was shot inside the tent as well, it took three shots to put it on the floor permanently but each shot stopped it long enough to reload. This bear was AGGRESSIVE and has a place on my living room floor. It measures 6ft 3in from nose tip to tail tip. Absolutely no fear. Turns out we had set up our tent about 25 meters from an Elk gut pile that was hidden by all of the debris the bear had covered it up with. No smell as it was mostly gone and cold. It was protecting its food.
For protection purposes the SSGs are better IMHO. They break bones, shatter lungs, heart, livers, kidneys, heads etc. This usually will stop any bear pretty quickly and give you time to reload and take a more controlled second shot.
It is a rare occurrence to be attacked by an aggressive bear. For the most part they will run at the sight/smell of a human. There are anomalies to this though and I can fully understand the need to protect yourself/family. The thing is you have to do it right the first time. A terrified or aggressive bear won't give you any sympathy. They will do what bears do to alleviate their terror or hunger/anger and they are extremely quick at how and when they are going to do it.
If you run across an aggressive bear a shotgun broken down in a back pack or unloaded turns into a light club. If you like the idea of "carrying for protection" and are serious about it then you NEED to know how to react quickly and positively. This only happens successfully with lots of practice. Going to the range and shooting clays or stationary targets while standing still isn't good practice. You need to be able to MOVE and shoot a MOVING target at the same time. Shooting a pistol grip shotgun from the hip wouldn't be my choice but if you practice enough MAYBE.
12ga slug
Josh:
This^
This seems to be a common consensus but I can tell you from experience this is not always the case. When things get stressful and both you and the bear are moving, for whatever reason, mostly the bear running as fast as it can to get out of sight, that slug can just make the situation go from bad to nasty very quickly if it isn't placed in proper manner on said bear.
If everything is done properly on the shooter's part the demise is fast. If the shooter is excited and misses a debilitating shot then the tables can be turned very quickly. Try shooting a bear in a barn or tent with no visible escape route. All hell can break loose in a heartbeat.
This is why my "bear load" is SSGs in a 12gauge. That load at close range doesn't spread much, maybe to a couple of cm at 5-10 feet but it spreads once it hits and increases the damage while doing so. I have shot more than one black bear in such conditions and I can tell you, the slug ripped all the way through one shoulder and angled through the top of the facing lung and out the back end of the offside lung. That slug also went through the wall behind the bear and kept right on going. That's OK under most circumstances but not acceptable in a campground, where other people are in proximity. It's also OK for hunting purposes.
The other two were shot with SSGs at close range in a 12x15 tent, full of gear and one other hunter in both cases. I used SSGs. They expended all of their energy in the animals and didn't exit. One was hit from face on in the left side of its chest and part of its jaw. It stopped just long enough for me to get off another shot to its face which dropped it on the spot. I have no idea if it was aggressive but it wasn't trying to back out and I wasn't taking any chances. The second bear was shot inside the tent as well, it took three shots to put it on the floor permanently but each shot stopped it long enough to reload. This bear was AGGRESSIVE and has a place on my living room floor. It measures 6ft 3in from nose tip to tail tip. Absolutely no fear. Turns out we had set up our tent about 25 meters from an Elk gut pile that was hidden by all of the debris the bear had covered it up with. No smell as it was mostly gone and cold. It was protecting its food.
For protection purposes the SSGs are better IMHO. They break bones, shatter lungs, heart, livers, kidneys, heads etc. This usually will stop any bear pretty quickly and give you time to reload and take a more controlled second shot.
It is a rare occurrence to be attacked by an aggressive bear. For the most part they will run at the sight/smell of a human. There are anomalies to this though and I can fully understand the need to protect yourself/family. The thing is you have to do it right the first time. A terrified or aggressive bear won't give you any sympathy. They will do what bears do to alleviate their terror or hunger/anger and they are extremely quick at how and when they are going to do it.
If you run across an aggressive bear a shotgun broken down in a back pack or unloaded turns into a light club. If you like the idea of "carrying for protection" and are serious about it then you NEED to know how to react quickly and positively. This only happens successfully with lots of practice. Going to the range and shooting clays or stationary targets while standing still isn't good practice. You need to be able to MOVE and shoot a MOVING target at the same time. Shooting a pistol grip shotgun from the hip wouldn't be my choice but if you practice enough MAYBE.
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Well.... since you quoted me, I am assuming you feel my claim of 20 or so bears is unreasonable?..... I am 42 and have been hunting (legally), since I was 16..... also, I spent 8 years in the forces which allowed me to sometimes take bear both back home and in other provinces in one year..... you feel someone with 26 years of hunting experience in a province that allows baiting couldn't harvest 20 or so bears in 26 years?...... not to mention the ability to hunt other provinces simultaneously?....odd.....
Seriously Chuckles, I'm not sure whether to be flattered or concerned with your obsession....
As for Hoyt, he is a big boy and can take care of himself, but I have had the honor of hunting with him and his son and hosting them in my home and I will say he is of impeccable character, and amongst a group of 7 guys we enjoyed his stories.... but he certainly didn't try to dominate the conversation or BS anyone......
Maybe you need to give some thought as to whether or not an online forum is right for you.... or maybe talk to a professional in regards to your apparent bitterness, resentment and obsession with people you don't even know in real life.....
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Lol.... so true it almost isn't funny.....
Leaning toward you talking to a professional now...... just weird
Brad, I would love to see a picture of you and your best bear. What you shot it with. Distance, reaction etc. And if you can post pictures of the 19 ish others all the better.
This is true. Maybe he has a skull or hide laying around. Is it mandatory to retain the fur in Ontario?
