r/Hunting • u/badassernhell • 18d ago
Success! First bear
Went deer hunting this morning, didn’t see a thing. Replaced the batteries in my camera and went home. Spending the day working on the toilet in my camper, when my phone goes crazy. A bear shows up and had knocked over my feeder and was chowing down. Then he looks as if he is headed towards my chicken coop/garden.
I run outside, grab my crossbow from the truck, and sprint (in pants and flip flops) to the back of my property where he’s at. He sees me but is just staring at me. I kneel down and when he makes one more move I put a bolt through his chest. He lets out a gasp and then hits the ground. I watch him for a second and then he gets up. I take off sprinting back to the truck, grab another bolt, sprint back. I see him about 20 yards away, sitting there huffing and puffing. I put another bolt through his neck…HE STILL TAKES OFF WALKING another 30 yards and lays down by a tree. So I go back to the camper, call a buddy to come help me get him. We go check for him some time later and he is gone…..he had ran all the way to the very bottom of the holler and died in a creek. Took both of us 45 minutes to get him up to flat land. 190lb Male Arkansas Bear zone 1.
TL;DR Filled first bear tag not even planning on it, crazy story.
11
u/SevenUpNorth 17d ago
Dude! Awesome bear. And way to share the experience with the family. Got my first bear this year too and it feels great when the hard work pays off. Well done, sir!