Why Hunt Black Bear? Food, Conservation, Fat, Fur and Skull.

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If you hunt in black bear rich habitat, such as Northern Maine, where I am hunting in September,  you are doing your part in conservation by control of the population. New Hampshire has bears too but a smaller, huntable, yet also growing population.

Hunters rely on biologists to determine the bear season. Maine has around 35,000 bears. Bear season typically begins in September. Check regulations for exact information. 

https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/laws-rules/index.html

https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/dates-and-seasons

But there has to be something that the hunter gets for bear hunting.

Among hunters and settlers, bear meat and bear fat has been a sought after commodity since the founding of America.

Bear meat, when cared for properly, is delicious. Bears need to be gutted and cooled promptly. Vacuum sealing the meat and freezing is one of the best ways to store bear meat.

Bear fat, when rendered, can make pastries, candles, lubricants, water proofing, and the fur makes a great rug. The skull can be sent out for cleaning and display the bears large jaw and teeth. 

Good Hunting!

Garmin Xero C1 Pro Doppler Radar Chronograph – Lets See How Easy!

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The new Garmin Xero C1 Pro seen below has features galore. It is very light, easily packed/stored, and is so easy to set up. Can link to your Iphone too. 

Garmin suggests you charge the unit batteries first. It takes a few hours and also comes with a separate larger battery. The tripod is detachable and the unit can be mounted on a long camera tripod as well.

So lets shoot three shots “right now” out of my 7mm Rem Mag at the range and see how easy it is.

On the top of the unit there are 4 buttons. One has the power icon. Push it. Below the screen displays  three options, New session, History or Settings. See the box highlighting the new session? We want that one, so on top of the unit push the OK button.

Next screen will come up and ask Rifle, Pistol, Bow, or Air Rifle. On top the unit has up arrow and down arrow keys. Since the screen box is highlighting the Rifle, just hit the OK button.

Next it displays expected speed ranges 1700 to 5000 fps or slower than 1700fps. Since the screen highlights the speed range for my 7mm, then hit the Ok button.

If you want to know bullet energy you can hit OK for Yes and enter the bullet weight. Skip for now.

 

Below this screen tells you the distance the unit must be from the rifle barrel which is 5 to 15 inches.

 

The next screen below has dashes indicating you are ready to shoot and record data.

Place the tripod unit on a bench near your rifle barrel 5 to 15 inches away.  

Next is to shoot three shots. See Below.

Hit the OK button and the Chronograph will calculate the number of shots taken, the average, and Standard Deviation. Some say 10 shots for a really accurate AVG and SD but three shots work for me.  

 

Wow! Time to set up is less than 5 minutes. Below, I shot my Ten Point Turbo S1 crossbow in just minutes with the Garmin to the right within 15 inches of the arrow. Thanks to my Weber Grill and My Death Grip tripod.

Below, I clocked the arrow/bolt speed at 359.1 fps with a 100g broadhead. Easy!

I bought a small hard case to put the unit in. 

Good Shooting!

Sizing Up A Black Bear Over Bait

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Seeing dozens of YouTube videos’ on hunting bear over bait is an excellent way to see  bears cautiously approach a bait site. My Maine fall bear destination below. 

https://www.foggymountain.com/

Brandon Bishop owner of Foggy Mountain congratulating a successful bear hunter

 

Bow and crossbow hunters are set up around 20 yards or less to a bait site. Rifle hunter are set up further away.

Your guides are real experts, listen up.

You will notice quickly that younger bears and cubs have large “Mickey Mouse” like ears, whereas adult bears have smaller ears when compared to the head. Your guide will also have marks on barrels indicating height of an approaching adult bears. A belly dragging the ground is a sure bet for a whopper. Or a bear that meets height markings on a barrel or is larger than the bait barrel. Holy Mackerel!!

If cubs or smaller bears arrive and then a larger bear is seen accompanying the cubs, then it is most probably a mother sow.

Take lots of pictures and video but hope that this  family of bears move on as the mother sow with cubs is not on a hunters menu.

Lone adult bears are what you are after.

Experts agree, the average size of harvested adult bears in Maine are around 150 pounds and can vary upwards to many hundreds of pounds like pictured above, though rare to see in daylight. Bear’s in the 250-300 pound or more range are real trophies.

The name of the game is being still, patience, scent control and timing/angle of your shot.

More so for archer’s. A fixed blade broadhead hit just forward of the bear’s midline and behind the shoulder will drop a bear in just 11 seconds.

A high broadhead hit to the shoulder scapula, is likely a lost bear due to lack of penetration. The scapula wounded bear will very likely heal but you, the hunter, may have some sleepless nights.

A rifle or pistol hunter has more shot options than the archer but the bullet must be placed in the heart lung area or head shot. Most opt for heart/lung.

It is best to shoot a bear with ample bullet penetration to get an exit wound and a bullet that opens up or mushrooms leaving an ample blood trail. 

Fast recovery of your bear is essential for quality meat.

Recently, I was given bear meat that was well cared for and vacuum sealed. It was absolutely tender and delish in my fall/winter stew. And don’t forget rendering the bear fat! It has many uses for making pastry, water-proofing shoes, lubrication and on and on. Mounting your bear? Call a taxidermist before you hunt.

Good Hunting!

 

 

Reflections of My October 2023 Newfoundland Moose Hunt

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It is 2024 now and near mid June. I took some time to reflect on my Newfoundland Moose Hunt.

Ed’s Moose taken Sept. 19, 2023

I was able to bring all 300 pounds of my frozen moose meat home on the back of our Subaru Ascent. On return home, we crossed over to Nova Scotia from the Port Au Basque side. An 8 hour Ferry ride. We had a ferry cabin, and 2 labrador retrievers with us.

I was hoping for a bull, but here along the Gander River, there were very few big racked bulls but never the less a decent quantity of moose live here. Given my senior age, I liked the hunt on the back of a Quad to get me close to bogs.

Cost of the hunt was in the $7000 range in total. Weather in October is storm prone, so be prepared.

So lets see, my moose meat costs $23 dollars a pound. Is it delicious? Absolutely the best! My wife goes bananas over the moose burger with a bit of pork mixed with it. This is my third moose and thoroughly enjoying the wild experience and the meat. We have shared meat with friends and family and still have plenty on hand. 

Below is the Moose hunt article.

Newfoundland Moose Hunt Sept 2023 With Gander River Outfitters

Good Hunting!

Next hunt is for black bear in Maine, in September 2024! 

Spring Old Town Fiberglass Canoe -Needs A Redo

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I have owned a 16 foot Fiberglass Old Town Katahdin Canoe for many years. This winter it fell off its saw horse perch and flipped up. Snow filled it and  we had powerful Northeasters and pounding rain. The poor canoe took a beating and filled with water demonstrating it was still leak-proof.

Our  Katahdin began its life as a bright red canoe and my sons and I used it greatly in Northern New Hampshire along the backwaters of the Androscoggin river and the ponds nearby.

Later, I spray painted it with camo paint for duck hunting but used it rarely as my sons flew from our nest.

Now, emptied of water, I need a new yoke and one web seat. But the camo faded and looks very sad.  Accordingly, I promised the canoe, a rebirth and a new professional camo paint job because I have 12 year old grandsons and a granddaughter to teach how to fish and paddle.

I went on-line and found my new birch yoke and web seat. But there is more… I found a camo spray paint kit and a kit of camo stencils to reinvigorate its life.

And the stencils too. All of these below in a plastic/ synthetic overlays with which to spray camo paint on.

Below is the new camo job on the canoe.

Good Canoeing!

7mm PRC Velocities Vary?

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Hornady’s new 7PRC owners are finding that the 175g bullet is not living up to its 3000fps advertising. Those that buy off-the-shelf 7PRC ammo have see a drop often of 100 to 150fps in lot to lot variation. Below is a video from “Big Game Hunting Blog” that helps to understand the variation.

In part it is due to powder shortages. Hornady’s use of different powders and lots of powder can cause measurable variation as well as rifle barrel length.

Hornady uses SAAMI 24 inch barrels. A 22 inch barrel will not cut 3000fps.  The key here is that the 7PRC was designed for long range accuracy, thus powders must deliver accuracy first. 

My Browning X-Bolt Speed in 7 Rem Mag achieves 3000 fps with a 175g Nosler ABLR bullet and a 26 inch barrel (9.5 twist) with RL 22 and Vitha. 560 hand loaded powder and sub-moa accuracy.  I did however, have to experiment with powder charges to safely optimize the loads. 

For 7PRC a lot of hoopla was made of improved faster barrel twist rate differences as well for heavier target bullets. The 7PRC rifle has a 1:8 Twist but my 7 Rem does equally well with 1:9.5 Twist with hunting bullets up to 175 grains. 

Good Hunting!

 

 

Time To Begin Reloading

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I have been reloading for pistol and rifle cartridges for hunting and target for over 40 years. It is time perhaps to enrich your inner self and reload. It’s fun and saves money too…in the long run.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Single Stage Press Kit

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Single Stage Press Kit

My African safari hunt utilized all my custom handloads.

 

Not only have I saved thousands of dollars over the years but customized loads to accurize my guns. I started with this RCBS kit above. At just over $500 dollars, you also need cartridge dies, powders, primers bullets and brass. 

Midway USA sells all you need.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023389781?pid=345426

Check it out!

 

Hunting Bullet Campfire Talk and a Ballistic Gel Test – Update

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Bullet Speed/Hydrostatic Shock – Bullet Shape Mushroom – Penetration – Impact Location and often exit wound all play a part in a swift ethical game harvest. Below, soft lead bonded spitzer mushroom left, solid copper with broken mushroom, right.

 

Ballistic Gel Test

Below a Ballistic Gel Test I did in 2021 Hammer Hunter copper vs Nosler Accubond Long Range 

Ballistic Gel 6.5 Creedmoor Test Nosler 129g ABLR vs Hammer Hunter Copper 124g

Copper hollow point bullets do mushroom as much or more than the lead core. I find cleaning my barrel with soft pure copper is not fun. Newer copper bullets made on a lath are better as tolerances are much tighter.

 

A Master bear guide recently told me that one of his hunters always brought a .375 H&H Magnum on black bear bait hunts. The hunter was getting full penetration and a small exit wound at 50 yards but the exit wound exhibited little or no blood to trail. Shots were to the heart lung area too.

The hunter was shooting a spitzer shape pointed bullet we commonly purchase on store shelves. I do not know the brand or type.

Spitzers in the past have been designed ideally for longer shots often past 200 to 300  yards. Some recent spitzer designs do open/mushroom faster than others. 

Accordingly, use a bullet type for the kind of game you will hunt.  A round or flat nose bullet is already in a partial mushroom shape and shot at short range, you will get a better mushroom at the start or shoot a soft nose spitzer which mushrooms quickly. Except most round nose are not loaded in a cartridge for sale, instead manufacturers try to design spitzers for close range too and may mushroom better, like bonded and Partition bullets

 

But you know, experience is the tell all. I am a Nosler fan!

Good Hunting!

 

 

 

Nosler 7mm Bullets on Short Range Maine Black Bear – Update

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I have successfully used Nosler Accubond bullets on bull moose and bison out of my .375 Ruger.

But I have not used the AccuBond Long Range (ABLR) bullet on big game yet. I have plenty of 7mm 175g Nosler ABLR’s left from my Newfoundland moose hunt last year. Note: Since, I was staying in Newfoundland for 6 weeks, Canada would not let me enter with my Browning 7mm rifle unless I was headed directly to my hunt.

Hopefully,that will soon to change this fall on my Foggy Mountain Maine bear hunt this September. 

The AccuBond ABLR is designed to expand faster than the AccuBond.  But will the bullet mushroom “too much” in my 7mm Rem Mag 175g ABLR at say 50 to 75 yards? 

UPDATE

Discussion with Nosler says the Nosler Partition will have more weight retention and will mushroom nicely at close range. Accordingly, my Nosler friends are sending some Nosler 160g Partitions for my bear hunt. See the video below. 

 

The biggest complaint from black bear guides is the difficulty of producing a good blood trail, with fat and hair plugging the hole, from smaller diameter bullets. Bears run till death, that may mean hundreds of yards and little blood. I am hoping for a large exit wound for blood trailing.

Fast game recovery means better meat quality!

Good Hunting!

 

Bear Bait Style Hunt Mistakes : Rifle or CrossBow – Decision Time

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Photo Courtesy Wikipedia

This fall I am hunting bears that have been hunted before, my research indicates that, in particular,  older larger bears are very reluctant to come to bait in daylight. Sometimes letting smaller bears go first to test the water as it were.

This reluctance is very likely because of mistakes we hunters make year over year. We are in fact teaching older bears how to avoid certain bait stands.

That said; This September, I will hunt with rifle from a further away ground stand or treestand site. 

There are many more shot opportunities with rifle than bow.

And I’m not getting any younger. 

On caliber, my master guide tells me that big bore fast 3000 fps rifle bullets from say 375 H&H exit but with a small hole and lack of mushroom. Many say slower big bore like the 45-70 are better.

Said, my 7mm Rem Mag was a better choice of rifles I own. The bullet will really mushroom and create a larger exit hole for blood trailing. 

Ok! So what are some of our mistakes? 

Not watching the wind. Say, you find the wind blows from your stand to your bait? Skip that bait hunt site till the wind shifts away. Else big bruins wont be coming. 

Not washing yourself and hair (even mouth) or clothes before the hunt. 

Clothes have collected camp scents like campfire smoke or cigarette/cigar smoke. 

Clean Boots – Inside the boot too.

Not Wearing Mosquito netting. 

Break up your facial outline. Use camo and a face mask. 

Hunting too close to your bait. 

Coughing or making noise in your tree or ground stand.  A real no no. Quiet that cough!!

Fast movement of head or hands. Like swatting mosquitoes. 

Big bears circle and wind the site. 

Metal on metal clink sounds.

Eliminate these mistakes and you will greatly increase your chances of bigger bear showing themselves.

I noted earlier, in retrospect that big bears will let little bears enter a bait site first. Another tip off. 

Secondly, smaller bears tend to watch their backtrail often due to a larger bear. That’s a tip off…

Thirdly, Big bears sometimes approach and circle from behind to the tree stand first and give it a good sniff before heading to bait. 

Good Hunting!