As many of my readers know, I stopped shooting my compound bow several years ago largely because my dominant eye became dyslexic and could no longer see through my peep. Shoulder issues “back then” added to my problem as well. I found some Peep solutions for it, lowered my poundage and bought this smooth pulling Bear Archery Adapt-2 bow. Shooting is so much better. Instead of taking my crossbow hunting this fall, I am working toward using this new bow for hunting. But we shall see. Game animals deserve my best accuracy!
The peep sight, a Sterner Dutera String Splitter Peep. It has an 11/16 opening that is so wide, that it is like not having a peep sight. And to make my anchor consistent, I use a kisser button. See below.
Some pics of my shooting the Bear Bow below.
So there you go… I used my traditional feathered XX75’s below at 20 yards. Hit a little low but very heavy hunting arrows at over 550 grains with a 45 lb bow. Felt Great!
Two Arrow Test
Peak Bow Draw weight 45 lbs. at 28 inches
Arrow Wt. Chrono Energy PF
575g 171FPS 37.3 FT-LBS 98.3 KG FT/S
390g 201FPS 34.6 FT-LBS 77.5 KG FT/S
At 25 yards the 575g arrow will provide deeper penetration due to PF Power Factor of Momentum.
Maine for me, is just up the road. I shot a nice bear with Foggy Mountain Guide Service last year with my own 7mm Rem Mag and Nosler Partitions. It filled my freezer with delicious blueberry/raspberry fed black bear meat, filled my memories of a great hunt, and the friendly guide service, food and sleep quarters were excellent. Consequently, I am going back to Maine in September. No airline or customs hassles either like my recent Canada bear hunt. More soon…
It is very telling as to which rifles were used on my Alberta Bear Hunt. First, Saddle Hills offers scoped rifle $300 Savage rifle rental. Savage makes a great cost effective rifle.
I think that is a big plus for most airline traveling hunters.
Given that shot distances are extremely short at around 20 yards, accuracy is maximized as well as delivered energy. Calibers in .270 Winchester and 7mm08 were often used delivering 2300 ft-lbs. at 20 yards. More than enough to take down black bear given a double lung hit and provide an exit wound.
In my humble opinion, Canadians use the .270 Winchester as an all around big game caliber, with the exception of hunting Grizzly bear. For that, many use the 300 Win Mag or similar high power caliber and a well constructed bullet.
Bullets used were often soft point cup and core bullets. I used a .270 as a backup to my hunt and as a wolf caliber for a longer wolf shot. A single hunter used a 6.5 PRC with excellent results on a 300 pound bear. It fell in sight of the bait.
Many say that USA bear hunters like the lever action 45-70 for short range bear to maximize entrance an exit size for blood trailing but, to my knowledge, none were used on the hunt. Why? Most clients did not want the hassle to lug their rifle through Canadian customs given the option of renting.
That said, in Canada, I believe the .270 Winchester, for moose, deer and black bear, appears to be the best all around “available” caliber. I used a borrowed .270 successfully in Newfoundland for Moose.
Ed’s Moose taken Sept. 19, 2023
My own personal choice of bullet would be a Nosler Partition or A-Frame type to ensure an exit wound. I used a 7mm Rem mag with a 160g Nosler Partition on my 2023 Maine bear. Plenty of blood to trail 20 yards.
Accordingly, don’t overthink bear calibers especially at 20 yards.
Think accuracy and double lung hits and you are golden.
I used my 10 Point Turbo crossbow on my Alberta bear with a Swhacker 2.5 inch cut mechanical.
The swhacker zipped thru the bears lungs and we never found the exiting arrow. He fell dead right at the bait after climbing up a tree for 20 feet and then fell “crashing” dead as a door nail.
The downside to flying with the crossbow was the airline called the hardcase “oversize” and did not arrive as regular baggage off the carousel. I had to go to baggage claim to find it and got hassled in Canada customs over my label of “Archery” Equipment.
In camp were eight hunters, including myself. Most hunted with rifle. A few of us came with bow and I came with my 10 Point Turbo S1 crossbow. I also rented a Savage scoped rifle in .270 Winchester for backup and for wolf. Yup, I had a wolf tag too.
We hunted from 5PM till dark, in Alberta’s Saddle Hills County. Guides drove us many many miles to each baited stand. In most cases, hunters and guides communicated via phone text.
The Hunt
Rob and guides place white tipped stakes at bait sites so we could see bear shoulder height as the bears walk near. If the bears shoulder height was equal to the top of the stakes or higher, you had as trophy boar in your sights.
Trophy bear were taken by lucky hunters. The largest was around 300 pounds taken by Cason with 6.5 PRC rifle. Holy mackerel! What a trophy bear!
Some hunters misjudged some bears and harvested a few sows to the chagrin of the outfitters. The sow is essential for producing and caring for the cubs and the future adult bears.
Harvested bears are skinned and measured. Rob is a taxidermist and can create your mounts or you can take you skinned bear home to your own taxidermist.
I was not that lucky but observed many lesser black, cinnamon, and blond bears during the week.
I double lunged a smaller boar with my crossbow during the last 3 hours of my hunt after observing over a dozen bears during the hunt. At the shot, the boar ran 20 feet up the nearest tree, only to discover he was clearly hit in both lungs. He fell 20 feet straight down like a heavy sack of potatoes only to emit his erie death moan.
Encounter with “Angry Bear”
Upon getting the bear back to camp, my hunt friend excitedly said, “Ed, you shot Angry Bear!”
I responded, “Say what?”
He said, “You shot the bear that attempted to attack a sow with three cubs and aggressively attack me in my treestand a few days earlier. I had to fire my rifle to get him away from me, but after 5 minutes he came back snapping teeth and growling.
And he was trying to kill the three cubs with the sow at the bait.” The cubs climbed nearby trees!
The mother bear chased the angry bear up a tree three times, all the while the boar was growling and popping his teeth.
After hearing this crazy encounter, my hunter friend was so glad I had killed that bear with my Swhacker 2 1/2 inch cut mechanical broadheads. Love those swhackers!
Mother bear also climbed up the tree-stand to check out the hunter. Peek-a-boo I see you!
Hunters, be aware that most of the bears I observed will climb up tree stands to see who is in it. I shout hey! The bears leave the tree but remained to eat the bait.
Below, my crossbow view overlooking the bait site of Angry Bear. On the ground behind the bait barrel lies Angry Bear. Quite dead!
