Bear vitals diagram

Cautiously easing our way down the trail, we saw two black bears bear vitals diagram themselves on the lush green clover just out of archery range. Just 10 minutes earlier, my wife Heather and I had spotted them in the distance and we were now getting close.

Among game animals, bears possess an aura unlike any others—especially when it comes to toughness. Hunters talk about them as if they are supernatural specters of the woods, and far more difficult to kill than a deer. Their phantom-like qualities both real and exaggerated stoke deep-rooted opinions about killing bears efficiently. These opinions seem to be especially prevalent among folks who have never killed one. The truth is that bears are easy to kill and knowing where to shoot a bear is more important than the weapon or caliber you use. The internet is full of opinions about the best broadheads or rifle cartridges for bears, where to shoot a bear, and blood trailing.

Bear vitals diagram

After all the work to get within shooting distance of a big bear, you need confidence in your ability to make a great shot. Bears are big, tough animals that are unforgiving when hit badly. Many new bear hunters use shot placement and strategy derived from experience in deer hunting, but bear anatomy is slightly different. Here are five keys to making a great shot this spring. The impulse to rush the shot is probably the biggest mistake a bear hunter can make. My favorite shot is a broadside or slightly quartering shot with the nearside front shoulder forward or straight down. A broadside shot gives the most room for error and the greatest opportunity for the most lethal hit of all—a double lung shot. In my opinion, the heart shot is overrated. Bears have an unusual body structure that allows them to contort in all types of odd shapes. It could be sprawled out lying on its belly or standing up on two legs.

Bears have soft skins and the rib bones are fairly light. Black bears are anatomically different than ungulates.

Bear hunting is a physically demanding activity, especially removing a harvested bear from the woods. Pre-hunt planning is very important to a successful and rewarding bear hunting experience. Long before harvesting a bear, the hunter must decide how the meat will be processed and how the hide will be used. Hunters should arrange to have help available for all aspects of handling a harvested bear and have plans made ahead of time to ensure that the meat and hide are properly processed. Bears have a tremendous amount of fat and a thick hide that provide great insulation.

Understanding where to shoot any game animal is important, but especially so with black bears because their anatomy is unique. At least one to two inches of the body mass is fat, and another three to four inches is long, thick hair. The very back of the lungs extend just past the mid-point of the body. The liver and kidney are immediately behind the lungs. An errant shot may hit too low, too far back or too far forward. Never take a shot when the bear is either standing and facing directly away from you, sitting or lying down. Bowhunters should limit their shots to when a bear is broadside, quartering away or standing and facing them. The heart and lungs are the only aiming points for archers, and that means hitting tight behind the shoulder and almost half-way up the torso, or right in the middle of the chest.

Bear vitals diagram

After all the work to get within shooting distance of a big bear, you need confidence in your ability to make a great shot. Bears are big, tough animals that are unforgiving when hit badly. Many new bear hunters use shot placement and strategy derived from experience in deer hunting, but bear anatomy is slightly different.

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Lost your password? Fishing Freshwater Saltwater Fly Ice. Black bears are anatomically different than ungulates. The biggest key to aiming at the right place on bears is to understand where their vitals sit and to visualize those vitals at any given shot angle. The impulsiveness to rush the shot is probably the biggest mistake that a bear hunter can make. Just 10 minutes earlier, my wife Heather and I had spotted them in the distance and we were now getting close. Luckily, we stumbled upon the bear the next morning. All of these positions are much different than a deer. Bears are big, tough animals that are unforgiving when hit bad. The best shot opportunity is a broadside shot or "quartering away" for penetration into the vital organs. All Gear Content Hunting Fishing. That is somewhat offset by the wide variations in sizes of bears. Be patient and wait for the right shot opportunity. Quality game calls.

I do bear hunting seminars at sports show across the Midwest each year, and I work in booths at these shows for some of the companies I partner with. I get asked a lot of questions.

Here are five keys to making a great shot this spring. A bear's most vital area is an 8" circle behind the front shoulder. Bears are big, tough animals that are unforgiving when hit bad. He was now only 15 yards away from us. Keep this in mind and trust your gut and observations. Recently added. Quality game calls. Head, spine, and neck shots can be effective in bringing down a black bear. The chest of a bear is compressed compared to that of a deer when looking at it from the side. Pre-hunt planning is very important to a successful and rewarding bear hunting experience. Bullet choice matters. Put all this together, and these elements will go a long way in helping you close a tag on your next bear hunt. With a rifle, your margin for error is larger.