I just wanna see some big animals! Here is my best, taken in 2005, 497 lbs. dressed 585 live weight MN black bear. ARCHERY EVEN! twelve yard shot, pass through with a 100 gr. Magnus stinger, set the MN Archery Black Bear Record! I will never forget this beast, what an amazing hunt!!
Here is an essay I wrote about it like 3 years ago to give you an idea of what it was like..
One For the Record Books
I slowly turned my head at the sound of a stick cracking. I tentatively searched the woods for any sign of movement, but saw none. I slowly relaxed, careful not to make a sound, but tensed up at the sound of another cracking branch. "He is here" I thought to myself, "I know it". I carefully knocked an arrow tipped with a metal broadhead, each side honed into a razor sharp edge. I could hear the breathing, and I could almost smell the animal as I realized he was closing in, and fast. I was trembling, but knew this would be the chance of a lifetime, so I couldn"t let my emotions get the best of me. My sidearm, a .270 Winchester rifle, was loaded and at the ready if anything were to go horribly awry.
I could see brush being ripped out of the ground now as it came closer and closer, the smell of sweet candy and bacon grease driving its animal instincts crazy. The first glimpse I caught of the enormous animal was when he looked right at me as he broke through the wood line. I could hear the heavy breathing, and tell he was fueled by hunger. He wanted to eat, and now. I raised my bow, hoping my 55-pound draw weight would be enough to push an arrow through the tough hide and bones and still make a humane kill.
As I pulled the string back to my solid anchor point and lined up the sights, the angered beast stopped behind a tree with only its head exposed, and looked right at me. For more than a minute of agony I held the bow back, careful not to make a sound or move even an inch. Finally, he stepped forward to the bait pile, presenting me with a shot. I lined up the sights, reassuring myself that I was so ready. I had practiced all summer for this moment; I could do this in my sleep. "Make it count" I told myself, and I released the arrow with a "Thud". I watched as the fluorescent green fletchings steer the arrow shaft through the air directly on target. The arrow plunged into the animal just behind the shoulder, and with a blood-curdling roar, the beast ran off into the woods. I listened carefully, replaying the shot in my head and reassuring myself it was a good shot. I could hear the crashing of brush and rotting trees, and finally, with one last harsh breath, I heard a thud. I knew it was down, and that I had made a humane shot. I sat down, my hands shaking and my breathing coarse, and called up my dad, telling him of the event.
Soon thereafter, we were hot on the blood trail, and I kept replaying the shot in my head, still amazed at what had just happened. After about a half hour of tracking, I almost cried as I walked up on the biggest black bear I had ever seen. It measured seven feet from nose to tail and, after we field dressed it, weighed just short of 500 pounds. I knew this bear was something special. After a long night of dragging and skinning, I finally retired to my bed at nearly 2 a.m. to get some sleep for school the next day. As I slipped off into an abyss of dreams and phantasms, all I could think about was how thankful I was for this amazing opportunity, and how proud of myself I was for keeping my cool and making the shot.
The next day, I told all of my friends and word spread fast. The newspaper published the story, even a nationally renowned "Bowhunter Magazine" published my story. I began to get calls from people asking for the story, and that"s when it hit me. This animal was bigger than most seen in the average persons lifetime. I was going to have it measured to see how it stacked up against other bear shot in Minnesota. Soon after I had it measured, I knew it was one for the record books. It was the largest bear to date taken in Minnesota with archery equipment, and was close to the top 100 in the Pope and Young record book, one that publishes records nationwide. I knew in my heart that I had taken a truly spectacular animal, and the story still gets my heart beating quickly to this day. It was a day that I won"t forget for the rest of my life.
Biggest animal ever shot?
