Then I need your advice.....

Hey guys, been awhile since I posted...newborns seem to take up more time than surfing the boards!

At any rate, recently received some great news. I'm going to head to Saskatchewan this May for a black bear hunt! Very excited about this opportunity and after seeing some pictures taken in the area, it looks as if the trophy potential is high.

I would like your advice and suggestions for a set-up. I currently am shooting @ 70 lbs with GT XT5575 and 100 gr. steelheads; What would you suggest I change? Or if you can just share the set-up you used with success, it would be appreciated!

Thanks!

My first black bear I shot with a high country trophy hunter compound, 20 yards pass thru, never did find that arrow. I was using muzzy 3 blade. He ran about 20yards and that was it! Fair chase also, as I had a bear tag and actually was hunting elk, but we crossed paths. Sharp broad heads and behind the shoulder, won't go far. Good Hunting.

Your setup is fine. I use the same thing, as do many of my friends...GT5575s or 7595s and 100 grain fixed broadheads at 70lbs will do fine.

While a black bears bone structure is beefier than your average deer they actually have a thinner skin........they are not an overly tough animal to bring down or shoot through, and any set-up you would use to cleanly take a whitetail is capable of harvesting a bear cleanly.
I personally would stay away from the large cutting diameter mechanicals in the vent of a large bone hit, but I would feel more than confident using exactly the same set-up that I would carry into the deer woods.
Steelheads will be a fine Black bear head.
As with any animal it's all about shot placement, but there is nothing about a black bear that warrants a need to "Bulk Up"

I killed a black bear about 8 years ago with a 65 pound Jennings, ACC's and 100 grain 3 blade muzzy. He ran about 50 yds and died. Great trip, memories will last a lifetime.

I killed a bear once, he was in the field (or on the screen) one minute, and CLICK! he was at my trophy room on my hunting game hehe
I would actually consider doing some real bear hunting though. My friend is going this spring in Idaho for brown bears.

Avid,You mean Black Bear, they might be brown, cinnamon, or blond, but they still call them black bear, riminds me of labrador retrievers for the same color variations.

i got a new brunswick bear hunt for my high school graduation. i brought my bow and i really wanted to take a bear with my bow but the situations and the weather didn't turn out that good so i hunted with my rifle. i could have easily taken one with my bow and the other hunter in camp took one with his bow...u will be fine with ur setup

Avid Bowhunter, If your friend gets a brown bear in idaho, He better have a good lawyer. Those critters are federally protected here. I think that you may mean black bears. As Robinhood said. we have many color phases of bears. Our bears on the average are generally smaller than their east coast cousins, but the colors here are really unique. I killed one 3 years ago that was almost a silver color.

what you have is fine. As for killing a really big bear with a bow the answer is no. My first year out with a bow I wussed out with the bow if you have never killed anything with a bow you doubt yourself. Wuss out on a huge bear that was 450 in the spring I think what words were " there is no way in F@#* that I'am shooting that with this" Be sure of yourself and you can do it. every thing is 95% mental 1% the bow and 4% luck