Hunting has fed man since time immemorial, and the best men have always been those who could bring home the biggest and most dangerous trophy. In the taiga, such an animal is the brown bear. This predator is very strong, hardy and strong on the wound, therefore it is able to kill its offender even with significant injuries. To be safe in the woods, every experienced hunter should know the kill spots of a bear or where to aim.
Predator Characteristics
Male brown bears weigh about 400 kg, and females 250-300 kg. This beast is omnivorous and can eat berries, root crops, fresh prey or carrion with the same appetite. A feature of this predator is that from autumn to spring it spends time in hibernation in its lair. To do this, he puts on fat in advance and fortifies, making his diet varied. The bear catches fish well, especially when it goes to spawn, unfolds stumps and anthills in search of nutritious food, ruins bird nests, and generally rarely disdains what nature itself presents to it. In autumn, when the forest is empty, the predator boldly goes to the oats, closer to people, or to the swamps. Only with the onset of frostthe animal hibernates in a pre-prepared place. To do this, the bear covers the place with moss, needles or tree bark, so that in winter it is as warm in the den as possible. This is especially important for females, who bring offspring in the winter cold. When hunting, where to shoot a bear depends on the choice of weapons and the characteristics of the hunt itself. Let's talk about this in more detail.
Weapon selection
In bear hunting: where to shoot and how to kill the beast are the main questions. Here you can not do without special weapons. Any automation will not work for this at all.
Experienced hunters prefer the most trouble-free trunks, among them in order:
- shotgun;
- rifled;
- smoothbore;
- bolt;
- hunting guns based on combat ones.
To find the perfect bear hunting weapon, you should pay attention to the stopping effect. It is he who matters in the first place. Rifled barrels can only stop the beast when using special ammo, so they may not always be effective.
Smoothbore guns are used by the bugbear quite often. This is largely due to their reliability and the special kinematics of the shot, which fires a bullet with a high stopping effect. This is due to the high charge momentum. Of course, the speed of a bullet from a rifled barrel is much higher, but the mass of the charge is much less. Based on this, it follows that their momentum is approximately the same, but the striking ability of a smooth-bore gun is higher.
Hunters todaycan also purchase combination shotguns, which combine the advantages of smooth and rifled barrels. Such a weapon makes it easy to stop a predator when attacking and also get it when leaving.
Ammunition selection
When choosing a rifled weapon, the caliber for a large animal should be at least 7, 62/51, and best of all 9, 3/62. Bullets can be jacketed (capable of penetrating predator tissue without destroying them) or semi-shelled (high stopping power but cumulative).
A wide range of expansive charges are now available for smoothbore guns.
Also available for purchase:
- tandem bullets;
- point charges;
- large buckshot and so on.
In any case, 12-gauge cartridges penetrate the bear's kill spots very well, especially since such round charges have already been tested by many hunters. Their weight is 32 grams.
Basic hunting rules
Before you shoot a bear (slaughter places will be described below), you need to make sure that you are experienced and ready for such a dangerous hunt. The stopping effect of a shot depends on many external factors, not only on the weapon.
Among them:
- Sight accuracy. The kill spots of the bear are all over the body, but it can be very difficult to hit them.
- A bullet that passes right through will not stop the beast, but will only anger him. You need to choose the right ammunition.
- To have the maximum advantage over the beast, you needchoose the right position and distance to the predator at the time of the shot.
Safety rules
To ensure your safety while hunting, you should not shoot a bear at all. This is the main rule and only it can give a chance that the predator will not attack.
Otherwise:
- shot must be fired from as close as possible;
- it is better to shoot at an animal that does not see the hunter;
- you need to aim so that the predator falls immediately;
- maximum firing range 200m;
- hunting is better where the beast cannot easily hide after an unsuccessful hit;
- you need to approach the carcass very carefully, it is advisable to make a control shot in the head or neck.
To succeed in the hunt, everyone must be prepared to show maximum composure and be confident in their reaction. A wounded bear is a great danger to everyone around, so you can't let him get away.
Advice from experienced hunters
So where is the best place to shoot a bear? It all depends on his position to the hunter. Experienced bear cubs recommend shooting at the beast "along". To do this, the predator must stand backwards to the person or “with a bayonet”, which increases the area of damage to the nervous system from a rifled weapon. In any case, the blow will be fatal, because the bullet will also catch other killer places of the bear - the internal organs.
If the animal is standing sideways, then it is better to shoot at the thigh bones. Of course, a beast on its front paws can go farleave and maim his offender, but the hunter will have time to reload and land a control shot.
Fateful mistake
The killer places of a bear (on the photo in this case it is the neck) are located mainly in the places of accumulation of nerve endings. Many believe that by breaking the animal's spine, you can win with one shot, but often this ends very badly for a person. The fact is that the bear's spine has spinous processes. If you hit them, the beast will be paralyzed for several seconds, it falls. The hunter thinks that he has overwhelmed the predator, but after a moment he jumps up and leaves the hunter no chance. The thing is that the defeat of these processes is not serious.
Large dot
The killer places of a bear are not limited to the nervous system. You can kill him 100% with a hit in the belly, but death may not occur immediately. It is best to aim at the diaphragm area, then the predator will pass a little. If the wound is on the intestines or stomach, then it will be possible to find a carcass more than 10 kilometers from the hunting place.
Most often, hunters use a shot "on the shoulder blades". Such a blow almost never touches the animal's important organs and the bear leaves, and at the same speed as a he althy one. Most likely, the reason is that the bullet does not break the bone, but simply passes through it, causing minimal damage.
Comfortable position
Intuitively predators choose elevated positions for hunting. The bear has the most killer places at the same timeare completely invisible, and getting into the heart or spine is almost impossible. In such cases, hunters aim at the chest, and an animal with such a wound can safely go long distances and possibly even survive.
Being in the same plane with the beast, many hunters think about where it is better to shoot the bear? Slaughter places at the same time are in visual accessibility. Experienced hunters advise aiming at the thoracic tubercle, but as low as possible in order to have a greater chance of hitting the heart. The shot is best done obliquely, half-turned. If the animal does not lie down immediately, then the person will have a chance to shoot again from a closer distance, because the bear will go straight for him. It is better to aim at the head or in the same place where the first bullet entered. The more rounds fired at the predator, the more chances the hunter has to win.
Hunting in a lair
So, where to shoot the bear? The slaughter places of a bear (in the photo above - this is the head) depend on its location to the person. In winter, hunting for a bear begins with finding its den, in which hunting dogs help a person. It is very difficult to cope without their help and find a couch in the forest thicket under snowdrifts and blockages of branches. Hunting in a lair should only be carried out by groups of people who are well trained and disciplined, because at the slightest noise the animal can jump up and run away.
The closer people can get to the couch, the greater the chance to get into the killer places of the bear without a miss. Much of the situation depends ondog behavior. An experienced dog always steps on the beast from the side of its head. Here you need to aim between the ear and the eye, and if the predator jumped up, then under the shoulder blade or along the ridge. Just in case, you should definitely take a special knife with you on a bear hunt.
Hunting in ambush
It is best to spend it during the day from a special storehouse. You need to fix the seat on the tree so that the wind blows from the oats and the bear cannot smell the person. Otherwise, it won't fit. Some hunters are sure that it is better to choose a position on the ground, having built a hut from coniferous branches that hide the human smell. To lure the beast, you can put the carcass of a cow or horse on its path. This is especially effective in the spring, when the bear is still hungry and will definitely rush to eat. At the same time, the slaughter places of the bear are viewed depending on the selected position.
In fact, it is more difficult for a beast to smell a person on the ground if the hunter builds a storage shed correctly. To hide your own smell, it must be fixed at a distance of 3-4 meters from the ground. It is very important that the boards do not creak, and the selected tree is thick enough to hold a person. A storage shed is attached in the place from which the bait is best viewed: oats or the laid carcass of an animal.
After climbing onto the platform, you will have to sit for a very long time, and most importantly, motionless. At the same time, smoking is strictly prohibited, because the beast instantly smells the smell and bypasses this place. The hunter must not cough, sigh, or move at all, even if he is attacked by insects. The bear is very sensitive and cautious.
Hunting inswamps
The brown master of the taiga very often feeds on various root crops and berries in the swamps. Especially often bears come here in spring and autumn to get as many vitamins as possible before wintering or to restore strength after it. Finding a place where the beast feeds is not difficult: it leaves behind clearly visible holes after digging up rhizomes, as well as hair on branches and scratches on trees.
It is pointless to set up sit-ins in large swamps, since the beast can feed on very vast territories. Small swamps are perfect for this. For a sit-in, the hunter needs to disguise himself and sit on a fallen tree or a pre-equipped storage shed on the nearest tree. Large areas are poorly visible from one point, so hunting is carried out by hiding behind the beast. To do this, experienced hunters slowly and silently follow the tracks of a predator, always positioning themselves against the wind. When you see a bear, you need to determine the distance to it and try to get as close as possible so that the beast does not notice the hunter. As soon as the bear is alert, you need to stop, and continue moving only when he goes about his business.
For an accurate shot, it is better to take a rifle with an optical sight for hunting. Where to shoot a bear in a swamp? The side is best suited for this, but if the beast has not fallen, then shoot after it. If the bear rushes at the hunter, you need to aim at the head in order to knock him down for sure. At the same time, the chest is a very risky place, because even withwith a broken heart, a predator can safely run tens of meters and injure its offender.
To make the most of hunting, it is better to carry it out with a group of people. In such cases, partners can secure and shoot at the bear if it rushes at one of the participants.
When the beast has already fallen, it is very risky to approach it immediately, the bear may still be alive and hit the hunter hard. It is advisable to make a control shot from a distance, breaking the animal's neck or brain. The dead carcass should lie relaxed with ears up. If the ears are flattened, the predator is still alive and in agony.
Hunting with dogs
Husky has proved to be the best in bear hunting, but another breed, even a mongrel, may come up. The main thing is to choose courageous dogs, approaching a predator without fear. Testing young hunting dogs on seriously wounded animals.
It is the likes that are preferred in bear hunting for their speed and agility. It is hard for a bear to catch such a dog, and she, in turn, can detain him until the owner arrives and put him on his hind legs. To do this, trained dogs bite the bear's legs, quickly running away. The beast is unable to catch the dog and crouches to cover its legs.
At the same time, the question of where to shoot the bear is not very relevant. In this case, almost all bear slaughter places are available. The answer is obvious - in the head. Dogs allow the hunter to get as close to the beast as possible, so it is not difficult to injure him right in the most lethal place.
Huntingit will be more successful if a person has several trained dogs for this at once. A well-organized pack will definitely not let the beast get away.
In conclusion
It is best, according to the advice of experienced bear cubs, to hunt the beast in autumn. It was at this time that he had already worked up a sufficient amount of fat, there was more meat, and the wool had faded and was highly valued. In addition, leaves are already falling on the trees, which means that it becomes much easier to see the animal. In addition, a walking bear walks quite widely and heavily, preparing for hibernation. This gives an additional advantage to dogs, who will quickly find the animal and more easily keep it until the owner arrives.
Hunting for a bear is a very serious occupation, for which you need to prepare for more than one day. The bear is one of the most dangerous predators that can not only cripple a person, but also kill. Therefore, going to hunt for this beast, you need to be as careful as possible. It is best to go with an experienced person who has faced the predator many times and knows how to defeat it.
