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youp · February 21, 2006, 09:44 PM

I am sure that I have seen well over one hundred black bear taken. I hunted Michigan's Upper Penninsula during and after the quota days. We used to take 15 or 20 a year, prior to quota. I have never seen one taken with a 45 pistol. I took one with a 357 and deemed it inadequate. I saw one aggrevated by a 44 mag. It was not the cartridge but the lousy soft bullet choice in a crummy handload. I am sure that the 45 is adequate.

Bow hunters lose lots of Black Bears every year. IMO they are dead, but not able to be followed. Most bowhunters are afraid of a bear and climb too high in a tree for a proper double lung hit. A fall Black Bear has a bunch of body fat that will close most exit wounds and stop blood trails. This is a fact, I have spent many hours trying to recover bears. Mostly a waste of time. By the time a bow hunter is disgusted and ready to call in a hound it is a day or two later. The trails are typically too old by then. A bear has heavy round ribs that will severly damage a weakly constructed broadhead. They have a shoulder bone that can stop all but the beast broadheads on a heavy shaft.

A bear hunt is a rather expensive hunt for many people. Do yourself a favor and use a well constructed bullet out of a 7 mm minimum. Make sure you are comfortable with your gun. Break the bear down through the shoulders.

February 21, 2006, 09:44 PM	#5
youp Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2005 Location: south of Canada, eh? Posts: 438	I am sure that I have seen well over one hundred black bear taken. I hunted Michigan's Upper Penninsula during and after the quota days. We used to take 15 or 20 a year, prior to quota. I have never seen one taken with a 45 pistol. I took one with a 357 and deemed it inadequate. I saw one aggrevated by a 44 mag. It was not the cartridge but the lousy soft bullet choice in a crummy handload. I am sure that the 45 is adequate. Bow hunters lose lots of Black Bears every year. IMO they are dead, but not able to be followed. Most bowhunters are afraid of a bear and climb too high in a tree for a proper double lung hit. A fall Black Bear has a bunch of body fat that will close most exit wounds and stop blood trails. This is a fact, I have spent many hours trying to recover bears. Mostly a waste of time. By the time a bow hunter is disgusted and ready to call in a hound it is a day or two later. The trails are typically too old by then. A bear has heavy round ribs that will severly damage a weakly constructed broadhead. They have a shoulder bone that can stop all but the beast broadheads on a heavy shaft. A bear hunt is a rather expensive hunt for many people. Do yourself a favor and use a well constructed bullet out of a 7 mm minimum. Make sure you are comfortable with your gun. Break the bear down through the shoulders.