Anybody hunt bear? After the shot - how do you move it?

[cjsoccer3]

My state seems to have a bear issue and wants to drop the population. I think I won't have too much trouble picking up a tag; however...I really don't know how I'd move a bear (Ideally I'd take it to both a taxiderm and meat processor) after the shot.

I assume a pickup truck would be involved, but getting the bear to the truck (without an ATV) would be my goal. It could be move of a couple miles I presume, and would require some friends. I'm guessing a large game cart?

Anybody hunt bear?

[Blindstitch]

A game cart would work. Stretcher, sled,.. I think what really matters is the location the bear is shot. An open field would be easy but a thick cedar swamp wouldn't be fun.

I've hunted a lot of thick properties where removing anything seemed like a fight.

When my dad hunted bear over bait he would often stack dead trees making kind of a fence on he side he didn't want the bear or deer to go. Our neighbors hunt with dogs and depending on how bad of area the bear went they would often call off the dogs.

[DukeConnor]

In pieces

[jmr40]

I've killed one bear. It ended up weighing 260 lbs and was 2 miles from the road, about 1/2 mile from a trail in some of the most rugged country in GA. It was in a designated wilderness so no wheeled vehicles, carts or anything similar allowed.

I was with my brother, we moved it 30 yards in 30 minutes. I left my brother with the bear and hiked back to camp arriving just before sundown asking for volunteers. I was amazed at how many guys were hunting the same area who had bad knee's, backs and hearts. But 2 guys did help.

We hiked back, started dragging and got it to within sight of the trail when a 3rd hunter spotted us and helped. I shot the bear at 4PM, with 5 of us we got back to camp just before midnight.

I'll never do that again:

I've done this a couple of times with deer and certainly will with anything larger. I'd skin it and carry the hide and head out in the 1st trip. On return trips I'd just carry edible meat and leave the bones and internal organs. Two or 3 could do it in one trip, or a single person in 2-3 trips depending on the size of the animal. This requires a decent size daypack to be carried in with you for at least the 1st trip. A larger pack for the other trips might help

If legal some sort of wheeled cart would be helpful. I've seen guys use a kids plastic snow sled. Strap the animal or parts of it to the sled, attach straps and drag the sled. They move pretty easily over leaves, grass etc. If any rock or dirt is involved you might get it out, but the sled will probably be worn out after 1 use. Would be cheaper than renting pack animals though.

[FrankenMauser]

Since I have no idea where you're at, I have no idea what the laws are in your area.
That being said...


I have not taken any species of bear.
However...

Where I hunt, bear carcasses are not considered edible. At the very most, a hunter is only required to take the hide and head (including paws). Everything else can be left to rot.

My family, of course, doesn't find that to be ethical, though. (And we know that bear IS edible.)

We would treat bear like anything else that gets skinned before hauling it out:
Cut it up and pack it out in pieces.

Knife. Sharpening stone. Bone saw. Pack frame(s). Leg work.

[Oliver Sudden]

I've taken three bears and found that a piece of rope to be handy to have with you as you hunt. Skin the bear and bind up the hide with head and paws into a ball so it can be carried out then return with a pack to haul meat. The hide will be heavy so pad the rope with your gloves or anything to keep it from cutting into your shoulder.

[Wyosmith]

Yup, skin it on the ground and roll the head up in the skin. Then field butcher it. No harder to move than any other animal if you do it that way.

I have done full sized bull buffalo this way. More pieces for sure, but no harder to move each piece than if you were moving pieces of a deer.

[doofus47]

I've heard that you need to skin and quarter a bear ASAP to preserve the flavor.

I'd quarter it and hang it and carry the pieces out however possible depending on the terrain.

Good luck

[ShootistPRS]

Dress it, skin it, cool it and quarter just like any large deer (well almost). I put the skin and head out of reach of scavengers and pack out the meat first. Once the meat is properly taken care of the hide and head can be carried out, cooled and cleaned. I don't use the hide for mounts but I do use it as heavy leather for sheaths and holsters or rawhide for drums and rattles.

I always get and treat the meat first because that is why I killed the animal in the first place and it is all too easy to ruin the meat If it is not cared for properly.

[lefteye]

It was very easy. I was elk and bear hunting with an outfitter in Montana. The guide gutted and skinned the bear, and quartered it. He packed all of it in a couple of very large canvas panniers and tried to hang them on one of the mules. The first mule disagreed with the plan!!! So, the guide hung them on the second, very calm and understanding his job, mule. The second mule perform his duties admirably. This all occurred in the "Bob".*


* I.e., the Bob Marshall Wilderness on the west side of the continental divide.

[bamaranger]

I've not killed a bear, but my sister (bamasister?) has killed two. Yup, she sure did, back to back seasons, in PA. An '06 with 180 gr RN's equals two very dead bears. She was the first gal ever in that bear camp. After the second one, she did not go back......too easy she told her husband!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In both instances, the camp turned out,, dozen or so PD types, out to tote the critters out. They cut poles, lashed the critter to the frame work, and 4-6+ guys at a time had at it. I've seen the pics. Eventually carried it to the jeep track, not sure how far, but one of those critters was a monster and would have made the book if she had submitted it......I have the skull in my den.

As an aside, she and I carried a big doe out of the same area, rock strewn and thick, lashed to a single pole, just like you see in the old pics. Both of us were a good bit younger then!!!!!!!!

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Usually I field dress where it fell. A medium size black bear is to heavy {in dead weight} for me alone {even after field dressing} too drag out to a road ditch or field most occasions. S~~o.
Few few years ago I bought a portable winch from a fellow down in Georgia auctioning on EBay that can be chained to the side of most tree's. Its a compact folding up boat winch-a-fair that takes maybe all of 5-minutes to assemble and hang back in the woods. Has a folding 2 ft boom with a pulley mounted to lift just about anything under a thousand pounds up off the ground. That winch has saved my back straps allot of hurt over the years. Its such a dandy lifting tool. When folded-up it fits nicely into a back pack. No cable. It has a lifting strap that not only lifts. The strap actually stops air gusts from spinning the animal when surgical procedures are being preformed.
I use that winch every now and then when there is a need to be discreet or no one is around to give me a hand.
Skin and 1/4er up a bear of any size or a fat juicy pig nicely with less effort than it takes me in my garage.

Otherwise for a even easier retrieval my neighbor has 3-strapping sons that are just a cell call away who all are quite willing to give me a hand. Anytime.

[Berserker]

I know going further back, gets you away from people. But I am to much of a wuss to hunt 2 miles with no atv, especially bear. Dragging deer is hard enough



I hunt alone usually, so I bought lift that plugs in receiver, with a crank.





Do you know how bif bears are?


My respect to the guys that do. But Ive already smashed all the plastic on my side by side.

I bought ice fishing sled for when snow is to deep deer hunting, but I am on my own forty when it gets to snowshoe depths.



Ya it sucks when no one helps. But when you do something without a plan, why should they be put out? Not that I wouldn't help. But you shot it.

[Berserker]

Why would you leave meay to rot? Good eating, unless at dump. I have been told diet of fish effects taste.

[mete]

In NE PA the biggest bear taken one year was about 900lbs !! Hunter went to the nearest bar and said anyone that helps gets a case of beer ! I did meet one of the participants .
Pocono mtns in PA and Catskill Mtns of NY have lots of bears.NY had an extended bear season last year, trying to lower numbers to minimize pest damage. One problem now in these are ticks , PA is #1 for ticks and Lyme.

[T. O'Heir]

Same way you move Bullwinkle's 1,000 plus pounds or a 200 plus pound Ontario deer. Shoot 'em close to the road.
"...the bear to the truck..." Get the truck to the bear.
"...been told diet of fish effects taste..." Everything's taste is affected by what the thing was eating. So does how the thing is handled in the field.

[mnhunter3030]

I picked up military body bag, put my sister's 300 lb blackie in it, then the 3 of us gave it the old heeve ho, it has plenty of strong hand straps on it and it zips up too, keeps debree from getting in and flies off the carcass.

worked great!

[muzzleblast...]

Originally Posted by DukeConnor

In pieces

Exactly.

Normally with a "freighter" size back pack.

[g.willikers]

It's surprising nobody has mentioned the most obvious solution.
Get the bear to chase you to your truck, then shoot it.
See how simple life can be.

[Lohman446]

I am seeing why I try to hunt on my farm near my tractors and trucks. Not for bear but for deer.

[Model12Win]

If you get you a bear, I'd be willing to buy some bear's oil from it to use for patches in my rifle gun.

[alex0535]

Hunt uphill from my camp. Shoot bear with a confident killing shot. Then go back to camp, grab 2 mules. Bring mules as close as possible to bear and tie them off down wind so they can aclimate to the smell of a dead predator. Skin bear, pack meat, with mules I might not debone, it'll keep things cleaner. Walk mules out to camp with a cooler.

Without mules by myself I doubt I could get it out of the woods quickly enough. With a strong friend or two hunting close to camp, maybe. The simplest answer is "in pieces" and pieces without bone weigh less.

[Don Fischer]

I've only shot two bears. Last one I was about 27 yrs old and in the military and the best shape of my life. Backed up to it with the PU and threw it in the back...........Well maybe not quite threw it but I did get it there. It was about like trying to pick up a bladder with 200# of water in it!

[Water-Man]

Skin it and cut it up.

[Husqvarna]

ATV with a sled, or an "ironhorse" dunno what you americans call it a handle like a pallet truck but with bands like a tank

but also alotta guys and rope

we don't really solo hunt like you guys