a question for bear hunters
09-06-2011, 03:41 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2
a question for bear hunters
first let me say long time lurker but love this site. i have a question my son is 13 he has kill tag in wisconsin for bear. do i let him shoot bow or go for the bear with gun. he is a good shot with bow but it is only a 40 ib mission maniac draw 27 with a muzzy 100 gr. or do i let him shoot it with his rifle. the range will be 15 yards. do you think this is enough draw weight and length for a bear. now remember it takes 8 years to draw a tag again. all imput will be welcome. thanks jim
09-06-2011, 04:09 PM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY: NYC to Watertown
Posts: 897
Personally I would stack the odds in his favor by using the rifle,
Bow is great, but with its limited range, will have lower chances of success.
waiting 8 yrs for another tag is a loong time, especially to a 13 year old.
If 40#'s wasn't enough to comfortably take down a bear , states would have higher poundage restrictions.
Whichever you choose, good luck, will be heck of a memory for him
Bow is great, but with its limited range, will have lower chances of success.
waiting 8 yrs for another tag is a loong time, especially to a 13 year old.
If 40#'s wasn't enough to comfortably take down a bear , states would have higher poundage restrictions.
Whichever you choose, good luck, will be heck of a memory for him
09-07-2011, 03:11 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location:
Posts: 350
Thats a tough one. It would be great to take one with his bow, but chances are better with the rifle. And then he'd have something to be fired up over waiting for the next tag, to then get one with his bow.
Last year my son and I drew wisconsin tags and both shot a bear with our bow. But my son was 25 and has a lot of deer under his belt. Which is another thing to consider, has your son taken a whitetail with his bow yet?
You can't beat a father/son hunt. I think taking the bow and regretting it because something didn't work out would be worse than shooting a bear with the rifle and wishing you had the bow. He can always come again or go to Canada a little later with the bow.
This is a little off the subject, but My son and I then went to Ontario this year for bear. The wild blueberries were out big time and out of 4 hunters, my son was the only one to see a bear. He saw two, passed on a little one twice then arrowed a nice one. He asked me on the drive home how I felt about not getting or even seeing a bear. Sure I wish I'd gotten a bear or at least seen one, but I don't feel bad because when your a parent and your kid succeeds, so do you and hunting with him is a hunt I'll always remember.
No matter what you and your son decide, it'll be a hunt you'll both cherish for years to come. Take a lot of pictures and have fun.
Dan
Last year my son and I drew wisconsin tags and both shot a bear with our bow. But my son was 25 and has a lot of deer under his belt. Which is another thing to consider, has your son taken a whitetail with his bow yet?
You can't beat a father/son hunt. I think taking the bow and regretting it because something didn't work out would be worse than shooting a bear with the rifle and wishing you had the bow. He can always come again or go to Canada a little later with the bow.
This is a little off the subject, but My son and I then went to Ontario this year for bear. The wild blueberries were out big time and out of 4 hunters, my son was the only one to see a bear. He saw two, passed on a little one twice then arrowed a nice one. He asked me on the drive home how I felt about not getting or even seeing a bear. Sure I wish I'd gotten a bear or at least seen one, but I don't feel bad because when your a parent and your kid succeeds, so do you and hunting with him is a hunt I'll always remember.
No matter what you and your son decide, it'll be a hunt you'll both cherish for years to come. Take a lot of pictures and have fun.
Dan
