dogs bears and rifles

[californiacoyotes]

do you guys use a scoped gun to shoot the bears you guys get with dogs? if so where do you sight in your scope?

 

[josh]

I have not been fortunate enough to draw a bear tag yet but when I do I will use my 30-30 WIN model 94 with open sights.

 

[GatoMan]

Josh I have a model 94 30-30, good little bear gun, lite to carry and it works, CC, if you use a scope on a gun, you want to sight it in, to when you shoot at a target you hit the bullseye as with anything else.

 

[californiacoyotes]

well no ****! what meant to say and i figure you would understand is at what DISTANCE are most hound hunt bears shot at? certainly not 100 yards?

 

[GatoMan]

Sometimes you might have to back away from a tree to get a better angle or elevation for a good clean shot, anywhere from 40 feet to 150 feet a typical shot around here.

 

[californiacoyotes]

would i be better off without a scope?

 

[GatoMan]

Use whatever you want.

 

[josh]

Gato is right, shots are not always close range. Personally, I would leave the scope at home....

 

[George P]

A scope is grest when things are just right and the bear is way up and staying still. I would have burned every scope in the world yesterday !!!
Just me and the hunter and a nice bear sitting in the crotch of a tree looking down.Guy had never seen a bear before and the look in his eyes showed it.4 dogs at the tree and just me to tie them back. Got 2 of them tied back when the hunter yelled hes coming out.The bear slid all the way down the tree on our side with me yelling shoot shoot the whole way.Guy couldnt find him in the scope.Had to keep lifting his head off the rifle to see it.At 15 feet he shot and hit the bear.Away they went just a screamin.I cut the other 2 dogs loose and they stopped him about 50 yds away.We got close and the bear went upagain.about 20 feet.Hunter wacked him again and he came out running.They went about 20yds and had him stopped in a brook.Bear couldnt get up the bank and the dogs were holding him tight.Hunter finished him off at 10 feet!!!!

 

[GatoMan]

You know your dogs better then anyone else, but thank goodness you did'nt get any dogs hurt, wounded bear on the ground and dogs with the smell of bear and blood in there nose can get ugly. You would think the hunter would have been smart enough just to look down the side of his barrel and shoot, no need for any type of sight when your that close, just point and pull.

 

[californiacoyotes]

george in your experiences how often are things just right and the bear sets still? once the dogs got the bear treed and you are at the tree or have the bear on the bayed(i think that is the word)how long typically do you have to make the shot?

 

[CATMAN]

CC,
I myself like to carry a pistol when hunting both cats and bears...easier and quicker to manouver, also easier to carry into the tree. A guy wants to make sure he's a good shot though because if a wounded bear comes out, they don't always run away, sometimes they look for something to kick butt on....may be the dogs....may be you, also there's difference on every treed or bayed animal, sometimes they'll stay for great legnths of time and sometimes you haven't got time to take aim.....main thing is to do what the dog handler tells you to do....he has alot invested and knows best what to do in most every circumstance. I've had hunters start shooting before I had the dogs tied back, and I don't go for that unless I give them the ok....good luck

 

[californiacoyotes]

thanks CATMAN!!! i definately appreciate the help! i have a year to get my act together and i want to make sure i don't screw this up. there are only two animals i REALLY want, the first is this bear and second is a mt lion. but the lion is going to have to wait a coiple years!!

 

[Elkhunter]

Good thread CC, lots of info in here. I too would like to get a bear and a lion.