Bowhunting Bears - Understand Bear Body Angles

Bears can contort their bodies in ways deer can’t and this confuses new bear hunters. Don’t make a bad shot this spring.

- Bernie Barringer

The most heartbreaking moments I have had in hunting involve making a bad shot and losing a bear. There’s nothing quite like the sickening feeling of shooting something and not being able to recover it. I’m not an Olympic or champion archery shot by any means, and it’s hard to blow a 15- to 20-yard shot on a bear. I have been fortunate that problem shots I have been involved in are mostly not caused by poor shooting, but by a poor choice of a shot angle.

Bears can contort themselves into angles that few other animals can. Deer, for example, can’t just plop down on their butt, put their front feet up on a barrel, or simply lie down while eating. Bears will do all that and more. When a buck wants to look behind him, he turns his long neck and looks over his shoulder. A bear will curl his body into a C shape to look behind him.

Bowhunters need to be aware of the constantly shifting body positions of bears and how these body angles affect the position of the vitals before any arrow is turned loose. Getting a double-lung shot or heart penetration will make your recovery so much easier, so watching for the right body angle is critical.