# At what point is bowhunting unethical?



## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

I stumbled across this video of a guy hunting brown bears on Kodiak Island.

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2014/11/26/video-kodiak-bear-charges-bowhunter-arrow-hits/

The hunter looked like he had two pretty decent shots on the bear, but the guide had to finish him off.

This had to be the rush of a lifetime.

The question is at what point is an animal too big for modern bow technology?

Or is the guy just using too small of archery equipment?

I have heard stories of men trying to take elephants with a bow and having the same results.

I get the challenge of bow hunting, but things like these just make me uneasy.

I was just curious at what point does bowhunting reach its limits.

Next year, I plan on picking up a bow to get a longer season in Wyoming.

So, be gentle at my ignorance.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I agree with some of the comments on on the video. The first shot could of been too low and the second one could of hit a large bone. But when you are that close to something that is going to do you major damage you better have your will in order. That and be shooting the proper equipment for the animal that you are after. It would be interesting to learn if this hunter was using a expandable or a fixed blade broad head on the bear. 

As for hunting a animal such as a elephant you need to match your equipment to the animal that you plan to shoot. You can not use the same broad head on a elephant or this bear that you use on a deer. You have to maximize the weight of the broad head and perhaps even the poundage of the bow that you are shooting.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Go over to Bowsite and search for hunting elephants or polar bears and see what kind of tackle these guys are talking about.
I have no idea what the guy in the video is using.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I thought both hits looked good. Unlike what you watch on all of the weekend hunting shows, not every animal falls down dead at the crack of a shot (or twang of the string). Most animals (especially those that think they are the biggest, baddest sumbeach on the mountain) take exception to someone or something trying to eat them, and will fight back given the opportunity. It looked to me like a legal hunt where the hunter made his best effort to take this bear quickly and cleanly. That is the definition of ethical. 
A friend of mine took a nice mountain grizzly in Alaska a few years ago. Not nearly as big as a coastal brown. It took nine hits through the lungs from a 300 magnum and 180 grain Nosler Partitions and still cut a path 10 feet wide and 200 yards long through the alders. The range at the first shot was about 60 yards. It was fortunate for my friend that the bear went the other direction. It would have been ugly to have a pissed off bear in your lap that still had 140 yards of fight left in him.


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## Watcher (Dec 31, 2008)

*My Hero*

Fred Bear - I could watch his old movies all day!
Here's how he hunted grizzly bear






Where's his compound bow, carbon arrow, expandable broad heads?
Where's his range finder, go-pro, bear spray, rifle toting guide?

The man, the myth, the legend.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Not knowing what he was using and frankly not knowing what he should be using, I can't deem him ethical or unethical. But, there's no way that I would voluntarily put myself that close to a wounded bear of any size and especially a Kodiak Brown! If you're going to archery hunt a bear that's what you're saying, "I'm okay with being in close proximity to a wounded angry bear."


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Great old Fred Bear video. I didn't see any real tree mossy oak, carbon underwear, camo make up, tree stands, mechanical release, or any of that. Wow.


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## elkmule123 (Aug 14, 2013)

What ever he was using was definitely adequate. Yeah, the second shot wasn't a pass thru, but it almost penetrated to the fletchings. So that's easily over 2 feet of penetration. The bear was a dead bear walking, he just didn't know it yet. To me it looked like the bear caught their scent and actually began to run off but for what ever reason turned and charged. The guide would have done that to any charging bear at that close proximity. My guess for this exact reason is why Alaska requires a bear guide for non residents on brown bear.


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## Hunterchick (Dec 4, 2014)

it really all depends on shot placement. Hundreds of bears that big have been killed by bows over the years, and died within seconds. His first shot was less than ideal. And his second shot didn't look too great either. Put the arrow where it needs to go, it will kill in seconds. But hit other places, run in to problems like this...


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

At what point is rifle hunting unethical? My friend had to shoot a spike bull elk 7 times with a 7mm STW?

Shot placement and proper projectile at proper speeds are what kills. Not weapon type.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

If you look at the still photos on the end of the video you see frothy blood coming from the wound. That would indicate to me it was a lung shot. The comment above "dead bear walking" would be accurate. The one thing I may have wanted to avoid is being that close to the bear when I shot it, but they had the right precautions in place with the guide being armed with a big rifle.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Hunterchick said:


> it really all depends on shot placement. Hundreds of bears that big have been killed by bows over the years, and died within seconds. His first shot was less than ideal. And his second shot didn't look too great either. Put the arrow where it needs to go, it will kill in seconds. But hit other places, run in to problems like this...


Well put Hunterchick. 
If you're going after a Kodiak brown bear, or any bear, you better have supreme confidence in yourself and your equipment...and whoever is backing you up! I can sympathize with the hunter in the video. My son and I have been within 15 to 30 yards of several Kodiaks with me and my longbow and him with a 300Wby. You can't imagine how huge and imposing these bears are up close. The guy did good, considering, and his guide did a stellar job of keeping his crap in one pile.
Man I can't wait to hunt bears again!


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

silentstalker said:


> At what point is rifle hunting unethical? My friend had to shoot a spike bull elk 7 times with a 7mm STW?
> 
> Shot placement and proper projectile at proper speeds are what kills. Not weapon type.


At the point that you have to use more than one shot to take down an animal.

7mm STW is a pretty cool caliber gun.


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## brendo (Sep 10, 2013)

Check this one out.. 



If you were only armed with a bow you would be screwed!


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

MuscleWhitefish said:


> At the point that you have to use more than one shot to take down an animal.
> 
> 7mm STW is a pretty cool caliber gun.


Its a great caliber but it seems his velocity was to high for the 40 yard shot. His Bergers did not do well at that range. Shot placement was good.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

silentstalker said:


> Its a great caliber but it seems his velocity was to high for the 40 yard shot. His Bergers did not do well at that range. Shot placement was good.


First of all, I'm not calling you out, but, did your buddy inspect the wound channels? I've always been highly interested in how broadheads and bullets preform in real-life kills. I would love to know what exactly happened. Something just doesn't seem right.


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