By Douglas Boze

It’s January of 2023 as I write this. The holiday season is behind us, a new year awaits, and along with that a new bear season edges ever closer. A very important piece of bear hunting is shot placement, so I want to begin by stating that this is my opinion that I have formed over the last two decades of hunting bears. Through successes and failures, I have made these observations. I am sure there are others out there who have different opinions, but these are mine and I hope they will help you.

Let’s dive into a little background. First, when hunting, I want you to pay attention to the hide of deer and elk. I want you to notice how, for the most part, their hides are very close to the contours of their body outline and muscle definition. It is very similar to a tight shirt on a person. Now, take a moment and look at a bear, especially a bear in the late fall or early spring. Their hide is long and thick, and rather deceiving. It’s like a sweater on a person, which hides the true outline of the body. The length of hair on the bear makes the bear look bigger than it is. If a hide has four inches or longer hair, imagine where the bottom of the belly ends, which is well before where the hair ends. This can throw off your shot placement if you don’t factor it in. Keep this in mind when deciding where to shoot. Failing to do so could lead to an unclean kill, and that is something we must always try to avoid.

Second, get it in your head that bears are tough, rugged animals. I have shot a bear in the heart with a .300 WSM and it still ran more than 20 yards through a solid entangled wall of blackberries before falling to the ground in a crash. Literally half of its heart was gone. It has been my observation that bears do not go into shock as easily as deer. Their hides are thicker, their bone structure is dense, and their muscles are thick. All of this can affect the projectile you are using. You need a quality bullet or broadhead, depending on your weapon of choice. My personal set up for my rifle is a 165 grain Federal Premium .300 WSM (generally). I will also use a Montec 125 grain solid broadhead with a 70 lb draw on my compound bow. This, again, is just what I like—I know we all have our favorite methods and calibers.

For me, I like to stick with broadside shots on bears. I have taken a head shot on a bear, but that was a bear I had called in and was under 20 yards and closing (it was on the cover of my book, Ultimate Guide To Black Bear Hunting). I have taken chest shots, but I do not like them. There just seems to be a very narrow margin for error with chest shots.

Now, when I am focusing on a broadside shot, I like to wait until the leg closest to me moves forward. Why? Let’s say the bear is broadside and facing right; wait until its front, right leg moves forward. This opens up the vitals a little bit by moving the shoulder and associated muscles out of the way slightly. When I see this, I like to aim in what I call “the armpit”, which is a little bit lower off the top of the shoulder, which is where the heart resides. However, remember the hide length! Do not shoot too low. Try to wait until the bear is standing still with that leg moved forward.

Now once you shoot, pay attention to the bear's reaction. Did it bite and snarl? Did it take off running? Did it stumble before or after it was running, or did it not run at all but only look around? Body language is very important in deciphering where you hit or IF you hit the bear. Most of my bear shots are 50 yards or less, usually around 20 yards, so I generally have a very good view of what has happened after the shot. For the most part, they pile right up for me. But there are those times when you have to track, and that’s a whole other story.

Now I have heard people say, “Break the shoulder of the bear so it can’t run.” But for me, that seems to waste a bit of meat, which is why I like to stick to the heart/armpit shot I spoke of. However, if it is feasible to do so, I will fire another shot to finish the job if the bear is moving. Most of my bears have all piled up after a single shot, but there have been two that I can think of that I shot at more than once, one of which I sadly did not recover (which coincidentally was a chest shot).

Just as important as knowing where to place the shot is knowing when NOT to take a shot. Is the shot too far for your effective range? That’s ok, get closer (or try to call the bear to you). Is there brush in the way? Then wait until it clears the brush or maneuver to where it is no longer an issue. Can you only see a part of the bear, maybe a less than lethal area? Then be patient, always have a clear view of your target. Is the bear quartering to or away from you at a sharp angle? Again, fall back on patience. Really, I can’t stress this enough. I know we get taught this in hunters’ education and so on, but if the shot isn’t right, just don’t take it. You will feel better not taking a shot and waiting for the perfect moment then taking a shot and wishing you had not. The bear deserves a clean, ethical shot.

Also keep in mind your shot angle. I rarely ever hunt from a tree stand, so 100% of my experience hunting bears is ground level or while I am sitting on a rock or stump pile. But the angle that your bullet or arrow enters/exits will make a big difference. Too steep of an angle and you could miss the vitals altogether. So if you are shooting from an elevated position like a tree stand, be sure to practice from an elevated position. I always advise new hunters to practice like you would in real life. If you are a modern firearm hunter, you will most likely not have a bench and gun rest in your hunting area. So, once you are dialed in, practice steadying the weapon on what is available in your hunting area, like the crook of a tree, coiling the sling around your forearm, shooting prone, and so on. This will only help you in your quest to punch that tag.

Now depending on where you have hit the bear will dictate on how long you should stay put and give the bear time. Archery hunters know just what I mean, and they of course know that finding your arrow can tell you so much about the hit. If you are lucky enough, your bear will pile up right where it was hit or very close by, like the bear I killed in 2021 after predator calling him in from a brush-choked creek bed. But if it takes off running, you may have to track. This is not uncommon, even on a good hit.

Remember all that hair on the hide I was harping about in the beginning of the article? Well, that same hide (and fat under said hide) clogs up the entry and exit wounds quickly. It is not uncommon at all to find little blood on a good hit due to this fact. So, if you hit the bear and go and start to track, possibly only finding a little blood here or there, do not give up. It may only leave a small amount on a lethal hit. There is much more to explain about tracking, so look for that topic in the next issue.

If you find yourself new to hunting bears, take the time to watch footage of bear hunts and shot placement particularly. Video footage can be a great learning tool for newcomers (www.themeateater.com has plenty if you want to catch up on some hunts). Bears have an absolute will to live, an untamed toughness, and a ruggedness that matches the country they live in that seems unparalleled to most big game animals of North America. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying deer and elk are not tough as nails, but bears are on a whole other level. They are built to survive, and they let you know it.

So, make sure that your aim is true, your placement is perfect, and your resolve to recover the animal is without question. Otherwise, it could be you on the business end of the fury of claws, the lashing of teeth, and the fight of your life. Happy hunting, my friends!