Season has started off with a bang here in Arkansas. The wet weather has slowed down the planting, but it allowed for a couple of well timed days of Bear hunting. Our season opened Sept. 15 in the Zone that our farm is on. The first couple of days were terrentialy wet. However the evening of the 17th made for some excelent hunting. I was actually at home which is 2 hours and 15 minutes from the farm. The rain had finally quit about mid afternoon. I had decided that I was not going to go hunting until the next morning. However I did not really have anything else I could do that afternoon. It was already 3:00 pm but I new if a big bear was going to come into the bait sight it would not be until the last few minutes of daylight anyway. I made a quick decision since it had rained so much for the last few days that they would surely be out and moving this afternoon. I gathered up my things and headed to the farm, not getting out of town util 4:00 pm. Two hours and 15 minutes later I arrived at the farm. A quick change of clothes, short ride across the farm and about a 300 yd walk into the woods I arrived at my stand at 6:35pm. Just perfect, time to let the woods settle a bit and then prime time would arrive. The acorns had already begun to fall and the bears were not frequenting the area quit like they were just a few days before, but I thought after all of the bad weather one might ease by for one last easy meal before leaving for the winter the way they always do. 7:30 rolled around and nothing had appeared. I was contemplating getting down and heading to the house. Shooting light was fading fast and I really did not want to have to climb down with a bear under me and not enough light to shoot him. 7:33 I was about to stand up and gather my things when just like he was suppose to this bruin came walking down the old logging road right into my setup. I was excited to say the least, but I was not sure that I had enough shooting light left to see the pins on my sight. I grabbed my bow, let the bear walk it to about 18 yds. I came to full draw just to check and see if I could see my sight or not. Man, I could still see my pins pretty good. Well there is the bear, 18 yds, there is the shoulder... what the heck am I waiting on I thought. In that millesecond of realization that everything was perfect, I let the arrow fly.
Let me assure you that the rage might not be the best broadhead on the market, but if you hit one somewhere close to where you are suppose to, it means dead animal. Since it was so late when I shot, I knew I had hit him well, but then again I did not really know were I had hit him. I knew it was behind the shoulder, but I was not sure if it was high or low or perfect. We let him set for 2 and a half hours before picking up the trail to ensure plenty of time to expire just in case the shot was not as good as I had thought it was. Surprisingly, he made it about 250 yds with a 2" whole right through his heart. Tough critter I guess. At the end of the trail laid this guy. He weighed 520 lbs. He is an extremely old brute. He has a really good shot at making B&C, the older they are the bigger their skull. I don't know if he will fully make it, but he has an extremely good shot. If he does go B&C, he will be at least one of the top 3 bow kills ever in the state of Arkansas. If he goes B&C or over, he might just be the largest bow kill ever in the state. We won't be able to get him officially scored until Dec. probably. Weight does not have anything to do with score; this guy was huge, but they have killed a couple of 600lb bears the last few years. It is all about the skull measurment which keeps growing the older they get. This guy may be 15+ years or older with his skull size and teeth coloration.
Probably a trophy of a lifetime, and just think I almost stayed at the house what a last second desicion to make. It all turned out for the better. This may very well have been this guys last winter or at least the last trip he would make to the bait sight before going to the deep mountains for the winter.
Thought you guys would enjoy this little story about how things do work out in your favor once in a while.
Heath
Heath Martin
Owner/Operator
Plots Plus of Arkansas
Wildlife Management Services
501-515-8407
