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Recently got to go the the coast of NC for black bear hunting with hounds. The picture doesnt even begin to tell story. This bear was run for over 3 hours, he injured a bunch of dogs, never treed, just walked and fought through the impossible undergrowth of the pine,cane and briar thickets. Two other hunters went in after the bear when he was bayed at different times earlier that morning. He took off every time before they could get close enough to get a shot on the ground. I was standing around listening to the chase when he started heading my direction. When he got about 500 yds away, I decided to go in and try to cut him off, he needed to be taken so the dogs would be able to hunt the rest of the week. Anyway I was determined to take it with my 54 flinter. It was going to be the guns first hunt. I was told that it was too risky and was handed a loaded 30-30 lever gun. I handed it back and said it will be a flinter or nothing. Well in my excitement I headed into the brush without my shot bag. I had one shot and a powder horn. The guide with me carried a lever gun, for just in case. I really wish I had carried a hawk at least. As we quietly pushed through a thicket of river cane the sound of the dogs stopped moving about 50 yds ahead of us. We quietly approached and got within about 5 yds and could not see the bear, only parts of dogs and tails sticking through the cane and brush. The bear flushed like a big black ball and crossed a 8 ft deep drain ditch filled with cold water that was over my boots. I climbed up the other side of the bank and knew the bear was bayed just feet on the other side. I checked my prime charge and cocked the flintlock. I was looking for a head shot, nothing else. As I came up over the bank the dogs were right under me. About 10 feet away a big black bear head popped out of the brush. I instantly shouldered my gun and fired, I never saw the sights. I just looked down the barrel ,much like shooting into a covey of quail. The 530 ball went into the bears open mouth and out the back of his neck. It was powered by 70 grains of 3F goex. I was unable to reload since I had forgotten my bag. The bear rolled and tossed around for a few seconds with 9 dogs all over him from head to toe. They were finally getting the fur in their mouth they had been chasing for the last 3 hours, some were scratched one was bitten. But they all healed up and will hunt again. The bear was a very lean 200lbs, basically no fat and will make a nice rug. No one in the group of experienced bear hunters could believe I was able to get through the rough terrain with that pretty long gun. The gun has a Crockett patch box and I being a Tennessean I felt it only proper to break it in with a mean black bear.
Recently got to go the the coast of NC for black bear hunting with hounds. The picture doesnt even begin to tell story. This bear was run for over 3 hours, he injured a bunch of dogs, never treed, just walked and fought through the impossible undergrowth of the pine,cane and briar thickets. Two other hunters went in after the bear when he was bayed at different times earlier that morning. He took off every time before they could get close enough to get a shot on the ground. I was standing around listening to the chase when he started heading my direction. When he got about 500 yds away, I decided to go in and try to cut him off, he needed to be taken so the dogs would be able to hunt the rest of the week. Anyway I was determined to take it with my 54 flinter. It was going to be the guns first hunt. I was told that it was too risky and was handed a loaded 30-30 lever gun. I handed it back and said it will be a flinter or nothing. Well in my excitement I headed into the brush without my shot bag. I had one shot and a powder horn. The guide with me carried a lever gun, for just in case. I really wish I had carried a hawk at least. As we quietly pushed through a thicket of river cane the sound of the dogs stopped moving about 50 yds ahead of us. We quietly approached and got within about 5 yds and could not see the bear, only parts of dogs and tails sticking through the cane and brush. The bear flushed like a big black ball and crossed a 8 ft deep drain ditch filled with cold water that was over my boots. I climbed up the other side of the bank and knew the bear was bayed just feet on the other side. I checked my prime charge and cocked the flintlock. I was looking for a head shot, nothing else. As I came up over the bank the dogs were right under me. About 10 feet away a big black bear head popped out of the brush. I instantly shouldered my gun and fired, I never saw the sights. I just looked down the barrel ,much like shooting into a covey of quail. The 530 ball went into the bears open mouth and out the back of his neck. It was powered by 70 grains of 3F goex. I was unable to reload since I had forgotten my bag. The bear rolled and tossed around for a few seconds with 9 dogs all over him from head to toe. They were finally getting the fur in their mouth they had been chasing for the last 3 hours, some were scratched one was bitten. But they all healed up and will hunt again. The bear was a very lean 200lbs, basically no fat and will make a nice rug. No one in the group of experienced bear hunters could believe I was able to get through the rough terrain with that pretty long gun. The gun has a Crockett patch box and I being a Tennessean I felt it only proper to break it in with a mean black bear.
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