9 expert bear-hunting tips from outdoor TV host Keith Beasley

#7 BE SURE OF YOUR SHOT

Bears are extremely tough animals, so it’s important to become extremely proficient with your bow or rifle. Practise shooting from treestand height or ground level, depending on your planned set-up. The shot placement is similar to that of other big game—aim for the vitals behind the shoulder with the bear broadside or quartering away. Also be sure you have sufficient firepower to penetrate the fat and long, thick fur.

If you’re hunting from a treestand, don’t place it too high. You don’t want the angle of your shot so steep that your bullet or arrow exits too low. When that happens, bears are notorious for their fat clogging the exit hole and staunching the bleeding, making it extremely difficult to track them. A good height for your stand, therefore, is 14 to 18 feet, with it set back 20 to 25 yards from the bait if you’re bowhunting and even farther if you have a rifle.