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2001 Fall Black Bear Bowhunt With Fred Lutger
by Robert Hoague

| Getting Ready | 1st Day's Hunt | 2nd Day's Hunt | 3rd Day's Hunt | 4th Day's Hunt |
| 5th Day's Hunt | 6th Day's Hunt | 7th Day's Hunt | 8th Day's Hunt |

4th Day Of The Hunt
Bryan Van Ryn from Monee, Illinois heard branches snap around 7:45 and found a bear in the brush. The bear circled and stopped 30 yards away, stood up on its hind legs and sniffed the air. Then it walked into the brush. He caught sight of it several times as it walked 100 yards away. At 8:00 it returned and walked to the bait. Bryan did not have a shot because the bear was quartering toward him. The bear moved around to a quartering position and Bryan drew. 

The bear picked up the bow's movement and looked directly at Bryan. The arrow double lunged the bear and it ran 50 yards and stopped. It took a few steps and went out of sight. Bryan heard the death moan. 

It got dark and he went to the road. Skip and Pete drove up and they recovered the bear. They weighed the bear on a scale they had with them. It weighed 255.

Skip Van Ryn (from Orland Park, Illinois) and Pete went to the stand. Pete was videotaping Skip's hunt. Around 8:00 Pete saw a bear and signaled Skip. The bear was out of Skip's line of sight for 15 minutes. When the bear appeared it was very cautious. It approached the bait from the back and Skip was unable to get a shot. 

The bear circled over behind Skip's tree. Finally the bear returned to the bait and moved the logs. Skip made a lung and heart shot. The bear ran behind Skip and up the hill. It stopped briefly and Skip heard it moving again. Skip and Pete heard the death moan. 

The blood trail was distinct and they recovered the bear quickly.