First Day Black Bear featuring Bruce Kimbrell
Bruce Kimbrell of Nacogdoches, Texas shares his experience hunting Saskatchewan Black Bear with Chaparral Hunting Adventures.
Q: Welcome Bruce, where are you from and how long have you been hunting?
I’m from Nacogdoches Texas. I’ve been hunting all my life. Mainly it’s been Texas, East Texas whitetail and basically an overabundance of hogs in Texas you know, shot a lot of those in the past several years with bows. Just turned 56, been hunting you know since I was 12 years old with my dad.
Q: How did your hunting tradition get started?
My dad, he was a big hunter, rifle hunter that is, as far as deer, whitetail, he hunted every year and he thought I was old enough to start shooting and be efficient with a gun. He let me start tagging along with him and it was a real treat to be able to go with dad and go hunting.
Q: How would you compare the Saskatchewan Black Bear hunting opportunity to Texas?
Well there is no black bear opportunity back home in East Texas. They they say there’s black bear there but I’ve yet to see one. Being able to see a black bear for the first time come in on the stand was an adrenaline rush to say the least.
Q: Why did you choose to come hunt with Chaparral Hunting Adventures?
Friends had come the previous years, spoke very highly of it, the lodge, the people the experience, and was very pleased and we come to give it a try.
Q: How are the Accommodations?
Very nice lodging, plenty of room for all the guys to lay their head. The food is fantastic, more food than you can eat and very nice.
Q: Did you pass up on any other bears before you picked your shooter bear?
No sir! It came in, when it stood up on the barrel and playing with the stuff, I felt like it was as tall as I was and I was impressed. I just couldn’t resist in letting it get away.
Q: How did you know this was the one?
Yeah when it came in I felt like when it came in started moving around if it gave me an opportunity to shoot I was going to take the shot.
Q: Tell us about your afternoon. How are you feeling?
Feeling great! Awesome hunt! Bear came in mingled around for a bit, grabbed some bait, ran back out, eating a donut right there at the edge of the woods and then kind of leery, kind of was sniffing around, looking around and came back in, back to the peanut butter and the stumps they had set up for me to shoot. It’s a 25 yard shot, I mean it’s chip shot with the bow. Got up on the barrel playing with the propane tank they had set up with the beaver and nailed him in the side while he was standing up. Great experience. Top-notch class act out here. Very enjoyable, sad I shot it on the first hunt, first day, but it was an awesome experience.
Q: How did you feel as the bear walked in?
First thought, I was trying to slow my breathing. I mean my heart was about beating out of my chest. You know I’ve gone on a lot of hunts mule deer, whitetail, elk, but seeing a big black bear walk in for the first time in my life, I mean my heart was beating out my chest and I was like I need to slow down my breathing and calm down. The wind was blowing tree was swaying so all these played a factor but as soon as I seen the arrow fly and hit it’s mark, I mean, then that’s when the adrenaline really kicked in and watched him run off into the woods, but he didn’t go far.
Q: How far did you and your guide search for the bear?
About probably 60 yards. I didn’t hear, he didn’t belter out or anything, we went about 30 yards before we seen blood and then it was just big puddles and it wasn’t another 30 yards and he was rolled up underneath some trees.
Q: Why do you choose to bow hunt?
Just a challenge, I mean I feel like if I see something with a gun, it’s dead. Using a bow, it throws a a lot more challenge. I feel like it gives the predator or the animal I’m hunting a little bit better chance because you know it’s never a guarantee and then I still got to make a good shot, still got to get the draw the bow drawn back and do all that without being spotted. It’s a little more of adrenaline to shoot it with the bow.
Q: Will that arrow stay with the trophy?
Oh yeah, all my arrows and broadheads, they are they’re all one shot one kill. I I don’t use it again on another animal.
Q: What is your weapon of choice?
I shoot a Matthews bow. I started shooting bows about oh 20 years ago. Just felt like it was a bigger challenge and I just enjoy the challenge. I feel like if I see something with a rifle it’s too easy to kill something. With the bow it brings a lot more into it plus I’m in, it gives me a lot more de-stress at the house ’cause you know if I’m going bow hunting I’m out there every afternoon shooting the bows, shooting targets.
Q: Would you come back to Chaparral?
Maybe come back next year for a bigger bear now that I got the the one out of the way. Now I can look for the big big one.