Spring Black Bear

Little did I know that the four AM alarm would be the beginning of one of the most enjoyable events I have ever taken part in. I grabbed my bags and headed to the airport. After a long flight followed by an eight-hour charter bus ride, I dropped my gear at the camp. We would be in the skilled hands of W&L Guide Service near High Level, Alberta. They welcomed us like family, and within an hour, we were dressed and geared up. We were headed into the dense poplar forests of Northern Alberta, Canada. We were there as guests of Mossberg, Trijicon, and Hornady. The purpose of this trip was something I had never had the pleasure of doing before. We were there for a Spring Black Bear hunt. If you might indulge me, here is my hunting story.

Deep Into the Canadian Forests for Spring Black Bear

As an outdoorsman, I have seen my fair share of black bears. However, I was not prepared for the size and density of bears in this area. We were given tags for two bears during our five-day hunt. Linda Powell of Mossberg had a brilliant suggestion: I should bring a gun of my choice, and she would do the same. Then, once we had our first Spring Black Bear down, we would trade and get time on another gun.

My personal choice was the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX 12-gauge shotgun. On it, I mounted a Trijicon RMR HD. Yes, I was hunting bears with a red dot. I firmly believe that the tactical and hunting worlds are not as far apart as some may think. Both arenas are focused on accuracy and stopping power. I touched on this subject last year in an article on hunting Blacktail Deer with a Mossberg precision rifle.

Tactical Bear Hunting

I have extensive time on the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX and consider it one of the best shotguns on the market. It has everything I would want in a shotgun. It features corrosion-resistant internal parts and finishes, an enlarged loading port, an elongated elevator, and an anodized follower for smooth operation. Outside, an adjustable stock allows for length-of-pull adjustability and Mossberg signature texturing for a secure grip. The gas system is stellar as well, and I had confidence it would cycle every time. This is a critical point when you are hunting a 400-pound apex predator.

I specifically chose the RMR HD because of the innovative, forward-looking light sensor. It gauges the brightness at the target in auto mode. It adjusts reticle brightness to be effective in any lighting scenario. This was important in the tree-dense area because lighting conditions would constantly change.

Trijicon RMR HD

A new reticle allows you to switch between a complex reticle or a single crisp dot. The RMR HD also allows the shooter to adjust the Auto Illumination as well as the dot/circle contrast. After careful consideration, I opted for the single dot configuration.

The density of the forest would eliminate the possibility of having to shoot at extreme distances. The guide suggested a 50-yard zero. Additionally, it was crucial to confirm that the bear you were about to shoot was a suitable target, meeting all the criteria we were looking for. It is more complicated than you think. Once again, the red dot would perform well in these conditions. A long truck drive to the entrance to the forest was followed by a long quad ride even deeper into the woods.

No Shortage of Bears

We would be hunting from stands to give us the best view of any bears that came our way. Once we were close, I climbed off and the thew on my pack. The guide suggested chambering a round for safety, as there is always a chance of encountering a bear or even a wolf. We crept into the stand area, and as predicted, we came across a bear. He was small and was quick to ran off. I quickly made my way up to the stand and set up my gear. As they say, it’s called hunting, not shooting, so I was prepared for a long, quiet wait.

That would not be the case, however, as I saw six bears the first night. While most were good size, I wanted to wait for an older adult male. My patience paid off, and within a couple of hours, a good bear crossed into the opening. He was at 25 yards and did not seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere. I slowly shouldered my shotgun and brought the RMR HD onto the bear. The red dot against a midnight black bear made aiming a simple matter. One smooth press of the trigger and the gun fired.

Bear taken with the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX and a Trijicon RMR HD.

438 Grains of Bear Stopper

I was using Hornady American Gunner 12-gauge reduced-recoil 1-ounce slugs. The slug comes in at an equivalent of 438 grins when compared to a rifle round. At 50 yards, it has over 1046 ft/lbs. of energy and is a good choice for applications like black bear. The round struck just where I aimed, and within moments, my first black bear was down. I later found out that I was the first person to take large/dangerous game with an RMR HD.

Soon after, I was back on the back of a quad, and the guide drove me and the Spring Black Bear out. I was not the only one to have success that first night. Of the six hunters in our group, we had seven bears on the ground. While mine was sizeable, it was a micro bear compared to one that Dan Bruns of Hornady took. To the surprise of nobody, Linda Powell of Mossberg got a beautiful “blonde” bear. Its coat was very light brown, and it was a site to see. Linda is a long-time bear hunter and proved to be a priceless wealth of information.

Down Time

Being so far north, we got to experience the prolonged daylight that residents both enjoy and hate. At midnight, it was finally dusk. This was about the time each night that we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at camp. Mornings were leisurely, and games of corn hole broke out while others just enjoyed the solitude. My friend Eddie took it upon himself to do modified CrossFit workouts, though and made us all feel guilty. After lunch, however, we were all quick to get dressed to head back out.

As initially decided, I would now switch guns with Linda. Her rifle, and mine for the evening, was the Mossberg Patriot Predator chambered on 450 Bushmaster. The Patriot Predator is perfect for bears and other large game. It is suppressor-ready with a threaded barrel, has an optics-ready Picatinny rail, and is built on the proven Patriot chassis. With a smooth user-adjustable trigger and oversized bolt handle, Predator rifles are some of my favorites. Add to this, the model she brought has a 16 ¼” barrel, making it easy to maneuver. The trigger is nice, and the bolt has no chatter, making it fast to cycle. Linda Powell had dubbed the rifle “The Bear Thumper,” and for good reason.

Dealing With Shifting Light

Glass-wise, the rifle was set up with the Trijicon Accupoint 1-6×24. Trijicon can been a name synonymous with the tactical world but they are equally as solid in the serious hunting world. In fact Trijicon pretty much owns the African hunting market because of their performance and durability. The Trijicon AccuPoint 1-6×24 is a favorite among hunters, competitive shooters, and plinkers, offering true 1x magnification with the flexible reach of 6x for longer shots. A battery-free illuminated reticle, powered by tritium and fiber optics, enables fast target acquisition even in low-light conditions. As with the shotgun, I have a lot of time on the Accupoint, and it is hands down my favorite for scenarios like this. The tritium lit up well even in the shifting light conditions.

Ammo-wise, I would be using Hornady 450 Bushmaster 250gr FTX. I consider this to be an exceptional bear round. It has a muzzle velocity of 2200 fps, launching a 250-gr bullet. At 100 yards, it packs 1868 ft/lbs of energy. At the distances we were shooting, the MV was north of 2000 ft/lbs. This is indeed a bear-stopper.

My first late afternoon was a repeat of day one, getting to the stand. While I never broke a shot that day, I can tell you about the one that got away. A massive bear came into the area at a trot chasing a female. By the time I was on the gun, he had turned, and I had no real shot. So, to anyone who hunts Spring Black Bear in that area in the future, if you get that monster, you are welcome.

Another Opportunity

Day three would be different, though. In the stand, I saw several good bears, but once again, I was holding out for a monster. In the background a thunderstorm rolled in and I was thankful to the good folks at TrueTimber. They were kind enough to outfit me and the Strata Pule gear made the cold nights easy to deal with.

While watching two bears in the open, they suddenly looked up and bolted. When I turned to see what had frightened them off, I immediately saw a huge bear walking along the outer edge of the opening. I watched for just a moment but realized he had no intention of stopping. I grabbed the rifle and dropped the reticle on him as he was walking away. There was no shot, as all I could see was a bear’s rump.

Then, out of desperation, I used the same “baaa” call used in deer hunting. While I felt ridiculous in the back of my mind, the bear actually paused and turned broadside. I pressed off a round and quickly ran the bolt.

The round struck perfectly, and the roar that followed could have broken windows. The trifecta of the Mossberg rifle, Trijicon optic, and Hornady ammo helped me make the shot, and the bear was down only 15 feet from where he had been hit. This was the bear of a lifetime and came in at 7’8″.

To say that this was the experience of a lifetime does it no justice. A mix of exciting hunting, world-class guides, and good friends will make this an experience I’ll remember forever—a sincere thank you to Mossberg, Trijicon, and Hornady for the opportunity. Having the opportunity to use some of the world’s best rifles, optics, and ammunition ensured my Spring Black Bear success.