BEAR – CROSSBOW RECORD

1. Salvatore Carchidi 20-15/16 2017

On August 30, 2017, I ventured out to my parents property located about 45 minutes east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. My plan for the day was to check trail cameras in hopes of finding a big buck as the opening of whitetail deer archery season was only 48 hours away. I immediately saw my timed feeder, which had been hung high in a tree smashed and mineral blocks strewn. A quick check of the trail camera revealed the culprit, a giant Northern Ontario black bear that had made appearances the last five days, including just 2 hours before my arrival.

I immediately made the decision that I needed to hunt this bear and now. I returned to my vehicle, geared up, grabbed my Excalibur crossbow and dumped a small pail of whole corn on the site.

I settled into my tree stand by 2:55 pm and was shocked when only 10 minutes later the silence was broken by the sound of breaking branches. Whatever was approaching was the loudest animal I have ever heard in the bush. I was expecting to see a bull moose come crashing through the thick pines so I switched my cell phone camera to video mode and waited. Just a minute later the monster boar, I had seen on camera minutes before, emerged and walked into my shooting lane. It was only four minutes until he presented me with a broadside shot. As my heart beat out of my chest I delivered the arrow and watched him run into the woods with a loud grunt.

I walked back to the house to the obvious question of “I thought you were hunting?” from my Dad. “I got it” I said. The smile on my face answered his next question “The big one?”

My father and I returned to the woods to a large blood trail from the mechanical broadhead. We quickly located the bear less than 50 yards away. I’ve shot a lot of bears, and had a sore back after recovering them, but nothing close to this bear. After some struggle it was decided we couldn’t do this alone. A favour was called in and a neighbour arrived with his side by side to pull the bear out of the woods.

Once out of the forest the second favour was called in utilizing a back hoe to lift the animal into the back of my vehicle. The evening was spent preparing the bear for the butcher and taxidermist. The excitement of the hunt was so overwhelming, how an unexpected sit turned into the trophy of a lifetime. Coupled with having the opportunity to share this experience with family makes it that much more special.

I knew this was a giant animal but the thought of scoring it hadn’t crossed my mind. I had an amazing story and planned to have a shoulder mount done. When I delivered it to the taxidermist he told me it would definitely meet the requirements for FROW and likely Boone and Crockett. After waiting impatiently I was finally able to pick up the skull. It was my first time seeing the skull and couldn’t believe the sheer size. I compared it to skull of a 7 year old bear I had, which I thought was big and the size difference was incomparable. I made arrangements with one of the local official measurers and awaited his call.

I was speechless and covered in goosebumps when he told me the measurement was “a hair under 21”. I spent the entire drive pondering what is a hair? I knew the current record of 20 10/16 from 2007 and my mind raced thinking of the possibilities of tying or breaking that record. Upon arrival I was advised the official measurement was 20 15/16” and I knew immediately that it would be the next Ontario crossbow bear record and all the memories of that day came flooding back.