Bowhunting black bear
Black bears look small in the treestand and hit like a linebacker. A boar runs 200 to 400 lb; a big Northern bear pushes 500 lb or more. Hide, fat layer, and shoulder ball can eat an arrow that would pass through a whitetail. Kinetic energy recommendation runs 55 ft-lb minimum, and shot angle rules matter more than broadhead choice.
Kinetic energy threshold
Pope and Young lists 40 ft-lb; every experienced bear guide raises it to 55 to 65 ft-lb because of the hide and hair mat that dulls broadheads before they reach the vitals. A 65 lb draw with a 500 gr arrow at 275 fps gives 84 ft-lb at the bow, 60 ft-lb at 20 yd off a bait stand.
Broadhead recommendation
Cut-on-contact fixed heads dominate bear camps. Cutthroat single-bevel, Iron Will S100, and Slick Trick Magnum are the three most-cited on Bowsite bear threads. Mechanicals are a debate: some outfitters ban them because a bear’s front leg overlaps the near lung and a mechanical that clips leg bone before opening leaves a poor blood trail.
Angle of fire and shot placement
Black bear front legs cover more of the near-side lung than a deer. Broadside: aim behind the front leg AND further back than a deer, roughly at the middle of the body, 1/3 up. Quartering-away is the preferred shot. Quartering-toward: pass. Steep downhill from an elevated bait stand: adjust aim forward and low because the ribcage shape puts the vitals below what you can see.
Arrow build
500 to 600 gr total, 15% FOC or higher. Easton FMJ 340 or Black Eagle Rampage 350 with a 125 gr broadhead builds to the mid-500s. Micro-diameter helps drive through the fat and hide layer. Fletch high-profile 4 in vanes or feathers for broadhead flight stability off a heavier setup.
What bowhunters actually say
Bears will lie down on a marginal hit and bleed out where you cannot find them. Get the angle right, aim mid-body, don’t take the quartering-toward.
Bowsite Black Bear forum, Canadian outfitter regular
I run a 590 gr arrow with a Cutthroat single-bevel out of a 70 lb Mathews. Pass-throughs on every bear I’ve killed, including a 350 lb boar last spring.
Rokslide Bear Hunt Report, 2024
If you cannot get to 55 ft-lb of KE, do not bring a bow to a bear hunt. Rent a rifle or turn back another year.
Archery Talk Bear Hunting sticky post
Check your state F&W dept for local rules. This is research summary, not legal advice.