For bear hunting success you'll need precise timing and positioning first off. Bears have a distinct charging pattern where they'll rear up slightly before rushing you which is your cue to be ready. The safest approach is finding elevated spots they can't reach - fallen trees work great and fishing huts are perfect since you can duck inside if things go bad. Watch their movement carefully, you need one good arrow hit to start the bleed effect which takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 11 hours depending on where you land it.

Getting the shot placement right is crucial - a headshot can drop them instantly with a critical but body shots mean tracking them through blood trails. Make sure you've got your archery skill up to level 5 so you can crouch while shooting, makes a huge difference in accuracy. The blood trail patterns tell you a lot - if you see concentrated spots of blood, you're getting close to where they collapsed. Just remember not to enter buildings or leave the zone while tracking or you'll reset the bleed timer.

Here's something interesting - you can actually manipulate their movement using stones to lure them into caves or set up campfires to briefly freeze them in place. Always keep multiple escape routes planned especially in open areas, and bring medical supplies because even experienced hunters make mistakes. Once you land that first hit just be patient and methodical with the tracking, listen for death groans and watch for denser blood patterns that signal you're getting close.