There ability to absorb and withstand vital tissue damage is beyond comprehension. I know of no American big game animal as hard to put down and keep down, and this does not exclude the might and horrendous Alaskan brown bear.
To my way of thinking, that's the reason to break shoulders.
The problem seems to be that for some a shoulder is just somewhere in the front half. It's easy to miss bone leave the bear with a nonfatal survivable injury. Even hitting the scapula can allow a bear to escape. (Art - maybe you can post your pic of a perforated scap?)
With a bear quarter toward, take out THE POINT OF THE SHOULDER which is the scapular-humeral joint.
If quartering away, take out heart/lungs on the way to the offside shoulder.
They don't go nowhere, or at least not far.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.untamedscience.com/science/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/black-bear-skeleton.jpg)
