Among the many times I've been a scared in the woods, one incident stands out.

It was Spring Turkey season, about three years ago. I was headed down an old logging road through a creek bottom on the gamelands, looking for anice mountainbird. With my gun slinged, I just trolled down the path, calling and still-hunting my way deeper into the forest, listening up the hollows and across the ridges for a good response.

I crept into an area dense with understory and the creekbed was lined with skunk cabbage. To my left at about 30 yards, I caught some movement - it was a really good-sized bear, munching the leafy greens and minding its own business. It didn't see me, so I watched for a minute andfigured I'll just sneak on by.

I made it about 3 more steps before everything came unwound. Apparently, the bear was a sow with two cubs who were lagging behind, lingering around up by the logging road where I was walking. They saw me and were hiding silently in the brush next just off the path - I didn't see them and had know idea they were there. As I walked by, they both spooked and one of them got tangled up in some grapevines and let out a good bawl.

I swear, it wasn't two seconds and I was just standing there trying to process what was going onand mama was already charging up over the bank.I took oneglance back at her, and she was looking like she might try to kill me. Man, she was plowing straight through the brush like a steamroller. I didn't know what to do, so I just ran as fast as I've ever run - I made it about 15 yards and she was already on the trail, I could hear her closing the distance fast.

I shouldered my gun, hit the safe and turned to fire, with every intent of loading her face with some #4. When I turned around, she had just stopped charging and was standing on the logging roadat about 10 yards, just popping her jaws and looking at me, kinda swinging her head back and forth. I didn't wanna turn my back on her, so I just walked backwards with the bead centered on her brisket. It was pretty obvious at that point that she just wanted to get between me and her cubs. Man was my heart ever pounding. I thought for sure that one of us (me or her) was gonna get hurt.

I've heard stories, but I never really thought a black bear would charge like that. She definitely meant business.

I have no doubt that if that would have happened in the dark, the end result would have been very different.