A few years back, I was walking into a thick swamp area in Pike County PA for an early morning deer hunt with my bow. No light with me as I knew the trails leading to the swamp very well. My buddie and I had just split at the break in the trail.... each going our own way. About 50 yards up ahead the trail went on a steep uphill incline. In the faint lite of the brightening sky I could see movement... so I froze... something did not feel right... maybe just the darkness... maybe a smell in the air.... just a weird feeling. So I decided to just stand there until the woods got a little brighter. Still seeing movement, I begin to realize this is no deer ahead of me.... it is a very large black bear. We are about 30 yards apart and this guy is not taking off like they have done when I have walked up on them in the past. Now I am wondering if it is a mama bear with little ones nearby... or why it is not moving.
Needless to say, I began to back track and believe me.... those little hairs on the back of the neck are standing up at this point. Just a week earlier in these same woods I had an encounter with some coyotes.
So ... after an unsuccessful morning hunt.... my buddy and I meet up to swap stories.... he told me he had 2 bears walk by him right after light.... and when I told him about what I saw... he wanted to check it out.
So we went back to where the trail I was on took that steep up hill turn, and there at the top of the hill was a downed deer that this bear had been camped out on top of. He was not there when I returned with my my friend, but there was sign all over the place. This was the only time I ever hunted and saw more bears than deer.
DW