Well I finally got out for my second sit this bow season yesterday evening. I was hunting a piece of woods wedged between a corn field (not picked) and a bean field. Had some issues with my climber so I left it in the truck and carried my stool and roll of ground blind fabric with stakes. Got set up about 3:30 using a nice natural deadfall and my fabric, I liked it and wasn't worried about being on the ground. I had my back to the bean field and was probably20 yards from the edge. Around 5:30 six turkeys went by in the beans behind me.Around 6:00 I started wondering if the deer were probably feeding in the standing corn and I might be in the wrong spot, oh well.

Within minutes I hear movement behind me in the beans, I glance over my shoulder and can see someting working thebeans, looking into the low sun it looked like a deers back in the shadows so I clicked on my release and prepared to turn around. As the "deer" came out of the thick beansto thethinner edge it turned into a nice sized black bear. Well I have little experience with black bears and no NC tag (not even sure when the season is on them) so I was really just enjoying seeing one,then it started heading in my direction, good feeling gone.

I quickly decided that sitting with my back to it was not a good defensive position so I slowly stood and faced the bear, still plenty of cover between ussothe bear never saw me and continued rumaging towards me. At this point I remember thinking how large its head was, I mean I am arelatively big guy (6'2" 260#) and the bear probably wasn't much larger maybe 300#(guess) but man that thing had a large melon. As the bear entered the drainage between the bean field and the wood line (about 15 yds.) I attempted to stop him or change his course by politely saying "Hey Bear!!", he stopped and stared in my direction moving his head a little back and forth then standing in the drainage and repeating.

Enter pucker moment, they are much bigger on their hind legs. He dropped back down, came out of the drainage, and stopped again. At this point he is 12 yds. and my nerves are shot, the hair on the back of my neck is standing and I am shook. I had my trusty Buck knife in hand by now and broke the stillness by chopping it against the tree beside me while deeplysaying "GO ON BEAR!!" Finally he realized what I was and fortunately he seemed more startled than me and bailed back into the beans and down the edge of the field, side note: they are very fast runners, and just like that it was over.

Still a little time left for deerbut I was spent, I packed it in a little before dark and headed out (saw 3 does on the way out). A very cool experience, even though it was a little nerve racking and I need to check on some new pants at Bass Pro today.

NOW THATS ONE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET I'LL BET. GLAD HE WAS MORE AFFRAID THEN YOU.THATS THE KIND OF STUFF THAT MAKES HUNTING SO COOL.

WOW......sounds like you might need to hurry up and order those new pants from Bass Pro.

My butt would have puckered up so tight I probably would have ripped some fabric off that seat.

On a side note, cool experience and glad you weren't his dinner.

That is a great experience.

In PA, I have many bear encounters and unless your between a mama and her cubs, they will turn tail and run, and run they can as you saw. Very cool experience indeed. I usually have at least one each archery season. Shame you didn't have a camera....

Sounded like a nice expeince. A little to close for comfort if you ask me. But it is very nice to be able to observe them in nature. Glad it turned out for the better.

What an experience!Hopefully next time it will be a big buck that close.

When I lived in California I had quit a few encounters with bears and when your hiking/camping its always in the back of your mind when your laying down going to sleep. Man Eaters! LOL

I would have crapped my pants.

Period.

Glad it turned out OK for you.

Not even scent-lok would have heloed!

That is one of the best things about hunting. Being able to really see nature, and crapping your pants at the same time!

Thanks for sharing, that is a cool story, and well written.
KP