HuntingNet.com Forums - Virginia bear

i shot this bear while deer hunting on friday. i was at my gun/muzzleader lease to move a stand for the bp opener. i dediced to stay and hunt for 2-3 hours in the evening. i went to one of the two permanent wooden ladder stands on the property to bow hunt. i didnt see a thing. i got down maybe 5 minutes earlier than i usually do here in fairfax/loudoun. i threw my seat cushion down before my decent. when i got to the bottom i went to attach the cushion to my backpack and heard something running behind me. i looked over my shoulder in the low light and thought i saw a black lab or rotwieller running right at me(there are houses all around the lease). i quickly scampered back up top he top rung(about 15 ft). a 200lb or so bear came right to the bottom rung of my ladder. we had a stare down for about 45 seconds. i was just enjoying this moment. it finally had enough and ran off behind me. i waited about 3-4 minutes and go down. no sooner than i got down i heard it again. another bear was running right at me(from the same direction as the first bear). i put a arrow on the rail(xbow) and thought for a quick moment if i should hold my ground and aim or get back in the tree. i chose the latter. i only made it up about 6 feet. i turned around and looked to see a larger bear running right at me. he stopped at 10-12 feet and we had a 15-20 second stare off. he them chomped/snapped his teeth a couple of times. thats when i made up my mind to shoot. i shot him one handed. my other hand was still on a rung. i heard the thump and the yelp. Not knowing what to do next i stayed next to the ladder for 20 minutes. it was pitch dark and both bears ran where i have to walk thru to get to my atv. for the first time that i recall, i was scared. this all happned so fast. then it started raining/sleeting. i had to come back on saturday to see if i can find him. there was no way i was going to look for him by myself in the dark without a firearm. i came back the next morning and found him. he had gone about 80 yards. the shot was straight on--i hit him in the juggular. the arrow was sticking out his back leg when i found him. he weighed 340 lbs and squared 7'4". shot right on the culpeper/madison line right off rt 29. this was only the 2nd and 3rd bear that i have ever seen(the first there). pics to follow ........