A few years ago I shot a nice buck that topped a ridge and kept looking OVER me. When I shot it spun around and ran about 20 yards and dropped on the other side of the ridge from me. I went over the ridge and was about to field dress the buck when I heard a noise … a black bear was coming up the deer trail with nose to the ground. I yelled at the bear and it stopped about 10 yards from me. It paced in a semi-circle … like it wanted my buck. Wasn’t going to happen. At one point it feigned a lunge towards me and gave a low growl. My rifle was against a tree, so I drew my little .380 Auto and fired a shot at the tree beside it, hoping the sound of the bullet hitting beside it would move it along. It didn’t. My second shot was in the dirt in front of it, throwing dirt and leaf debris in its face. It looked at me as if to say, “I can’t believe you just did that! What kind of an idiot are you?” It then backed off about 40 more yards and paced at 50 yards. First time I field dressed a deer with one hand while holding a rifle in the other. That bear was on the gut pile before I was out of sight with my deer. Next year I shot a bear during bear season in that general area. The following year I shot my second bear in the same area. Haven’t shot a bear since, nor have I seen one in that area.The only bear I have even seen was in a zoo and that’s good enough for me.![]()
Not sure what I would have done especially when it wouldn't leave.....A few years ago I shot a nice buck that topped a ridge and kept looking OVER me. When I shot it spun around and ran about 20 yards and dropped on the other side of the ridge from me. I went over the ridge and was about to field dress the buck when I heard a noise … a black bear was coming up the deer trail with nose to the ground. I yelled at the bear and it stopped about 10 yards from me. It paced in a semi-circle … like it wanted my buck. Wasn’t going to happen. At one point it feigned a lunge towards me and gave a low growl. My rifle was against a tree, so I drew my little .380 Auto and fired a shot at the tree beside it, hoping the sound of the bullet hitting beside it would move it along. It didn’t. My second shot was in the dirt in front of it, throwing dirt and leaf debris in its face. It looked at me as if to say, “I can’t believe you just did that! What kind of an idiot are you?” It then backed off about 40 more yards and paced at 50 yards. First time I field dressed a deer with one hand while holding a rifle in the other. That bear was on the gut pile before I was out of sight with my deer. Next year I shot a bear during bear season in that general area. The following year I shot my second bear in the same area. Haven’t shot a bear since, nor have I seen one in that area.