This Saturday morning was opening day season archery for Deer& bear in my home state of Georgia, I went to a favorite mountain hunt place to have a sit and hope for a shot at a deer to make some old timely deer stew.
I just had set up my dove stool and settled down when i heard something behind me.I was on the ground sitting on a dove stool. I eased my head around the tree trunk and what met my eyes was a charging bear at full run speed! He was coming straight at me snapping his teeth growling and huffing-coming fast like a freight train and looking as big as a Volkswagen car!
Everything happened in a split second from then on but time did kind of stand still-I really just went into automatic.
I drew my recurve as I was standing up and the bear slightly turned at 10 feet!
I shot him in that split second and he ran one way and i went the other. I am glad to be alive!
THANK YOU JESUS!!!!
He is a big old male bear.
I will remember this day and that bow shot forever!
The bear was charging already when I looked around the tree to see what all the noise was.
I have a theory, but will never know for sure.
I was just over the top/summit of the ridge when he came over it, he saw me on my dove stool in full camo with face paint and head net looking like the swamp/bush creature!
I was also downwind!
I was already in his zone/space which all wild animals have. If you are far enough away-they will run-if you are in there lap/zone, they will charge and fight/attack.
They will instinctively charge for there own perseverance. It’s called Fight or flight. I think he didn’t know what I was...but then there is that 1% that we always hear about on the news that are killers anyway-but then its too late.
I am thankful and I heard him coming and was not just sitting there dozing or could not hear him at all because of poor ears. I would for sure be dead right now and the news/story would be of finding my remains......
These bears are super powerful and built to fight and kill; they can run 45M.P.H.in a split second and have the power/strength of 8 men. They are not big huggie toys like some people would rather them to be. I have the deepest respect for them and feel in a hand to claw combat, bears are truly at the top of the food chain!
I am glad we have bears and would be poorer without them, they make the wilderness that much more wild.
He more than likely was just being a bear and his behavior is just natural for there survival. They are very territorial and will kill each other in fights to the death if they catch other males in there territory.
Bears will also eat each other-cannibalism.
I know if bears will kill and eat each other-we humans don’t stand a chance! I am not very smart but I think I can figure that much out on my own!
I guess that’s why they tell hikers to make a lot of noise and blow whistles when hiking in bear country as to NEVER surprise a bear at close range! Also to NEVER RUN!
Running triggers a predator vs. prey instinct in the brain. If you run-YOU WILL BE CHARGED for sure-even if the bear was not going to charge in the first place-you trigger it by making yourself the prey.
When I stood up I was larger and I didn’t run, I just stood there aiming my bow. He slammed on the brakes at the last second and perhaps figured out what I was or smelled my scent-but my arrow found its mark the first split second he showed me a vital shot...right behind the shoulder where the heart and lungs lie.
I couldn’t get a arrow down his throat as he charged head on because his head kept swinging side to side like a bobble head doll, snapping and snarling as he came.
I was NOT going to blow the shot with my only arrow!
I was NOT going to shoot him in the lower jaw or miss!
I WAS NOT going to be second place in this fight; I was in it all the way-him or me-kill or be killed.
If he had not hesitated for that split second where I was able to get the clear shot, I would have shot him head on and just taken the impact! I would have placed my arrow right down his throat and he would have been dead just the same. I would have let loose the arrow and shot him at 3 feet or less. No doubt in my mind.
He wasn’t going to get out of this fight without a scratch!
I was shooting a Great Plains Red River 55#Custom take-Down Recurve built by Linda and Bill Foreman in Texas. I was shooting a 2216 Easton shaft with 125Gr.Snuffer 3-blade fixed broadheads, bear shooting 3-finger glove & Howard Hill Leather arm guard, Great Northern Quiver.
The bear ran approximately 125-150 yards. My neighbor and my son helped me track the bear and drag it out of the forest. I checked him out at the ranger station and filled out the harvest record. The DNR Rangers tagged him for me with a special bear harvest tag.
I was then able to take him to Cranes Taxidermy shop in Acworth, Georgia..
Clayton Crane and his son John are going to make me a full standing body mount.
I’m very proud!

blackbearhunter
9-17-05