# Another 8 Pointer and a Close Encounter with a Bear...



## YakAttack (Aug 8, 2006)

This one is smaller rack than the first, but is a bigger deer. I'd like to know how old he is. I don't think he was a young deer. I'm going to do some research on that...

Here's the pic. Read below for the unbelievable story of this hunt. I still scarcely believe it myself...










So, I got in the stand about 2:00. Within 10 mins I saw my first buck. A small spike still in velvet. I video taped him and took several pics. Soon after a small doe came by. Passed on her too. An hour later 2 does came by - both mature. I was going to shoot the first one but she was wary and sensed something wasn't right and backtracked the way she came. 

I was impressed with her intelligence. None of the other deer paid any attention at all to me. I'm careful with scent control and they were all under my stand and never showed any signs of alarm.

So, an hour after that and another doe was working her way towards me. I was interested and watching her when I heard something coming behind me. It was this 8 pointer. I looked at his rack and was not going to shoot but when I saw he was big bodied I figured he's either past prime or just not real good rack genetics so I decided to take him.

He was only a few yards from my stand and was headed into no-shot-opportunity land. I normally don't like shooting under the stand like that but he presented a good angle and I let one fly. I aimed about 3 inches below the spine and the arrow hit a little high and got the spine. He went down and I quickly put another arrow into the lungs to end his misery quicker. I kind of regretted the shot... 

Well, he was down in a creek so I figured I better make sure he's dead and not suffering anymore since I knew he would not be able to run away so I waited a couple more minutes and went down there. He was dead. I set up my camera phone on delay to take some pics and took a couple of shots but missed the head or missed me or something. You know how it goes. So I was setting up another shot when I heard something coming behind me. This is where the unbelievable part starts.

I turn around and there is a black bear coming right towards me, not 25 yards away. It was not huge but much bigger than me. I would say 250 to 300 pounds. I had an arrow nocked and my first instinct as a hunter was to let it fly. But my quiver was back at the stand and with only one arrow and being on the ground so close I did not want to risk close quarters with an injured bear.

So I decided I better just scare him off because if I wasn't going to shoot him I didn't want him coming any closer. I hit my grunt call real hard so it made this crazy loud sound that was nothing like a grunt. The bear stopped and looked at me. He was within 20 yards. I made some noise and waved my bow at him. He started coming directly at me.

Everything I have ever heard was that if a black bear knows you are there he will run the other way. This one did not. He may have been curious or may have mean something more sinister. I don't know. I noticed he was walking without using his left front paw. Great, I thought, this is an injured bear. 

At this point I went from feeling pretty much in control to gripped with fear. A thousand thoughts went through my head within a few seconds and I considered again drawing on him but again decided that was a bad idea. I thought of running to my stand and trying to climb the tree but I knew he would probably give chase out of instinct if nothing else. 

He was about 10 yards - maybe less - when my mind went to something I saw on Discovery channel about bears. It was the show with the old guy who had them all around his house. He would wave a stick at them if they misbehaved and they were afraid of it. I grabbed the nearest stick and waved it at him and I think I kind of yelled but I don't remember.

Anyway, it spooked him and he started trotting away. When he was about 50 yards and clearly leaving I high-tailed it to my stand. i threw my bow on the top half of the climber and let the noise settle down to see if I could hear him still running away. I looked and he was barrelling down the hill back towards me - this time running.

I slithered into that stand as fast as I could and started climbing. I figured even though they can climb I might fend him off a bit if his paws were busy climbing. Better than facing him on the ground. But the sound of me climbing the tree - maybe the metallic sound - spooked him again and he ran away again, this time out of sight.

Guys, just before I waved the stick at him I was thinking - so this is how it goes - those things you read about in the paper. This bear is going to maul the crap out of or kill me.

I was real thankful when it was all over. I took the time to tell God so. I got my hunting partner and we retrieved the deer OK and never saw the bear again. But I am still whirling about what could have happened.

Anyway, thought that story worth sharing. The hunter in me started thinking after it was over - man if you had waited 10 mins before messing with that deer you would have gotten your first black bear. But I'm happy to have left without tangling with him...


----------



## chriscustom (Jun 17, 2006)

*Cool!!!*

That was totally cool! I'm glad you got your buck and I'm glad the bear didn't get you. That is a hunt you will nevre forget. If you dont mind me asking what area were you in.


----------



## YakAttack (Aug 8, 2006)

I'm hunting in Amelia, VA Chris. It's some land my family owns a couple of miles from the Appomattox River. Mostly hardwoods with some cutover.


----------



## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

*This is eerie*

The thing about this that get's my attention is that last week a friend of mine had a similar encounter with a rather large black bear barreling toward him and there he stood 20 feet from the bear with his bow and long way from his stand. He handled it much the same. He frightened the bear into running and was able to high tail it to his stand figuring it would be better to make his stand from his stand. I wonder how common these close encounters are. I told him that if I bow hunted I would be inclined to put a nice compact heavy revolver like a 357 or more in a shoulder holster and keep it out of sight unless I was about to be eaten. He said that is now on his do list.

Makes me think.

Bill:fishing:


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

I wonder if they were male or female bear? Maybe next time you can ask it to it's back leg so you can check.

It is common for young bears to be curious. It is also common for a female to be highly protective of her young. On some occasions she can be highly protective and the cubs are not even close. 

Was there any growling or chopping of their teeth? Did it rush you or just come in slow? I would bet it was just being curious and not likely to attack you. I would not have waited to see if I was right but that is my thoughts.

I had a close encounter with a huge black bear years ago. I damn near soiled myself. 

Darin


----------



## chriscustom (Jun 17, 2006)

*Mind*

Its hard to tell whats on a WILD animals mind. They are wild. Everything you hear is to show no fear.YEAH RIGHT!! I'd probably be screaming like a school girl and running like a gazelle, leaving a horrible scent in my trail. All in all nature is never the same from day to day and that is why its so enjoyable.


----------



## kingfisher55 (May 5, 2010)

if you get a conceled handgun permit you can carry a wepon with you during bow seson or black powder season. i carry my 454 casul during the early season never had to use it but its worth checking into if you do not already have a permit. bobs gunshop.com you can sighn in and take a course online i think its an hour video and take a 25 question test at the end and print it off then take it to your local court house and apply for your permit it takes up to 45 days to get it but in my opinon its nice to have hunting or going to the local walmart lol btw its $39.99 to take the class online. in hampton you pay the clerk at the court house 50 bucks(cash!) and then go get finger printed.


----------



## YakAttack (Aug 8, 2006)

From what I've researched since yesterday, bear spray is probably more effective than a sidearm. I looked at Bass Pro today but the can was HUGE so I'm still undecided. I'll probably do something though.

No growling or chopping teeth.

I don't know if it was male or female. Only that it was big enough to concern me and that it was interested in me. I think it may have been curious also. I don't know. But Ive always heard they are shy and will run if they know you're there. The fact that it was getting closer while looking me in the face and was injured is what caused me to go from interested and awed to flat out scared.

I think when I ran to my tree stand I might have put myself in danger then. He was running back at that point, and I imagine it was giving chase to something running away with the intent of catching it. On the other hand, all ended well so I don't think I would do anything any different if I had a retake.


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

I'm going to venture about 2.5 on the deer looking at the bases (mass). As far as big bodies, for some reason, 2.5y/os get to be absolute pigs a lot of times. I killed an 8 that was 2.5y/o and he was 170lb. 

Congrats on the deer!

As far as the bear....injured bear (left paw you said?), and a dead deer with a lot (well plenty enough to smell) of blood on the ground....he was probably just intent on having you deer for a meal and nothing more.


----------



## Outrigger (Nov 6, 2006)

That’s a pretty unnerving experience in the woods. I remember seeing this program on NatGeo I think, about bear encounters that didn’t end in such thankfully safe circumstances. If I remember right, these three ladies were jogging up in Alaska on a trail well frequented by mountain bikers, runners and day hikers and the like. Well the three ladies ran across a bear…probably a grizzly but no mention of any cubs…and they tried the stand-off tactic of making noise and making themselves visible. Well the bear paid little mind to that approach and charged toward these ladies. In unison, the three of them retreated back down the twisty trail in full gallop. But somewhere along the way one of the ladies may have glanced around and saw the bear gaining fast upon them and decided to shimmy up a tree as a means of escape. It was a fatal decision as the bear broke off its chase and pursued this lone lady up the branchy tree. She was ultimately taken by the bear. The other women made it out safe and contacted authorities only to later learn the fate of their neighbor.

I guess the moral of the tale is that with winter around the corner and a bear with a lame shank maybe struggling for forage, and the scent of blood hanging in the air and a dying dear crashing through the brush, well you descend another rung down on the food chain when you leave your stand…


----------

