2010 deer camp story - General Discussion Forum - General Discussion Forum

I was hunting on my friends property in northren Wisconsin (just a little North of Chippewa Falls) for the opener this past weekend. I had seen a few doe but no bucks. Just a LOT of sign! I had taken my stand (sitting on the ground) for the afternoon at about 12:30 or so intending to go until close. About 3:00 or so I had just stood up to stretch the old legs a bit when I heard something (larger than a squirrel) on top of the hill behind me (I sit about half way up a small hill over looking a natural “funnel” between two small lakes/pot holes)Deer would not normally come from that direction in that location so my thought was it probably was one of the kids that were in camp with their dads. Two were first year “shooters” and the other is a year or two away and had sat with his dad in the morning. I had leaned my rifle up against the stump behind me and turned around to see who it was. Over the crest of the hill I caught a glimpse of black which I thought was the black coat of one of the kids. I was just about to holler at him for not having his blaze on when I realized that what was cresting the hill was not a kid, but a black bear! First thought…. Cool! Second thought…. Man he is a big one (in comparing him to the pics with weights of bear on this sight my estimate is 450 – 475)! Third thought… he is coming right at me and dosen’t see me! I remembered the shows I had seen on Nat Geo and discovery and knew I should make myself big and loud and he would be more afraid of me than I of him and high tail it out of there. I began hollering LOUDLY and waving my arms but he just kept coming. Not very fast… just a slow walk, but RIGHT AT ME! I finally decided that I should grab my gun and get ready to shoot if it came to that. I continued to yell with the gun pointed at him and the saftey off and finger on the trigger. At about 15 feet, he finally veered to the right with a couple of quick hops. He then stopped, looked over his shoulder at me then continued on back over the crest of the hill. Never at more than a slow steady pace! My buddy who was sitting on the other side of the pot hole heard me yelling and walked to the edge of the water to see what it was all about. He saw the whole thing. After the bear was out of sight (he never really left… I could hear him on top of the hill)my buddy called me on my cell phone (we keep them on vibrate for saftey reasons) and said ” That was one big SOB!” His next comment- ” Did you get a picture?” Ahhh nooo… I was a little “distracted and busy” to think about getting a snap shot! I have seen bear in the woods (never any where even close to this up close and personal) but this was by far the biggest. Even though I didn’t get a deer, the 2010 deer camp will be one I remember for the rest of my life!

We were talking about that this week. I am just wondering if that is maybe why he seemed so sluggish? Maybe all of those people in the woods woke him from his nap! I think I can honestly say that I have woke up from a deep sleep and been kind of ” out of it” for a while! I am just glad I didn’t need to pull the trigger. I have talked to several people that have said they would have not been as patient and trusting as I was. That bear would have been dead if it came any where near that close to them! At the time, I really was very calm and matter of fact. I guess having a 30.06 with 180 grain bullets in my hands mat have something to do with that. I will say that in the hours after my little encounter I was a little more “worked up” than during the actual encounter!