I was making one of my regular trips prior to bear season to freshen up my bait pile with more fish heads and table scraps…
…when I turned around to discover a sow black bear and her cubs not 20 yards from where I knelt.
She hustled her cubs up a tree and charged at me.
My only hope was to reach my tree stand before the bear reached me. I focused on the steps and made a mad dash. We were literally charging at one another!
I hit the steps running and made it to the safety of the platform in a flash.
The sow didn’t climb the tree but was within a couple of feet of me when she stood up.
After a few tense moments she dropped back, gathered up her cubs and left me alone.
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