what do you do if you come across a bear in the woods?

[PANYHunter]

On a more serious note, I have been charged by a bear before. I was about 11 years old out in the woods by myself. My heart raced so fast I didnt even know what to do. I just stood there and screamed like a little school girl. The sound of my peircing scream thankfully made the bear stop and turn the other way. he was about 10 yards away when he stopped for 3 seconds then ran. So I guess screaming like a school girl helps.

I just laughed out loud at work.  Good thing I'm on lunch.

Yeah same here.  This site is gonna get me fired

[new2turkey]

On a more serious note, I have been charged by a bear before. I was about 11 years old out in the woods by myself. My heart raced so fast I didnt even know what to do. I just stood there and screamed like a little school girl. The sound of my peircing scream thankfully made the bear stop and turn the other way. he was about 10 yards away when he stopped for 3 seconds then ran. So I guess screaming like a school girl helps.

Thank you for the laugh MarkJM.. I literally laughed out loud for a good minute.

And thank you to all who ahve posted... Seems like everyone is either A...

Going to act agressive and scare the bear...


B...

Back out slowly and quietly...


Or c...


Crap their pants. 

I live in Maine, and we have a decent amount of bears. Not as bad as New Hampshire though.

[Kylongspur88]

heard Jim Shockey say once that the reason he always wore black while bear hunting is so he looked like a bigger bear.

[Jay]

On a more serious note, I have been charged by a bear before. I was about 11 years old out in the woods by myself. My heart raced so fast I didnt even know what to do. I just stood there and screamed like a little school girl. The sound of my peircing scream thankfully made the bear stop and turn the other way. he was about 10 yards away when he stopped for 3 seconds then ran. So I guess screaming like a school girl helps.

Yep, you handled it correctly. Good move

[bigwayne17]

I probably get 200-300 pictures like this every deer season. Eastern NC is full of bear. And some big ones....

[new2turkey]

I probably get 200-300 pictures like this every deer season. Eastern NC is full of bear. And some big ones....

I'm just hoping I don't walk into something like that in the woods....

[bassmaster1228]

i plead the 5th

[new2turkey]

i plead the 5th

Does that leave you at option C?

[Solid Snake]

Man I'm glad I live in Indiana!! I don't know how you guys go into the woods in the AM before the sun is up knowing there are bears around!

I use to feel very comfortable walking in and out the woods here in Iowa while bow hunting years ago.  I always figured the worst thing I would ever run into in the dark here in Iowa would be a coon that couldn't get out of my way fast enough.  Until one night as I was walking up a CRP hill back to my truck I got an uneasy feeling about something, so I turned around and there I see a cougar about 6 feet long dark grey in color and a 3 foot long tail sneaking down the grassy hillside right into the trees from which I just left.  I was wondering why I hadn't seen any deer all evening long and that pretty much answered my question right there.  I wonder how long he had been sitting up there on the hillside in the grass watching me with my bow in my hand. 

Dang man! That would give me the chills! I would probably be looking around and behind me so much I would be running into trees all the time 

[jyoung]

Scream bloody murder, run, then check my paints!!! I don't do bears!

[mnturkey]

I do not know how to put the link on, Last year I was hunting Turkeys and simpzenith was with me videoing the hunt, We had a bear come down the fence line and come right into our woods.  He sat down about 10 feet from us, I was not worried as Shane was next to me and I had the shotgun, Shane went boo or something like that and the bear left.
Shane has it on video on his Turkey Hunt Public Land.
I have never been bothered by bears, they usually leave you alone, and if you are Turkey Hunting you have a shotgun with a few rounds just wait until you see the whites of their eyes and shoot.

[turkey slayer]

First thing I would do is crap my pants!

x2

[TheSportsman]

a** and elbows....

[vicksburg]

a** and elbows....

+1 

[hobbes]

If you come to CO in Sept, I know one surefire way to avoid seeing bears.............buy an archery bear tag and you'll never see one.  Its been working well for me.