I had a scary experience with a bear in an upper New York state park. My husband, 2 young children, and another couple were camping by a lake. Our food prep was on a picnic table about 25 feet away and we were by the table where we were going to eat. Suddenly we saw a black bear had grabbed a grocery bag from the other table and was starting to run off with it. My husband picked up a 4’ club (actually a small stripped down pine tree) and started after the bear hollering, “Hey, that’s MY food.” The other guy picked up a slightly smaller club and followed him. His wife grabbed the two children and headed off in the other direction. I ran to the car and pulled my 357 pistol out of hiding and ran toward the men and the bear. All the time I was thinking, how do I shoot the bear if it has one of the men down? I decided, run up alongside and shoot in his ear. Fortunately, the bear dropped the bag. We went to sleep well armed in our tents, no food inside. About 6 in the morning we were awakened by yelling. Someone had camped during the night next door. The bear had come and ripped open the shelter over their picnic table with food on it. We rolled over and went back to sleep. When we got up, those people were gone. The next day the ranger said he was just a Yogi type personality bear.
All the time I was thinking, how do I shoot the bear if it has one of the men down? I decided, run up alongside and shoot in his ear.
That is how it is done.
I hunt bears with hounds more then once I have moved in on a bear that had a hound down or was wounded with the pack around it.
I get in close put the muzzle next to his head and drive a bullet into the brain.
Dead bear.