Deer Hunter Attacks Bear From Tree Stand - A deer hunter was left with no choice when a black bear followed him to a tree stand and didn't show any signs of leaving or going away.
According to Chicago Tribune, the deer hunter in a tree stand resorted to shooting the black bear when it attempted t climb up the tree to get to him.
State wildlife officials said the deer hunter only shot the wild animal when it was already a few feet from him.
The man was reportedly armed with a 12-gauge shotgun at the time of the incident on Saturday morning.
Apparently, the black bear - estimated to weigh around 85 to 100 pounds - noticed the hunter when he made inadvertent noises as he climbed up the tree stand, which was 10 to 12 feet high.
Larry Ragonese of the Department of Environmental Protection said the Sayreville deer hunter noticed that the relatively small bear was walking towards him at 9:15 a.m.
In an attempt to scare the animal away, the 24-year-old shouted at it, but it continued to make its way up, per Fish & Wildlife authorities' statement, reports NJ.com.
Because the hunter was "uncomfortable for his safety," he pulled the trigger, fatally shooting the wild animal.
"It continued up towards him and (when the bear was about 3 feet away) he fired one time in self-defense, striking the bear in the chest, and the bear fell out of the tree and landed on the ground," Ragonese said.
Immediately after he shot the bear, the deer hunter called for the authorities at around 10 a.m.
Evidence at the scene reportedly confirm the deer hunter's claim on what drove him to kill the black bear. He is not facing charges out of the incident, Houston Chronicle has learned.
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