SWAN VALLEY – As Swan Valley resident Chuck Pyle headed out to go black bear hunting a few weeks ago he flippantly told his wife he would be home later that evening, “if I don’t get eaten.” Later that day, his close encounter with a grizzly bear could have made his comment a reality.
Pyle drove as far as he could up Cold Creek Road in his Jeep Wrangler. Once the snow made it impassible with his vehicle, he parked and started walk. He walked for about a mile and a half before the snow was too deep to continue without snowshoes. Having seen nothing, he turned around.
When he turned around to return to his jeep, he could see a full grown male grizzly behind him.
“I’m from Texas, I’ve been here three years and I have not encountered a grizzly yet so I wasn’t sure what to do,” said Pyle.
Not knowing many options to do in the situation, Pyle stepped into the woods to let the bear pass. It didn’t take him long to question his decision.
“One, I didn’t know if he was going to pass. Two, I didn’t know when he is going to pass and three I didn’t know if he is going to circle back around me and get me from somewhere that I can’t see him because I’m in the woods,” recalled Pyle.
Pyle decided to return to the road but remain to the side. With bear spray in one hand and his rifle in the other, he was as ready as he could be.
The bear continued walking on the road until he was within 15-20 feet directly across the road from Pyle. He didn’t know if the bear saw him out of the corner of his eye or caught his scent but it exploded off the road in the other direction.
“He must have been at least 500 pounds and he moved like a gazelle. I couldn’t believe how quick and how easily he went running off,” said Pyle. “I thought if he had come towards me that fast, I don’t know if I would have gotten a squirt of bear spray off much less gotten the rifle back around. I told my wife I would have been glad to take a picture if I would have had a third hand.”
When the shivers were all done Pyle yelled, “That was AWESOME!”
When he finally had his wits about himself again, Pyle started heading back to his Jeep. The bear’s paw prints were in his footprints. He doesn’t think the bear was on the hunt, “I was just in his road.”
Pyle said the whole experience was very exciting.
“Just a beautiful silver tip bear - he was absolutely gorgeous,” said Pyle. “It just reminds you that there are critters around here that will make a meal out of you if given the chance.”
Reader Comments(0)