MITCHELL COUNTY, N.C. — A man hunting in Mitchell County says he’s lucky to be alive after coming face-to-face with a bear.
A bear swiped Mike Wilson’s face and neck, just missing his jugular vein. Wilson said he was able to get up, get out of the woods, and friends took him the hospital. He was released after receiving nearly 30 stitches, only to be punished by his friends. First a bear attacked him, and then his cousin Calvin wanted to tell everybody about it.
They were bear hunting with dogs when Mike turned around and looked a 390-pound bear in the eye. As Mike tried to get another shell in his gun the bear overran him, knocking him down the hill.
The bear got him and got away. It hid in a hole, but not before injuring two dogs and killing another. Quickly, another hunter in Mike’s group arrived and put the bear down.
Calvin, who has been hunting for 50 years said he has never seen anything like this happen.
The group hung the bear up and skinned it. The man who shot the bear last gets the pelt, so Mike didn’t even get a souvenir.
A person with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advised when you see a bear, face it and slowly walk away. You don’t want to turn your back to a bear.
