The bear attacks the man after he runs over to inspect it when it falls from a tree after being shot
The bear attacks the man after he runs over to inspect it when it falls from a tree after being shot
It's best not to approach a wounded bear unless it's definitely dead.

One hunter learnt this lesson the hard way after he approached a black bear he and his friends were tracking down - only to be attacked by the beast.

The terrifying footage first shows a bearded man in khaki with a gun standing at the top of a steep slope in a forest in America.

A large bear can be seen lying in the branch of a tall tree a little way off while hunting dogs bark excitedly.

The man filming stands behind the man, while a third hunter stands at the bottom of the slope ready to get the bear when it falls.

Shots are fired and the bear leaps up and can be seen scrabbling around in the tree top before it is shot again.


After a third crack of gunfire the animal suddenly falls to the forest floor.

The hunter standing at the base of the slope rushes forward to what he presumes is the corpse - but he greatly misjudges the situation.

All at once the beast leaps up and launches itself at the man who can be heard yelling in pain and panic at the horrific attack.

The hunter at the top of the slope urgently scrambles down the leaf-strewn hill to rescue his friend before the footage ends.

The video uploader wrote on YouTube that the hunter fortunately survived the scary encounter.

'Luckily he only suffered minor injuries that will definitely leave a scar but it could have been much worse,' he said.

A graphic photo shows the bloody puncture wounds in the man's side.

The uploader adds that there's a clear way to know if a bear is truly deceased: 'Always wait for the "DEATH MOAN" from the bear to make sure it's dead,' he writes.