This day started out like any other day hunting the last week of archery in Pennsylvania. The day itself was cold and dead calm, it had snowed about four inches the day before.

It was about two pm when my four friends and I started out to our afternoon stands. My stand is located about a half mile from the road in the corner of a huge field. The way my treestand is situated the field is to my back as I focus on a run that comes from hardwoods up to the corner.

It wasn't long before action started around me. At about three a doe and two skippers caught me by surprise hurriedly coming up the path and ending up under my stand. I was sitting at the time and with the three deer under my stand I had no opportunity to stand. Knowing I was in my first day of a seven day hunt and with the rut at peak I decided to just sit back and let this family move on. About fifteen minutes another larger does appeared and like the last deer's fed under my stand. I was still unable to get up as not a leave had movement or noise could be heard. Bothered that I could not rise or get a shot, as she still was beneath me, I resolved to the fact I would just have to sit this deer out too.

Then what happened next was incredible for any hunter! A huge wind picked up and blew for about twenty seconds, I was now standing. The doe then walked from under my tree out in front of me eighteen yards and started feeding with its head down behind a tree. I could not believe this turn of events, I said to myself " God wants me to take this deer" and I did. The doe made no movement after my arrow was released. She kept feeding walking a semicircular trail around my stand. At twenty yards to the right of my stand the deer dropped silently.

I was excited about my first day harvest and realized the other family of deer around me did not spook. Could this possibly be the day I have dreamt about. Doe and Buck in one stand. This is when things got crazy.

Behind me in the field a noticed a black figure, knowing the farmer has a black dog it did not warrant another look. A few minutes passed and I looked back in the field and noticed a second black animal. This time I knew that I had two cubs about thirty yards behind my stand. I watched them for about a minute and then it came to me where is mom? Looking back at my newly killed venison I watched mom drag my deer about five yards further under a large pine. It had Steven King written all over this hunt. Mom was now eating my deer as the cubs played under my stand.

At this time I still had plenty of sunlight and after the initial shock of what was happening I regained my composure and told myself I was a part of the best hunting experience and I sat down and watched in amazement. Bones crunching, cubs were frolicking, one hour that I would never forget. This was incredible until I now realized that my father in law, Papa, and friend, Baron would soon be coming to get me if I did not meet them on the path to the truck.

Being an avid reader I knew first that being around a bear with cubs was not where I wanted to be, never mind one that had a meal to protect in front of her. After a few minutes I had come up with a plan. First I had to scare the cubs from around my tree toward mom. Hopefully mom would follow cubs giving me the opportunity to get down. So I yelled out the word BOO, why I picked this word is beyond me but that is what came out. Both cubs ran toward mom and treed themselves on either side of her. Plan A wasn't working. Mom continued eating. It was now starting to get dark.

Plan B, I have a radio in my pack I'll call Papa and Baron and tell them to stay away giving me more time to figure out my next move. I hung my bow and reached into fanny pack, which was hanging high in my tree. My hands were cold and with the help of my release still on I managed to drop my two way out of my stand down twenty feet and ten feet closer to the bear. I can still remember in my head the exact thought I had "That wasn't good".

Now I have to do something quick, Plan C, yell to Papa he would know something was wrong and buy me time. Wrong again, I yelled "Papa I have three Bear under my tree", He then yelled to me "I had seven deer, I'll be right over". Now I have to make a move.

First I got hold of my drop line for my bow. The metal clip was frozen shut so I warmed it to be able to hook my bow onto. I calculated a perfect height for my bow to end so I could nock an arrow as soon as my feet hit ground. After lowering my bow and strapping on my fanny pack I proceeded to climb out of my stand. Every step was slow and calculated enabling me to keep an eye on the bears. I was three steps from the ground on my ladder when I was noticed. Staring at me I froze, it seemed like an eternity before she put her head back down to eat. At this point I convinced myself that it was time to go for it. As luck would have it I landed on ground got hold of my bow and was unable to get the clip off my limb. Now I was in the open, bow stuck to my drop line, and twenty yards from the bears. Every time the bear would feed I would work on thawing the clip, finally it came free. I nocked an arrow and felt better about the whole situation.

I then noticed my walkie talkie on the ground only five feet from me but toward the bear. I knew if I could get it I could call Papa and stop him behind me. It seemed like that small distance took me an hour to reach. Once I got the radio I notified Papa to wait behind me and I continued to move only when unwatched.

Finally I was crossing the open field heading back to the truck telling Papa this incredible adventure, when my radio vibrated in my pocket. Sure enough it was my other partner Baron calling to let me know he hear my yell for Papa and he was almost at my stand. Back across the field the two of us ran toward my stand while telling Baron to get out. Seeing his orange hat and vest coming from the corner was a welcome sight.

At daybreak we went back to the scene with a video recorder hoping to find what was left of my deer. All we found was a pool of blood and one tree over a ravine covered with hair from the belly of the doe.

Looking back I feel that deer was meant to feed those bear and I was the person picked to make it happen.