Stumbled upon a bear den??

[silver15tacoma]

Anyone else have stumbling upon a bear den experience? Had my first this last week. I was hunting elk in Arizona and walked up on what looked like a bear den to me.
Walking past I heard some rustling inside of it and could barely see a pair of eyes. I bombed back to the truck to grab a flashlight so I could confirm my suspicions.

As I am walking back to the den I see a small chocolate cub outside of the den that then rushes back inside. I point my flashlight inside the den and see the biggest black bear I’ve ever seen looking back at me. Definitely didn’t get as close as I did originally haha. Mama Bear definitely wasn’t happy. Jaw snapping and all.

If you look closely you can see her eyes and a faint outline of her head. She’s facing broadside left to right. Definitely one of my craziest wildlife encounters. Also ran into 4 cougars in one group on this hunt haha

 

[Andrewlonghi]

Florida in Ocala National Forest…. Have found a few over the years. Bear was in it when I poked my head in. It was as surprised as I was

 

[Muleyczy]

Cool finds! I’ve never found one but I’m typically looking

 

[Bubblehide]

Yes, I rode an Arab mare to 5' of a 400 plus pound black bear sleeping in a tangled of brush. He (it was a boar) jumped up and ran about 50'. I asked her to chase him, and ran him up the mountial a few hundred yards.

 

[limpet]

I’ve found a few here in California. Mostly in the spring after they leave. There a hole a the base of the hemlock and redwood stump that we could here movement in and the dog was letting us know about it.