Samson Coward knows exactly what he’d do if he were charged by a bear while out in the bush. In those last seconds, before it would reach him, he would aim his nocked arrow and fully drawn compound bow a few feet ahead of the bear quickly trotting toward him, his breathing rapid and heart pounding, he would step out at just the right moment and let loose the arrow.
Coward knows this because that’s how it happened on Sept. 14.
“He went to go around the spruce tree to cut me off, and this was almost at about eight to nine yards or eight to nine steps, away from me at this point. Then there was a small, about two-foot opening, between a poplar tree and where the spruce tree ended. I just put the top pin that I had on my bow site into that little gap there, and as soon as the bear stepped out into that little gap, I let the arrow go and luckily, by the grace of God, that arrow hit the bear.”
The Trip
The 23-year-old left Grande Prairie listening to a football game on the radio, Chicago Bears versus Houston Texans, and headed to a hunting area near his hometown of Valleyview. A receiver for a semi-pro football team, the Peace Country Cowboys, he was enjoying his Saturday evening drive listening to the game and thinking about getting a bull elk.
Neither hunting nor archery are new to Coward. Working at Bullets & Broadheads in Grande Prairie, he’s a gun range safety officer, axe-throwing instructor, archery instructor and Olympic level archery coach. But it started long before that. He’s had a bow in his hands since age four. That’s when he learned to use them. Now he, along with his father, have a company carnageoutdoors.com and they sell their products out of Bullets & Broadheads, including those used to take down the grizzly.
He would get his feet on the ground just before 7:30 p.m. A little bit late, but he was hoping to get an elk nonetheless. He learned the areas they frequented during prior trips. He hoped that would make a difference for him that night.
He needed to move quickly before the light was too low. He jogged across a field with his bow, scaring a white-tailed doe into the trees. He followed her in on the game trail.
Getting his gear out and ready, he could hear the white-tail running through the trees. He bided his time, allowing the doe to get farther away. Pulling out his cow-call, he called once into the bush and once into the field he’d just crossed.
Almost immediately there was a response. Crashing sounds were moving towards him. His first thought was that a bull elk heading his way. He immediately nocked an arrow from his quiver while watching to see where exactly the crashing sound was coming from.
Then he saw it. About 40 to 50 yards away, a large animal running towards him.
Coward still didn’t know what it was. He just saw something coming straight for him. When it slowed, he saw the bear. The bear saw him.
He stepped back behind a tree to get out of its sight.
“At that point, I stepped on a stick and then I was yelling. The bear instantly looked directly right at me and then he started trotting in almost in a direct, straight, beeline towards me.”
When he looked at the bear again, he could see its eyes. He made an immediate decision. His arrow was already nocked. He stepped farther out and took the shot. The bear spun around and roared. That’s how Coward knew his arrow found its mark. Then it made eye contact with Coward again.
“I just started fiddling for my knife on my hip because I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t nock another arrow fast enough.”
The bear took off into the bush. Coward called his father who was only about two miles away. The two of them tracked the bear and found him about 80 yards into the bush.
Seeing the size of the bear, seeing its blood trail high up on the brush and trees was when they realized how big it was.
The Aftermath
Alberta Fish and Wildlife have the bear, said Coward. He met with the officer, went through everything and learned the bear was a grizzly and weighed about 700 pounds.
Along with a few photos, Coward has vivid memories that even days later, make his heart beat a bit faster.
“It’s hard to explain, the adrenaline rush that was going on. Everything just happened so fast and yeah, I’m lucky to be alive.”
What would he do differently? As it’s the first time it’s ever happened, he’s not sure. One thing he would like to see, is a change in laws that would allow hunters the ability to carry a sidearm for times like these.