Per JSO
Deer hunter attacked by black bear
Birchwood - A deer hunter in northwestern Wisconsin is recovering after being jumped by a black bear.
Jim Zemaitis, 40, said the bear attacked when he was on a deer drive with his hunting group Thursday in Nice Lake Marsh near Birchwood.
At first he said he just saw a black spot and thought it was a burned stump, but soon learned it wasn't.
"I saw teeth and then it reared up on its hind legs, charged me and I rolled over into a ball, started screaming," he said.
He put his hands over his head.
"Pretty soon I felt the bear on me and then chomp, chomp," he said.
His cousin Rick Zemaitis said he heard his screams and found his cousin with a bear on his back.
Rick Zemaitis said he was able to scare away the bear.
"I've been bitten by dogs but it feels more like a clamping instead of a biting," Jim Zemaitis said.
He suffered puncture wounds, three stitches and a lot of bruises.
According to the state Department of Natural Resources Web site, adult male bears can weigh up to 500 pounds and females up to 450 pounds.
Around 11,000 black bears live in mostly the northern part of the state.