Canadian bow hunter fights off attacking black bear

May 25 (UPI) -- A hunter in Ontario said he was lucky to escape with "a bruised elbow and ego" when he was attacked by a bear in an incident he caught on camera.

Richard Wesley posted a video to YouTube showing what happened when he spotted a black bear near Fire River while he was out bow hunting.

The bear seems to initially ignore the presence of Wesley, who nocks an arrow and points his bow at the animal, but hesitates to shoot.

The bear starts to move toward the hunter, who attempts to scare it off by making loud noises, but the bruin decides to charge instead of retreat.

Wesley drops his camera as he punches the bear in the face, and for a few seconds the video films only the ground as the hunter struggles with the attacking bear.

The hunter picks the camera back up after a few moments and speaks directly into it.

"I should have shot a long time ago," Wesley says.

Wesley said he was lucky to escape with his life and no severe injuries.

"No wounds except a bruised elbow and ego where the bear threw me down," Wesley wrote in the video's description. "Genuinely happy that this was a non fatal or tragic outcome. Proving that the black bear is a wild and unpredictable animal. Again so happy with the outcome."