Man punches bear in the face to protect his dogs

MEADOW VISTA, Calif. (AP) – A Northern California man says he punched a trespassing bear on the snout to send the bruin fleeing from his property.

Carl Moore tells the Auburn Journal he acted on his boxer instincts when the a 300-pound, 5 ½-foot tall bear rose up on two legs and turned toward him and his two dogs outside his Meadow Vista home.

The 75-year-old says he boxed competitively in his youth and also waded into his fair share of fights as a bouncer.

The hard-to-believe encounter was witnessed by two friends and employees of Moore, who were inside his house when he encountered the bear on April 20.

They tell the newspaper the commotion from the two dogs drew their attention and that they watched how Moore landed his blow on the bruin.