Video: Bull Moose sniffs Hunter's gun barrel

It would be hard to believe what happened to Steve Pavliscak during a black bear hunt in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in September if he hadn't filmed the encounter.

A bull elk approached Pavliscak's 4×4 wooden groundsheet while he was hunting in Houghton County. The bull even bumped into the blinds and sniffed the barrel of his gun, which rested on the windowsill. Pavliscak had readied the gun, expecting the large animal he heard approaching to be a bear.

He was in for an astonishing surprise when he realized that what he had heard was a moose, that it was attracted to his gun and that he came so close to investigate. The bull was only a yard away when he smelled the end of his gun barrel. (Watch the video here).

It was the third day in a row that he had hunted the blind man, and Pavliscak had never seen a bear visit the blind man's bait site. He believed the heat — there was a high of 85 degrees that day — reduced daytime activity for bears. He had taken a trailcam photo of a big bear at that bait, but de Bruin only visited the spot once every few days.

Since it was the third day of his hunt when he heard branches snapping, it was natural for him to assume a bear was making the sound. It was 4:30 or 5 p.m., a typical time when bears are active. The sound of breaking branches was also followed by growling and heavy breathing.

Pavliscak wrote a personal story about the experience he shared Outdoor living:

I turned slightly to the left to look out the blind window, squinting in the dim light as the sweat of the heat rolled into my eyes. My heart stopped. There was a huge bull moose. My breath caught in my throat as he brushed against the blinds and bumped into him. His huge antlers caught the light like a crown, and his deep brown and gray fur glistened as he moved.

The moose was surprisingly inconspicuous for its size. Its enormous hooves barely made a sound on the forest floor. I felt a strange mixture of fear and awe. This wasn't the bear I came for, but there was something captivating about the way he moved as if the forest itself was bowing to him. He truly was the king of the forest, and this was his home.

Suddenly the elk turned and walked right in front of my blind man. My heart pounded and pounded in my chest like a war drum. I pressed myself against the back wall and barely dared to breathe. Would he feel me? Would he sue?

To my great surprise, he walked to the blind window. I could hardly believe it when he stuck his head through the small opening and brushed his enormous nose against my shotgun. He sniffed curiously and then licked the barrel with his long, wet tongue. The sheer power of his presence filled the blinds and overwhelmed my senses.

When he pulled back slightly, I felt a rush of adrenaline. This was my chance to capture the moment, to witness the rare beauty of a creature that few ever see up close. I slowly grabbed my phone, being careful not to make any sudden movements that might startle him. Just then he returned, once again nudging the rifle, clearly intrigued by this strange object that had invaded his domain. Maybe it was the sweet smell of Hoppe's #9 gun cleaner that drew him so close.

And then, as quickly as he had come, he pulled his head back, seemingly satisfied with his examination. He stepped back, shook his head, and let out a deep, resonant growl. It echoed through the trees, a sound that felt ancient and powerful.

Pavliscak gets his bear

Although Pavliscak didn't get a bear that day, the brown he was waiting for showed up the next evening, and it turned out to be a 400-pounder.

“Just as the sun was setting, I heard a crunching sound in the undergrowth,” says Pavliscak. “I took a deep breath, set my sights on the bear and pulled the trigger.”

Pavliscak shot the bear from 50 yards with a 200-grain Federal Terminal Ascent bullet, which performed perfectly. De Bruin only managed 40 meters.

Pavliscak's bear weighed 380 pounds, meaning its live weight was well over 400 pounds. His skull is expected to qualify for the state record book, which has a minimum of 18 inches.

This was also Pavliscak's first bear hunt. After 23 years of planning, he had collected 23 preference points to guarantee he would be drawn for a tag. (Five to six points are normally enough for a bear permit in the management unit where he hunted.) Pavliscak hunted out of a camp owned by Roy Little, called Bushwacker Bear Camp, in Houghton County. His son Justin and good friend Andy also went hunting, but they saw no bear.

Even if Pavliscak had not filled his bear tag, he said he would have had a successful hunt because of the elk encounter. For him, the big bear was just a bonus on top of an incredible hunting experience.