He kicked at the bear as its claws came crashing down on his upper lip, splitting it.

Seconds later the bear's heavy paws were on his shoulders and West was on the ground.

Quickly flipping over, he covered his head with his hands just as the bear took a couple of "good chews" out of the rear of his skull and left arm.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Grabbing a nearby stick that was about eight centimetres in diameter and a 1.5 metres long, West turned to see the bear running at him.

He lifted the stick just as she came up on him, hitting her smack-dab between the ears.

"She stopped in her tracks. I had stunned her and she shook her head.

"My mind immediately turned to driving in 10-inch spikes with a sledgehammer and I hit her until I crushed her skull," he said.

West whacked the bear five times before she hit the ground.