My brother and I were out in the Sierra Nevada on a backpacking, camping, and fishing trip with a few friends. Dan and Kevin, my brother, got up early to fish at a nearby lake. They were about one hundred yards apart on opposite ends of the lake, while I stayed back at camp keeping the female campers company.

The lake was quiet enough that I could hear the two of them talking back and forth across the water. Kevin had waded through the reeds and was standing in about a foot of water casting a spinner lure while Dan fished from the shoreline.

Bear Sighting

Suddenly I heard loud splashing and Kevin yelling something about a bear. I jumped up and ran toward the lake where I found Dan standing perfectly still while Kevin sprinted through nearly eighteen inches of water, his fishing lure skipping behind him as he screamed, "A bear! A bear!"

When Kevin finally reached us, he was completely out of breath. Between gasps he explained that a bear had been sneaking up behind him through the reeds and that he had barely escaped.

We all stared across the lake as the reeds continued moving. Whatever was in there was getting closer. We watched nervously until, a few moments later, the mysterious creature finally stepped into the open.

It wasn't a bear at all.

It was a large brown cow with a cowbell around its neck peacefully wandering out of the reeds.

Dan and I laughed so hard we could barely stand. Kevin, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as amused.

Bear? No... It's a Cow!