A hunter has punched a bear in the face after it attacked him in the Canadian wilderness.

Richard Wesley posted video of the confrontation on May 22 after he spotted the black bear near Fire River, Ontario.

Wesley watched the animal go about its business for a few moments until it started to wander towards him.

The hunter's attempts to ward off the bear with a yell backfired and it began to charge towards him.

Wesley gripped his bow and used the weapon to punch the animal in the face – dropping his camera in the process.

The melee between the hunter and bear could be heard off camera as the device continued to record face down in a muddy puddle.

"I should have shot a long time ago," Wesley said while retrieving his camera after successfully fending off the wild animal.

The Canadian hunter said he was lucky to be alive after the encounter.

"I am so happy after this confrontation with a black bear during our spring hunt. No wounds except a bruised elbow and ego where the bear threw me down," he wrote on YouTube.