Alaskan Hunter Survives Close Encounter with Charging Brown Bear

In Alaska, a moose hunter narrowly escaped a terrifying brown bear encounter with minimal injuries. Gavin Haakenson was scouting for moose on September 2 near the Killey River with his friend Ethan Yeager when a brown bear charged at him from about 10 feet away.

Haakenson recounted his experience to Outdoor Life, stating, “I heard a noise to my right and looked over, and there was a brown bear charging me at full speed. It was super close, maybe 10 feet, when I saw it. It was growling extremely loud, a terrifying noise. I saw its face. Its teeth were out. It hit me in the shoulder and knocked me down.” At that point, Haakenson’s memory went blank. “Last thing I remember was trying to shoulder my rifle and the bear jumping at me,” he said. “Then I don’t remember what happened. That’s when my blackout started.”

Yeager intervened by firing his pistol as the bear had Haakenson pinned. The shots prompted the bear to eventually retreat. “The whole thing happened in under 10 seconds,” Haakenson said. “Then we hiked back to the truck as fast as we could yelling, ‘hey bear’ with some fear in our voices.”

Despite the ordeal, Haakenson emerged without broken bones or major injuries. The bear tore through his jacket, leaving him with a bruised shoulder. His rifle was also damaged in the attack. “I get restless just thinking about it,” Haakenson admitted. “I’m glad I blacked out and don’t remember the bear being on top of me. The thought of ‘what if’ is what keeps me up.”

Authorities searched the area but did not locate the bear. Reflecting on the incident, Haakenson is hesitant about returning to find the bear. “I’d like to go out and find this brown bear and shoot it, but how much do I want to make my mother worry? And, how angry will this brown bear be when it sees me?” he pondered.