Video: No Gun or Bear Spray? Try What This Man Did
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.11.16
Being caught downwind of a curious brown bear is terrifying stuff, especially if it decides that you are worth checking out. Remembering that you left your gun and bear spray back at camp? Well, that’s just the icing on what is already a bad situation. This video, which has recently gone viral, was originally posted by Todd Tumolo on YouTube.
“This is a situation every back country traveller [sic] never wants to experience. I was down wind of the bear and looking down hill at Dusty who was still hiking up,” he wrote in the video’s description. “The bear was apparently approaching to investigate what I was and not catching any smell due to the wind. When Dusty saw him and began waiving his hands, I turned and slowly started walking backwards facing him but not being threatening, while talking to the bear. This technique has worked in every other bear encounter I have had. When I realized it was not deterring him in the slightest I knew I was in for trouble and realized I had one tactic left to call out his bluff. When he stood up to charge in the beginning of the video I had to try and counter it. Without my gun or spray I had one option and it was to appear a threat or at least a difficult meal.”
This encounter was filmed near the McKinley River in Alaska. Video includes strong profanity.
