Backcountry Grizzly Attack

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When we got to the spot I set up about 30 or 40 yards on a hillside above Dad and started calling. A nice bull came right in and started thrashing around and raking a tree, but it didn't offer him a shot. I sat above the action watching and calling when needed when I thought I heard something behind me and turned around- nothing but green forest waved in the light breeze. It must have been my imagination, I thought. Slowing turning back to my Dad, I could only watch as the elk we were working took off down the mountain. I couldn't figure out why; the wind was right and it couldn't have seen us- I was baffled as to why it bugged out for no reason. Then I heard it. A noise that definitely wasn't a figment of my imagination. Outdoor Life Online Editor

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Turning around I saw a grizzly staring back at me from only 15 feet away. Now here in the West, we encounter bears quite often and most of the time it's no big deal, but I was pretty sure something bad was going to happen this time. I stood up, waved my arms and yelled at him. All that bear did was lay his ears back and charge. He covered the distance between us in about a second and a half. In that moment my brain raced, conjuring up escape plans. At one point I thought I might be able to raise my bow and get a shot off, but then realized I didn't even have an arrow nocked. Scrapping that idea with the bear nearly on top of me, I followed the most basic response to danger- flight. I took off running straight downhill toward my Dad. Outdoor Life Online Editor

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As I was running toward my Dad with the huge grizzly right behind me, I saw a yellow streak fly right past my leg. Two steps later I was on the ground. I don't know if I fell or the bear took me down, but I found myself wrestling the bruin. A voice screamed in my head, KEEP IT OFF YOUR HEAD! DON'T LET IT GET A HOLD OF YOUR NECK! Outdoor Life Online Editor

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Fighting to keep my throat from the grizzly's jaws, I felt him clamp down on my forearm. The force was amazing; it felt like my arm was being crushed. It wasn't the pain you'd expect; the teeth didn't hurt, it was more of a crushing pressure that I'll never forget. As I fought to free my arm, flashes of dark brown fur, blue sky filtered through treetops and scarlet blood screamed past my eyes like a slideshow on fast-forward. Blood was flowing as if sprayed from a garden hose. I didn't know if it was the bear's or mine. A moment later I was somehow on my feet, I honestly don't know how it happened but I was standing upright, covered in blood… and face to face with a grizzly that wanted to kill me. Outdoor Life Online Editor

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Looking into the eyes of the bloodied grizzly, I turned and ran for two trees that formed a fork about 10 feet from me. Jumping as high into the forked trunks as I could, I tried a vertical escape but my nightmare continued. The grizz wouldn't let me go that easy. He grabbed me from behind, pinning me to the tree before trying to pu

Source: https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/survival/2008/10/backcountry-grizzly-attack/

Backcountry Grizzly Attack

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