An Alaskan moose hunter had a narrow escape from a brown bear attack, emerging with no more than a shredded jacket and minor injuries. Gavin Haakenson was out scouting for moose with his friend Ethan Yeager near the Killey River in Alaska on September 2. Suddenly, a brown bear charged at Haakenson from a mere 10 feet away.
According to reports, Haakenson recalled, “I heard a noise to my right and looked over, and there was a brown bear charging at me at full speed. It was extremely close, maybe 10 feet away. I saw its face, its teeth bared, and it was growling loudly.” The bear struck Haakenson in the shoulder, knocking him down.
At that moment, Haakenson’s memory went blank. “The last thing I remember is trying to shoulder my rifle before the bear leapt at me,” he said. After that, he has no recollection of the attack.
His companion, Yeager, quickly acted by firing his pistol at the attacking bear. The bear eventually moved off Haakenson and ran away as Yeager continued shooting. “The entire incident was over in less than 10 seconds,” Haakenson explained. The pair then hurried back to their vehicle, shouting as a precaution against further encounters with wildlife.
Haakenson was remarkably fortunate, escaping with only bruises and a damaged coat. His rifle also incurred some damage. Reflecting on the ordeal, he mentions, “I’m actually thankful I don’t remember the worst of it. The thought of ‘what if’ keeps me up at night.”
Despite the close call, Haakenson hasn’t entirely dismissed the idea of returning to the area. “I’d like to go out and find this brown bear, but I have to consider how much I want to worry my family,” he remarked. “And I’m unsure if I want to see how the bear might react to me again.”
Wildlife officers later surveyed the area without locating the bear.
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