A moose hunter in Alaska somehow walked away from a brown bear attack with little more than a shredded jacket, a bruised shoulder and one hell of a story.
Gavin Haakenson was scouting for moose with his friend Ethan Yeager near Alaska’s Killey River on Sept. 2 when a brown bear came charging at him from roughly 10 feet away.
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A brown bear stands in a river hunting for salmon at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska in September 2021. Two U.S. Army soldiers were attacked by a brown bear in Anchorage on Thursday, April 16, 2026, a military spokesperson said. (Lian Law/U.S. National Park Service/Reuters)
“I heard a noise to my right and looked over and there was a brown bear charging me at full speed,” Haakenson told Outdoor Life. “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.”
And then Haakenson’s memory cuts out.
“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 black out started.”
Yeager fired his pistol as Haakenson was trapped underneath the bear. The animal eventually got off him and ran away as Yeager continued firing.
“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.”
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Gavin Haakenson was scouting for moose when the bear attacked. (Getty Images Creatives)
Somehow, Haakenson escaped without broken bones or major wounds. The bear tore through his coat and left him bruised and sore, while his rifle also took some damage.
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Considering what could have happened, though, he’s almost grateful he doesn’t remember the worst part.
“I get restless just thinking about it,” Haakenson said. “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.”
A brown bear looks for salmon along the shore of Lake Crescent in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (LightRocket via Getty Images)
Wildlife officers later searched the area but did not find the bear. Haakenson, meanwhile, hasn’t completely ruled out going back.
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“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?” he said. “And, how angry will this brown bear be when it sees me?”
After round one, I’m not sure I’d be particularly interested in finding out.
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