A notorious site, that, for grizzly attack. I scrolled down through the comments to see if you mentioned the location. Was going to ask if you were near Swiftcurrent Pass, because the terrain and vegetation made me think of that location. From Swiftcurrent Peak, I spotted a grizzly that was following along behind a group of hikers who had recently left the trail intersection area at the pass. They were unaware of the bear's presence as they traveled down to the east. At that distance, which suited me just fine 😁, I could not tell even with binoculars, if the bear was a grizzly or a black. However, I radioed a backcountry patrol ranger stationed next to the Granite Chalet location, and he hiked fast enough to catch sight of the bear before it diverted from the trail farther down the mountain. All these years later, I can still hear him in my memory radioing back to say "It is a grizzly; and it's a big one!" I remained anxious for those hikers until the ranger said he found were the bear had left the trail. I worked on the special projects crew affecting historical preservation work on backcountry structures in Glacier during the 1999 season. My foreman, Jack, when packing materials and supplies into one of the projects (Scalplock Fire Lookout) had to abort his task on one occasion in order to attend to three tourists who had just been mauled by a sow grizzly on the trail ahead of him. Jack suspected that the tourists had crowded the bear too closely while getting their snapshots 🤣! The scars they obtained probably left a more lasting impression than the photos anyhow.
They can run 35 mph. That's why you start discharging the bear spray when they're at 60 feet, even though it only sprays 30-40 feet. They'll be in the cloud in .2 seconds.
Since some people on here are saying the poster should have yelled and thrown rocks, that is literally the OPPOSITE of what the National Park Service says to do in this situation: "Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won't be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal" And if the grizzly bear did attack, YOU PLAY DEAD. "If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face." Listen to people who make their living studying these animals. Not idiot RU-vid commentors.
“A sudden movement may trigger an attack”. When this guy walked up and grabbed his pack the bears took off running because their fight or flight response kicked in due to the somewhat sudden movement imo. That’s something I think I would have tried to refrain from haha
"If you are attacked by a bear ... play dead ... however if the attack persists, fight back" - this seems like conflicting advice. Where would you even draw that line in the moment? Play dead, but then just kidding also fight back?
@@jamesmock2109 They look like yearlings, maybe just booted out by mom because bears don't travel in pairs unless related and I don't see a protective mom around/
And that folks, is an example of how fast a grizzly can move. I was a forestry researcher, travelled all over. I camped quite a bit in grizzly country but never had such a close encounter. I did almost step on a sleeping black bear in thick alder on Haida Gwaii though! That fella exploded out of there like a rocket, if I had been a target, I wouldn't be around to type this.
I seemed they took a long time to ready their bear spray. Those bears could have closed the distance faster than they could unholstered the bear spray.
When was 7 I was with family in mammoth lakes California. A black brown bear ran through the busy campground/lake and ran right past me. So close he could have had me for lunch.
I don’t know how anyone could get a good night’s sleep while camping in areas with grizzly bears. I’d be afraid every time I heard the slightest sound.
Normally, I agree with you. However this time of year and early spring, their level of satisfying their hunger is at another level. I recommend you "pepper" your optimism with a good dose of caution :-) @@chobby1830
Amazing…if nerve wracking encounter! Looks like a couple of subadult siblings…probably just got the boot from mom and trying to find their own territory. These kinds of experiences, and even just the possibility of them, are what make Montana uniquely wild. And yes, they are not risk-free experiences, and that is part of what we love about this place. Thanks for the great clip.
It's not really unique. Grizzlies used to live all across the west right to the Mississippi River and quite far south. It's just that we have killed most of them off, like most species. It's unique that we DIDN'T kill the ones in the north, but that's likely just because they couldn't profit off of the region enough to ruin it more.
For those of use who have yet to encounter a grizzly out on the trail, it's very helpful to see other people's encounters, and how they handle them. Thanks for posting it!
@@JimBobson-r4y The US National Park Service's advice: Talk to the grizzly bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won't be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Random RU-vid Commentor: What do those dumb-dumbs who spent their entire lives studying these animals know! Do the opposite! Anyway, don't listen to this person.
How they handled them? Are you kidding? they didn't handle those bears at all, the bears decided it wasn't worth their time. You don't "handle" grizzlies, you get the F out of there.
I know the odds are low that anyone would have a serious encounter with a grizzly, but this video is a perfect example of why I don't ever want to camp in grizzly country, let alone backpack! I don't think I would ever be able to relax and enjoy the beauty of where I'm at, unfortunately. Man, that was so scary to watch! But what a relief when the pack scared them away.
All things considered, we partake in much riskier activities on a daily basis. Driving a car or using an elevator. Just use common sense, like storing your food in a bear proof container, travel with a buddy or in a group, carry bear spray, and read up on what to do in an encounter.
That's the same campground where Julie Helgeson was killed during an attack in 1967. Read the book Night of the Grizzlies. You did a great job handling those bears!
Handling them? It’s just luck their life’s did not end. I am an avid backpacker but if I am in grizzly county I am bringing more than bear spray and even then it’s a crap shot.
Wow. That must have been a rush. I've only encountered black bear in the wild and their size made me recognize my position on the food chain. Must be terrifying to face off with a grizzly. Based on other videos, I'm truly shocked at their sprint acceleration and speed. They can cover that distance in the blink of an eye.
Big animals! You could hear them thundering off when he grabbed his pack. Raw power! Way to stay calm and collected. I prolly would've needed to change my drawers! 😆
Perhaps I missed something, but it seemed you took a long time to get your bear spray ready to shoot. Bears can close a distance like that faster than you can pull your spray canister from its holster.
Very cool seeing nature like this. I was in Missouri a few weeks ago camping solo and I took a dip in the river facing south. I get out and start drying off to go back to my tent. Turn around to the north and see a herd of 5 wild horses standing in the river i was just in.
@@TinCupOutdoors it 100% does. They took off, eventually. He should have been making efforts to scare them off right from the start. But they wanted social media footage, it seems.
Why does everyone who encounters bears say the same thing, heh bear, heh bear ? I'd be, screaming at them, "get the f--- otta here, you mangy bastards". Heh bear, heh bear sounds like inviting them to snack on you for Sunday brunch.
Exactly what I was thinking the entire time…you’re supposed to make yourself as big and imposing as possible while yelling in a deep voice. These guys are lucky they basically ran into some older cubs
Couple of sub adults that are probably just establishing themselves after being pushed out by the sow. Lucky momma wasn’t there as she wouldn’t tolerate people that close to her cubs. Sub adults can be very unpredictable and hence problem bears. The fact the one bear approached and was trying to determine if there was a food source is not a good omen going forward.
WOW. Textbook handling of the situation. Hell, your voice was making me calm down along with the bears 😂. When I was a little girl, my very first dream job was to be a photographer for National Geographic and drive around in an old beat up Jeep and take pictures of grizzly bears in Montana. I was probably 8 or 9. It's still one of those childhood dreams that I wish I could go back in time and make come true 😊
It's expensive but there are photography tours with professional wildlife photographers where you can do that! Minus the Jeep. But still, you should treat yourself if you can!
@@veronikalugitsch we should totally do it! I've actually looked into getting a nice beginner camera but every time I get a little bit saved the universe is like, naw, your car needs new tires 🤣
@@sjferguson same here i only do pictures and Videos with my mobile phone until now! But i saved some money and got myself a galaxy S21 Ultra and managed to take some pics of birds
I’m from the Midwest. When I went camping in Montana I first thought it was strange that so many people brought rifles or high powered pistols with them. Not anymore.
I’ve had several black bear encounters but never a grizzly, that’s a whole different level, I think I’d rather be looking at them than not know where they are.😮
i camped there in august. no bears but some other campers were pretty flippant about washing food prep gear and dumping a lot of food filled grey water near by. i wish the rangers would discourage this somehow.
The minute he grabbed the pack sack he became a much larger object to the bear. Key reason why appearing as large as possible is so important with bear encounters.
looks like two sub-adults, probably just recently emancipated by their mother. The concern with them, while easily startled, they also tend to be a lot more curious and have yet to learn all the dangers associated with people.
"We should probably uh..." head out? hehe glad that went well. Animals are usually very timid and scared unless they are hunting or protecting their young or have been previously socialized. I saw a wild bear in person once and he just seemed really scared of people. Very smart bear.
I live 100 miles from glacier and have spent a lot of time in both glacier and yellowstone - it's VERY noticeable how many more grizz/brown are inside the parks. Makes you wonder how many are getting shot outside the park since i never see them in the national forest land. I know some must be there but it's much less.
I’ve been tent camping outside glacier on the west side of the reservoir the last week. I could hear something walking around my tent on three different nights. Found a giant grizzly print in the mud about 200 yards away from my tent. Idk if I was supposed to that casual about it but I never had an encounter luckily
It’s all about surprise. In my encounters, I made sure they saw/heard me before they got that close. Id have rang that bike bell more and yelled louder than that. They have bad eyesight and only when that closest bear saw the pack move did it confirm its suspicion you were there. That’s too close - he could have sprinted at you to charge a perceived threat instead of fleeing. They were juvenile siblings, so fleeing was still natural to them. An older bear might have come at you. Bear spray saved me twice in Alaska in the latter situation when they were surprised and I did not know they were there.
To make them respectful a dose of bear spray at that range would solve future problems! These are young and inexperienced bears we call hooligan bears. Next time they may be more aggressive!
Good thing these were a couple of young Grizzlies. I’m always amazed that the priority is getting a good picture or video of the bear as it closes distance…
I swear animals can pick up on our vibe. From personal experiences it seems like if you freak out the animal freaks out, but if you're calm the animal is calm.
I've seen dogs squirm under electric fencing, getting shocked and yelping continuously for 5-10 seconds just to get out of the yard. Not something I'd count on too much against a hungry bear myself.
You handled that well. I would have lit them up with the bear spray, as soon as the first one showed "intent" and came into range with that fake "I'm just gonna bite this tree" (test) move. Just a little half second burst would have provided enough education.
Absolutely. Any close encounter should be met with harshest consequences at hand. Their fear of humans bought by years of shooting them on sight, thus natural selection of bears that fear humans living must be maintained. Hopefully bear spray will keep the fear alive. Shooting it would even be justified here imo.
@@GrowBetterOnYoucrap Completely agree. Had those not been 2 young bears, "test driving" what they could get away with, this would have been the brutal eating, and then death of, 2 backpackers. If you watch enough bear footage on YT, you see their patterns. They bully their way through life, as their main survival tool. Doesn't matter if it's food related, or mating. If you don't stop their escalation of "who's the bigger bully right now" they will quickly discover/prove they have "won" and found the next meal... That might be your food cache, your backpack, or you. They don't care, and they don't kill before they eat. They hold their prey down and eat it while it screams. And these arguments about: "Firearms aren't legal in such-n-such back country/national park/canadian wilderness/etc. I'll take the .001% risk of being discovered carrying, or the .000001% of being found having saved myself with the discharge of; over the .01% risk of ever being attacked by someone or something. I have 1 job, and a Right to do so: Protect myself and my family, and friends...
no doubt a home schooler and special type of "patriot" - smart people break the law all the time using common sense, they just don't brag about it in a public forum. typical narcissist, always relating everything in life back to their own f'd up view of the world and them in it. lol. maga .... @@austinado16
I was trying to decide whether to go to Montana in September and go to Glacier, or go in December or January and go skiing and snowmobiling. I think I'll go in Winter.
❤ one year I was waiting at the trailhead right there at the Swift Current Lodge Restaurant half dozing off half reading waiting for my two sisters to come from their hike up the trail😮 I'm in it later a grizzly bear walks out of the woods and straight up the trail they were coming down from😂 I thought to myself oh boy and I know they were going to be coming face-to-face because it was almost the exact time we were supposed to meet up😮 I got out of the car stood there and I heard their voices I heard them calling out to the bear😂 and I thought oh crap😂 what if they turn the bear around back towards me😂 thankfully it went off to the side in a couple of minutes later with dirty panties😂 they arrived safely at the trailhead😂 to those of you that live in the Northwest keep an eye out for their Advocate author Doug peacock who spent many years as a fire lookout in Glacier❤ he's written a new book and he's bopping around Montana Idaho and Wyoming so check your local bookstores for when he may come to visit
Pepper spray doesn't always work. The couple and their dog were killed in Banff just 2 wks ago had a fully discharged can of pepper spray found next to them when authorities went in to their camp.
I'm guessing the one sprayed it, after the attack was happening. Their message was sent during the attack. I'd guess one was getting mauled, the other messaged for help and likely sprayed at the bear.
Glad to see you had bear spray ready in hand. I wonder if the bear had been sprayed previously and saw you coming closer with it, and made a hasty retreat. I hope I have it handy if ever needed.
A couple and their dog were recently killed and eaten in jasper or Banff backcountry, it's honestly not surprising. The number of grizzlies is the highest its been in a hundred years. Wildlife management will likely step in and allow more hunting in a few years I'm sure
There was a Newsweek poll awhile back. 6% of Americans polled thought they could defeat a Grizzly in unarmed combat. I love our country’s can do attitude. 😀🇺🇸 Oh and 8% felt that they could take down an Elephant in hand to hand combat. 😂
Great Job of Handling a Rather Sticky Wicket like the British would Say. Obviously You did what you were supposed too do in the Given Situation and the circumstances of the Encounter. The Two Grizzlies we're just Gorgeous too See & it appears they were just Curious about your Campsite and it's Item's Which you Folk's had all ready gathered Up for the Day. Congratulations on having an amazing & Excellent opportunity too See the Bear's 🐻🐻❄️🐻 So Flipping Close. May God Bless US All.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️.
no it wasn't. The bears are now habituated to humans as a non-threat. Raise your arms stand together and make noise. Instead every clown wants to film for posting $ & ego boosts.
We used to have bear parties in Wisconsin. Everyone would build a big bonfire and get out their heaviest pot and something to bang it with. They absolutely hate that noise. I don't know if I would have just sat there and been calm.
We did that in the woods in SE Alaska, except the young native guys would take their shirts off and run after the bears, literally scaring the shit out of them. (After many beers of course.)
Was stalked by a large bear in glacier on the trail to Elizabeth and Helen lake . The day the trail reopened due to aggressive griz encounters.. thing came down from way up on the scree slide down straight to is 1,000ft below it.
