Moose Hunter Survives Bear Attack with Minimal Injury

A moose hunter in Alaska had quite the harrowing experience, walking away from a brown bear attack with just a damaged jacket, a sore shoulder, and an incredible story to tell.

Gavin Haakenson was out scouting for moose with his companion Ethan Yeager near Alaska’s Killey River on September 2 when suddenly, a brown bear came charging at him from about 10 feet away.

“I heard a noise to my right and looked over and there was a brown bear charging me at full speed,” Haakenson recounted. “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.”

After that, his recollection becomes a bit fuzzy.

“Last thing I remember was trying to shoulder my rifle and the bear jumping at me,” he explained. “Then I don’t remember what happened. That’s when my blackout started.”

In the chaos, Yeager fired his pistol while Haakenson was pinned under the bear. The bear eventually got off him and fled as Yeager continued to shoot.

“The whole thing happened in under 10 seconds,” Haakenson said, noting they quickly hiked back to their truck, calling out ‘hey bear’ in a somewhat panicked manner.

Haakenson somehow came away from the incident without broken bones or major injuries, aside from a shredded coat and some bruising. His rifle also sustained some damage.

Reflecting on the situation, he expressed a strange sense of relief in not recalling the worst moments. “I get restless just thinking about it,” he admitted. “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.”

Wildlife officers later searched the area but were unable to locate the bear. Meanwhile, Haakenson hasn’t completely dismissed the idea of returning.

“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 pondered. “And, how angry will this brown bear be when it sees me?”

After his experience, one can’t blame him for hesitating to find out.