I’ll Always Remember the Day I Went Round for Round With a Grizzly

This story initially ran within the March 1983 problem of Outside Life.

The grizzly bounded down the mountainside straight at me. Its head was low to the bottom and it was growling all the way in which. By the point I spotted the bear was corning it was solely 10 yards away. I had solely a second or two to defend myself. 

I instinctively grabbed for my .44 Magnum revolver on my belt, however it wasn’t there. A second later, the grizzly was nearly on high of me. I attempted to dive beneath a log, however the bear both knocked me down or I fell to the bottom. I don’t bear in mind. 

I attempted to tum away from the bear however it grabbed my head between its jaws. The grizzly began to shake me like a canine and drag me alongside the bottom. The bear was roaring and growling, however I matched the grizzly’s growls with loads of shouting and hollering of my very own. 

I managed to twist and get to my ft, however the bear saved its vicelike grip on my head. I  walked in a half-crouch together with the bear to ease the ache and to maintain it from tearing and lifting my head. 

When the grizzly’s tooth bit deeper into my scalp, I spotted I needed to do one thing. 53 “Buddy, you’d higher begin fightin’ otherwise you’re gonna die proper right here,” I advised myself. I had been searching elk within the Daylight Basin in northwestern Wyoming’s Absaroka Wilderness Space. Three different hunters, Jack Porter, his 17-year outdated son John, and a person g named Butch had been searching with me. I had simply purchased Jack’s outfitting enterprise, and I used to be  having fun with some late-season searching with him. It was late November 1981, the day earlier than the  finish of elk season. 

It was my first yr within the enterprise, and I used to be getting accustomed to the realm. I used to be searching with a .44 Magnum revolver and I used to be automotive­rying it on my belt. I’m right-handed, however a sawmill accident a couple of years again makes my hip harm once I carry a gun on my proper aspect. I holstered the gun on my left aspect, and it was awkward for me to achieve it. I by no means gave it a lot thought, as a result of I at all times fig­ured I had loads of time to achieve over and raise it out of the holster once I noticed an elk. I had no concept the gun’s unhealthy place would nearly value me my life. 

I’m 39 years outdated and I like to hunt. I used to be born and raised on a farm in Hulett, Wyo­ming, with 10 brothers and sisters. We realized the way to hunt at a younger age as a result of sport meat was necessary to our household. Every fall we put sufficient whitetail deer meat within the freezer to get us via the winter. Whitetails fed lots of people up in Criminal County the place I lived. 

I personal a motel in Hulett and a welding enterprise, and I work on highway development as nicely. I at all times wished to be an clothing store, however I by no means figured I might get into a superb space. Within the Sixties once I was a labor fore­man on a brand new freeway job over Togowotee Go, I went into Jackson to see about an clothing store’s allow. The U.S. Forest Service advised me there have been about 500 folks on the ready checklist. 

When Jack Porter got here to Hulett and stayed at my motel, we obtained to be good associates. He requested me if I wished to purchase his outfitting enterprise, and I assumed he was kidding. After I realized he was critical, I took him up on it and made the deal in time for the 1981 searching season. 

I had simply began making a drive with John when the bear attacked. Jack and Butch had been on stand on the high of a ridge. John walked via a patch of heavy tim­ber whereas I labored my method throughout a can­yon. My route was the longest, however it was pretty open. There have been patches of timber, small openings and downed logs alongside the realm I used to be strolling. 

I used to be strolling slowly with the wind at my again once I stopped on a knoll and seemed forward of me for elk within the canyon. A movement alongside of me caught my consideration, and I turned to see the grizzly. 

After I advised myself I needed to struggle again, I grabbed the bear’ s higher jaw with one hand and his decrease jaw with the opposite. I used all my power and managed to pry its jaws far sufficient aside so I might get my head out of the animal’s mouth. 

I grabbed for my knife, which was on my belt and I managed to get it out, however the bear slapped it away. I backed off from the bear, however it got here proper for me once more. It was down on all fours once I kicked it solidly beneath the chin. 

The bear’ s face modified expression after I kicked it. It had type of a stunned look.  Then it got here for me once more, growling and snapping. I attempted to kick it once more, however it bat­ted my foot down with a fast slap. The grizzly knocked me down, however I caught my thumbs in all sides of its mouth, and saved kicking at its stomach. I saved sliding out from beneath it, however the bear scrambled again on high of me once more. 

My solely likelihood was the revolver on my belt. I didn’t go for it earlier than as a result of each­factor was taking place lightning-fast. The one motive I attempted for my knife was as a result of I might get to it extra simply. 

I let go of my grip within the grizzly’s mouth with my left hand and went for the gun. I obtained it out of the holster, however the bear slapped it away. The .44 Magnum went off because the bear hit my arm, however the bullet solely whizzed previous its face. 

Perhaps the roar of the gun in its face made it madder, as a result of the grizzly chomped down on my proper shoulder and bit deep. Its jaws had been clamped shut, and I felt its tooth deep in my shoulder. 

I saved kicking the bear within the stomach, and I punched it within the face with my free hand. My different hand was nonetheless within the bear’s mouth. I wasn’t about to take my thumb out, as a result of it gave me at the least some management on its jaws. 

All of the sudden the grizzly jumped straight up and pulled me to my ft by my thumb. It nearly jerked my arm out of the socket. After we had been each standing, the bear turned unfastened and ran for the timber. I jumped for my gun, however by the point I obtained all of it I might see was the bear’ s hind finish within the brush. I didn’t need to shoot and take the danger of wounding it. 

When the bear was gone, I sat on a log. I used to be bodily exhausted and felt extra drained than harm from the bear’s assault. All I wished to do was relaxation. As I sat on the log, I watched the blood drip from my face and head. I used to be bleeding however didn’t determine I used to be shedding a lot blood. 

After sitting for a couple of minutes, I went over to a little bit creek and took a drink of icy water. Then I attempted to scrub off a few of the blood. 

I headed up the mountain to search out Butch and Jack. John was nonetheless someplace within the timber making the drive. I walked alongside, hurting from the injuries, however the worst ache was from the wind because it bit into my flesh. 

Butch wasn’t the place he was presupposed to be, so I headed for Jack’s place. I figured Butch had headed into the quilt to get out of the wind. 

Earlier than I obtained to Jack’s stand I noticed a hunter loading an elk on a horse. As I talked to him, Jack walked over out of the timber. 

He took one take a look at my bloody face and didn’t know what to assume. 

“What occurred to you?” he requested. “Did your scope recoil into your face?” Jack was nonetheless far sufficient away he couldn’t see my face and head. He forgot I wasn’t carrying a rifle. 

“One among your grizzlies obtained me,” I answered. 

“You’re kidding,” he mentioned in shock. Then he moved up shut and noticed the deep cuts and gashes. I advised him what had hap­pened and he saved shaking his head. 

John and Butch confirmed up they usually had been shocked after they noticed what I seemed like. I insisted that I used to be OK, and instructed that I head again to camp whereas Jack and Butch assist the hunter end loading the elk. 

Our horses had been tied within the timber close to the ridgetop, so I might experience into camp. I wasn’t weak and even in shock, however the fierce wind stung. 

I cleaned myself up at camp as a lot as I might and Butch swabbed Merthiolate into the cuts. The bear ripped up either side of my face, my left ear, my eyebrow and my head in a number of locations. 

It took one other hour to experience my horse from camp to my pickup truck. We went on to the hospital in Cody and a physician began stitching me up as quickly as the injuries had been cleaned. He saved giving me native pictures of anesthetics, and advised me to holler once I felt the stitching needle. He took lots of time, and did an amazing job patching me up. He labored on me for 5 hours and when he was executed, counted 101 stitches. Most had been in my face and some in my head. The bear didn’t tear something necessary when he clamped shut on my shoulder. There have been some deep puncture wounds that healed by themselves. 

Whereas the doc was stitching me up, a number of Wyoming Recreation and Fish officers ques­tioned me. I advised them my story and requested them to go away the bear alone. I didn’t need them to kill it. I’d prefer to see Wyoming have a grizzly season and it received’t assist if each downside grizzly is destroyed. I additionally figured I used to be an intruder in that bear’s territory. 

Why did the bear assault? I don’t know, although I’ve heard lots of guesses and the­ories. Perhaps it was a sow with cubs close by, or possibly it was about to enter its winter den and I got here too shut. Perhaps it had a recent kill close by and was defending it. 

Some folks requested me if the bear’s breath stunk as a result of they’d learn tales about harmful animals with unhealthy breath. I used to be too busy in the meanwhile to note the grizzly’s breath. Moreover, I’d been in elk camp lengthy sufficient to guess I didn’t scent all that nice, both. 

One other query folks ask is my cer­tainty of the bear’s identification. There’s no query that it was a grizzly. I’ve spent loads of time in Wyoming’s mountains and I’ve seen numerous bears; grizzlys and blacks. This bear had a broad head, a hump on its again and silvertip fur. I don’t understand how huge it was, however it was sufficiently big to trigger me lots of issues. 

One of many components that saved me was that I’m in good bodily situation and I used to be capable of defend myself with my fingers and ft. I additionally was carrying lots of garments that supplied further safety. I had on lengthy­johns, wool shirt, sheepskin vest, wool jacket and sweatshirt with a hood. All of the bear obtained from my neck down was a couple of mouthfuls of garments, apart from the chew in my shoulder. 

Some individuals ask if I’ve any night time­mares or if I worry the woods on account of the assault. I’ve by no means had a single unhealthy dream, and I plan to maintain searching within the space. I’m in nice sport nation and I’ll preserve taking hunters. However one factor is for positive. Each time I stroll down that draw I’ll at all times bear in mind the day that the grizzly and I went spherical for spherical. I’m fortunate I’m alive to inform about it.