A moose hunter remarkably survived a bear attack in Alaska – saying he was “glad” he blacked out while the animal went about its rampage.
Gavin Haakenson walked away from the Sept. 2 attack with just a bruised shoulder and a ripped coat — but no broken bones.
He and his hunting pal, Ethan Yeager, had been heading back to their truck after a doomed moose hunt near Soldotna when the bear suddenly ambushed him, he told Outdoor Live.
“I heard a noise to my right and looked over and there was a brown bear charging at me at full speed,” he told Outdoor Live.
“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.”
Haakenson scrambled for his rifle to fire a shot to scare off the predator.
“That’s when my blackout started,” he said. “I’m glad I blacked out and I don’t remember the bear being on top of me.”
Yeager managed to scare off the attacker by firing twice while shouting “hey bear.”
“The whole thing happened in 10 seconds,” Haakenson said
Haakenson didn’t need any stitches but had a number of scratches, and has been told he will need six weeks of physical therapy.
The sleeve of his KUIU hiking jacket was shredded, but the brand told him it will supply him with new hiking gear.
US Fish and Wildlife officials combed the area after the pair reported the bear attack – but didn’t manage to find it.
Alaska is home to around 30,000 brown bears.
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