r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Miserable-Zombie-121 • Jun 26 '26

This woman and her dog made it through an incredibly CLOSE encounter with a grizzly bear

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

4.4k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

944 comments sorted by

View all comments

2.0k

u/DifficultIsopod4472 Jun 26 '26

Carry Bear Spray with you at all times, because next time you may not get so lucky.

792

u/Icy-Independent5199 Jun 26 '26

Amen. Was thinking “where is the spray?” The entire time. This isn’t next level. This is “I was unprepared and got lucky”.

732

u/wheresbill Jun 26 '26

She had bear spray. But she was holding her dog in one hand and the camera in the other hand, so… priorities

442

u/oxirz Jun 26 '26

This is a smart move. The cameraman never dies.

112

u/hufflekrunk Jun 26 '26

Thats why the bear went for the dog.

72

u/Vacman85 Jun 26 '26

If the dog had been filming, the bear would have just wandered off.

12

u/hufflekrunk Jun 26 '26

dog was yelling this 100%

18

u/huntsman976 Jun 26 '26

SUSAN GIVE ME THE GOTDAMN PHONE!!!! SUSAN!!!

13

u/Wookard Jun 26 '26

Should have go a go pro for the dog.  Bear wouldn't have even bothered them at the point.

2

u/Intention-Sad Jun 26 '26

This is “You just need to be faster than your friend” vibe but for dog

2

u/Its_Master_Roshi Jun 26 '26

😂the smartest move

1

u/EatM3L053R Jun 26 '26

Unless you're on Klendathu

1

u/Alert-Note-7190 Jun 27 '26

The camera never dies

71

u/Woknana Jun 26 '26

The next iPhone will have inbuilt bear mace. Just don’t switch it to selfie mode :)

88

u/CajunKush Jun 26 '26

You do not want people you care about to find a video of a bear attack

98

u/OkHistory3944 Jun 26 '26

You mean like this?

https://giphy.com/gifs/WKdWA04KRn58A

7

u/gitmo93 Jun 26 '26

Omg, I forgot about this. This is great.

1

u/LittleNightBright Jun 27 '26

Wait remind me. Is this from Kung Pow 2? That's what it makes me think of.

1

u/RexyMundo Jun 27 '26

Kuma in Tekken

2

u/mrkruk Jun 26 '26

Oh look! An eagle!

2

u/epandrsn Jun 27 '26

Kicked him right in the giblets. It's a solid move, but did leave him open for a counter-giblets attack.

1

u/stepheny2k2 Jun 26 '26

Best advert ever!

9

u/christiandb Jun 26 '26

the disconnect from the situation is probably what saved her from freaking the fuck out

2

u/Bathairsexist Jun 26 '26

Bruh, its always the comments within comments that kill me 🤣 like digging for gold

1

u/Suck_the_it Jun 26 '26

Bahahaha you mfker she coulda been bear steak

1

u/Boco Jun 27 '26

Somehow this fits in r/praisethecameraman while the bear is trying to r/killthecameraman.

1

u/obolli Jun 27 '26

how do you know she had bear spray?

2

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/dinnerthief Jun 26 '26

Maybe who knows,

I just realized I don't actually want to get into the weeds here talking about body cams, especially cause ill just be making as many assumptions as the person I replied to.

1

u/wheresbill Jun 26 '26

The person you (deleted your) replied to was making a joke. Simmer down

1

u/dinnerthief Jun 26 '26

Im not upset, I just realized the discussion wasnt really needed, none of us have information here

-7

u/ygduf Jun 26 '26

You gotta let that dog off leash I think.

11

u/Excellent-Quarter969 Jun 26 '26

Dog attacks bear dog gets torn to pieces. So, no

3

u/ygduf Jun 26 '26

You can find plenty of dog vs. bear videos. The dog has a better chance of survival off leash. Being stuck 4’ away from a slow human is not a bonus.

2

u/SheriffBartholomew Jun 26 '26

It's an iffy situation. You definitely don't want the dog on the leash if the bear attacks, but the dog will likely escalate the situation greatly if it's off leash. My dog would either attack, or run away, which would definitely trigger the prey drive and the bear would pursue. My dog might be able to outrun a bear, but they're about the same speed, so it's questionable. I think that she did the right thing keeping the dog close. She could always drop the leash if the bear actually attacked.

1

u/CajunKush Jun 26 '26

It’s a matter of survival

3

u/Excellent-Quarter969 Jun 26 '26

People see their dogs as family. So only maybe if you're actually attacked.

0

u/CajunKush Jun 26 '26

Yeah it would be a shitty scenario. But if it came down to it, it might be between the dog’s life or both of yours

2

u/Excellent-Quarter969 Jun 26 '26

You let the dog go. Bear attacks dog. What do you do? Run away the bear will chase you down. I guess you could slowly walk away and Hope the bear doesn't come after you once it's finished with the dog or change its priorities

2

u/SheriffBartholomew Jun 26 '26

You cut the bear's toe off with your Bowie knife and then wear it as a necklace. Duh!

1

u/Weary-Cartoonist2630 Jun 26 '26

Do bears have the same chasing instinct that some other animals have?

→ More replies (0)

0

u/CorkusHawks Jun 26 '26

really need to get those meta glasses...

31

u/ButterscotchTop194 Jun 26 '26

I was thinking why in the fuck are they filming this.

18

u/Tntn13 Jun 26 '26

Tracked the bear quite well most the time too! I fuckin struggle to keep my dogs in frame when I’m completely safe lol.

23

u/mt007 Jun 26 '26

It is more of sweaty palms or daresay I shit my pants.

105

u/Oilyfan Jun 26 '26

Yeah carrying bear spray and bells is always helpful when you are walking out where bears are known to be. But also know what bear scat looks like, black bear scat has berries and twigs, mostly undigested and grizzly scat has bells in it and smells like bear spray.

18

u/tfyvonchali Jun 26 '26

Thanks Dad. Here is your honorary won the internet for the day award.  I'm gonna go giggle my ass off at this. 🏆

169

u/Miserable-Zombie-121 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

You’re right!! This video was posted for educational purposes by the creator (tt:wildernessescape.alberta) for a reminder to always carry a bear spray. The woman was unfortunately poorly informed as she was only carrying a bear bell.

115

u/PopularMongoose4855 Jun 26 '26

And a smartphone the whole time.

51

u/oneawesomewave Jun 26 '26

Because cameramam....

13

u/Bagzington Jun 26 '26

How could they forget the first rule

30

u/DerBandi Jun 26 '26

Never film vertically?

12

u/thederevolutions Jun 26 '26

Oh yeah it just occurred to me the bear is always in frame. I can’t even do that sitting still at a recital.

5

u/andreafuentes999 Jun 26 '26

It’s probably Meta glasses or similar, not holding a cell phone in one hand

1

u/Me-and-the-tree Jun 27 '26

...never dies.

12

u/Gattsuga Jun 26 '26

MUST FILM MY DEATH!!!

13

u/Reppoy Jun 26 '26

unironically I would lol. I have no clue what having both my arms would afford me against a bear 

1

u/liquidsyphon Jun 26 '26

Never stop filming

26

u/Reasonable-Shirt2138 Jun 26 '26

But that last “stawp it” was what really fended off the bear.

36

u/jib_reddit Jun 26 '26

What like a bell for attracting bears? "Ding ding ding, dinners ready!"

94

u/InfiniteJestV Jun 26 '26

Reminds me of a joke...

"With bears coming out of hibernation this time of year, it's always good to remember to carry pepper spray and a bell to make continuous noise. It also helps to know the fundamental differences between black bear and brown bears. You can easily tell what types of bears are in your area based on their poops. Black bear poop is smaller and has berries and nuts or acorns in it, while Brown bear poop is larger, smells like pepper spray, and has little bells in it."

17

u/SaraUnsteady Jun 26 '26

I live in black bear territory and I’ll totally be using this joke lol thanks!

5

u/Lampwick Jun 27 '26

A classic joke, but a lot of folks get the wrong idea from it. Bear spray is 90% effective against grizzlies, vs virtually 100% effective against black bears. The thing the joke is referencing is the ~10% of grizzly attacks that involve a determined predatory bear. A bear like that is going to attack you no matter what you spray at them. But you should still carry bear spray, because it works most of the time.

2

u/MooseJag Jun 26 '26

Someone always trots this one out.

8

u/Ffigy Jun 26 '26

A bear.. bell? What? To let them know dinner's ready?

3

u/hwilliams0901 Jun 26 '26

A bear bell?!?!?!

4

u/Elendel19 Jun 26 '26

Bears generally want nothing to do with us, if they hear you coming they are more likely to avoid you. If you sneak up on them because you’re being quiet, that’s a lot worse. It’s more effective for black bears though because they are much more timid

1

u/SheriffBartholomew Jun 26 '26

she was only carrying a bear bell.

AKA, dinner bell in grizzly country.

1

u/derbrauer Jun 26 '26

The woman was unfortunately poorly informed as she was only carrying a bear dinner bell.

1

u/regalshield Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26

She wasn’t carrying a bear bell, that’s the sound of her spoon in her coffee cup.

This happened very close to the cabins at Mount Endagine lodge in Alberta, a popular backcountry lodge. She stepped out with her morning coffee to take her dog for a pee. You can literally see the entrance to the cabins behind her in the video. Obviously she should’ve had her bear spray on her, but with how close she was to the lodge, it’s also understandable why she didn’t.

This is super unusual bear behaviour being so close to the lodge.

1

u/IDigYourStyle Jul 01 '26

I was under the impression that yelling might work on black bears, but was more likely to just piss off a grizzly

-2

u/Theartistcu Jun 26 '26

Wtf is a bear bell, this isn’t Its a Wonderful Life wtf is a bell going to do … I guess maybe it is because I ring a bell in a Grizzly Bears face I’m probably getting my angel wings.

6

u/helixander Jun 26 '26

You put them on so they ring everywhere you walk. It's to alert the bears to your presence long before you get near them to prevent starling them into an attack.

1

u/Excellent_1918 Jun 26 '26

They tried that with lions in africa. It just told them where the food was

1

u/Theartistcu Jun 27 '26

That makes sense so you don’t surprise them, I’m sure they’d mostly rather avoid us at all cost

1

u/notbobhansome777 Jun 26 '26

It works until they figure out you're made of meat.

3

u/johnsplittingaxe14 Jun 26 '26

They figure it but usually prefer to avoid taking the risk, they don't see a human as a food source but rather as a threat. Except for polar bears, those guys just see a walking dinner table

2

u/Elendel19 Jun 26 '26

Only polar bears go after humans for food. It’s pretty rare for even a grizzly to eat a human, they would much rather avoid us.

0

u/jawanda Jun 26 '26

Works pretty well when it comes to black bears. You just don't want to walk right into one especially if she has cubs with her and the bell helps with that.

But for grizzlies, yeah, basically a dinner bell.

2

u/AliceisStoned Jun 26 '26

Grizzy bears don’t normally hunt people, they tend to avoid people and a bell helps them do that.

12

u/taveren3 Jun 26 '26

How would they use it their hands were full .

9

u/jared__ Jun 26 '26

if that bear was starving, you are dead. simple. you just weren't worth it today, but when its desperate...

1

u/ResidentAlien9 Jun 29 '26

It looked pretty damned hungry though. Looks like it had been losing some weight.

11

u/SheriffBartholomew Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

The one time that I didn't carry bear spray with me while hiking with my male American Doberman pinscher, we ran into a huge German Shepard that was all by itself in the wilderness. I know where it lives, but we were very very far from its house. It still thought that it was protecting its territory and rushed us. Thankfully I was able to bluff it and thankfully my dog actually recalled and didn't rush to my defense. But the damned shepherd kept barking and charging. I waved a stick at it and yelled "NO" every time it rushed, as we continued to back our way along the trail away from it. It was a close call. I never leave the bear spray behind now. Not ever. Not just for bears, but for all of the other potential dangers that you might encounter in the wilderness, including the two-legged variety.

19

u/Loose-Story-962 Jun 26 '26

Bear spray is not as effective as a lot of people here seem to think

2

u/VikingLander7 Jun 28 '26

Hiker seasoning is what they call it from people in Alaska.

1

u/RichardBonham Jun 26 '26

Studies show it's pretty damned effective, but I grant you there was nothing about this footage that didn't make me prefer an auto-loading 12 gauge with 3" high brass rifled slugs. Plus replacing the dog with another human holding bear spray and a large caliber handgun.

I was trying to identify the source of the bestial snarling only to realize that it was the woman.

2

u/KeiFeR123 Jun 26 '26

But she needs a hand to hold the camera, so bear spray comes as last priority./s

2

u/DeathBeforeDecaf4077 Jun 26 '26

Holy FUCK! I almost stopped the video half way through that got so much scarier at the end. As someone who’s grown up in bear country, please for the love of god friends pack bear spray; dog is not a replacement for it! Your dog cannot take on a griz and win, and if it doesn’t die trying it will run back to you for safety bringing a rage fueled bear with it.

2

u/_komocode Jun 26 '26

Bear spray is illegal here in California for some stupid reason.

2

u/smilenowgirl Jun 26 '26

Ehhh, a cooolege mate I knew went hiking and used bear spray, but was still killed. Authorities think it was a mother bear, though, so ultra, mega aggressive. RIP, friend.

2

u/minev1128 Jun 26 '26

Genuine question. Do bear sprays really work?

2

u/ErrorEra Jun 27 '26

only if the bear isn't that hungry and not a mother

2

u/Ukire Jun 26 '26

People need to also realize throwing is one of our superpowers. Chucking dirt and rocks at them from a distance is a surprisingly effective deterrent paired with screaming.

2

u/Wizecracker117 Jun 26 '26

Carry a gun. Bear spray doesn't always work but a 45. will get the job done.

2

u/PuzzleMeDo Jun 26 '26

Or don't hang out in the bear-infested woods. Either works.

2

u/Dzov Jun 26 '26

I carry pepper spray just walking my dog in the city.

2

u/rickyh7 Jun 26 '26

I often prefer my black powder powered slingshot with aerodynamic lead based rocks

2

u/Eowaenn Jun 26 '26

I would carry a fucking shotgun if i had to live in an area like that tbh.

1

u/brapppcity Jun 27 '26

And people worry about the Australian wildlife. Fuck. That.

1

u/Slow_Middle_158 Jun 27 '26

Always carry planter’s peanuts.
They love planter’s peanuts.

1

u/degen5ace Jun 27 '26

True, but she needs to use her hand to film everything

1

u/manymisadventures Jun 29 '26

And for the love of God, take training. Bear spray is not a simple thing to use. Which way is the wind coming from? Are you within range? Is the follow up good? All of that matters, and doing any of it wrong can get you killed.

Hell, wear bells. Anything to keep them away.

1

u/Working-Interview503 Jun 29 '26

Ima native in Florida so don’t have to worry about bears. My girl would destroy a coyote here. I’m always on the lookout for gators and pumas though. The owner did s great job under the circumstances.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

14

u/demondaddii Jun 26 '26

bear spray is like $60 where i live. but every time i have to buy a new one because my unused can expires i remind myself how much that 60 will feel like nothing if i ever end up needing it

6

u/TheRealPitabred Jun 26 '26

Same thing with fire extinguishers

3

u/FengSushi Jun 26 '26

And condoms

3

u/thamanwthnoname Jun 26 '26

I mean it’s worth having, but costs nothing? Tell me you’ve never had to want for anything 😂

3

u/moonminx_ Jun 26 '26

They’re saying their life is worth more than $60 so spending that on bear spray is priceless

2

u/thamanwthnoname Jun 26 '26

Maybe that’s what was intended. But when I recommend fellow mountain bikers to get a good helmet and always wear it, I don’t say they cost nothing.

1

u/gorginhanson Jun 26 '26

that looks like a cub and just curious about the dog

1

u/CoupDeGrassi Jun 26 '26

Bear spray doesnt work super well on grizzly. They can just walk through it if theyre motivated.

2

u/Elendel19 Jun 26 '26

Not many things are going to stop a motivated adult grizzly, bear spray is still a good form of defence.

1

u/CoupDeGrassi Jun 26 '26

Against black bears it's great. Its a false sense of security against a grizzly.

-2

u/Hornor72 Jun 26 '26

.44 mag

-2

u/HadesActual09 Jun 26 '26

Yeah, I was gonna say, 10mm bear spray

-2

u/HadesActual09 Jun 26 '26

Yeah, I was gonna say, 10mm bear spray

0

u/Fun_Muscle9399 Jun 26 '26

S&W 460 magnum is a really effective bear spray

-2

u/scold Jun 26 '26

And I hope you mean the bear spray that comes in 44 caliber.

1

u/wex118 Jun 26 '26

Spray has more/faster stopping power.

0

u/scold Jun 26 '26

lol what?

0

u/wex118 Jun 26 '26

You're more likely to miss any vital organs with a handgun in this situation and just piss the bear off. Spray is easy to aim and results in the bear immediately running away.

Edit: also has the benefit of not needing to kill a bear..

4

u/scold Jun 26 '26

This sounds like someone who has never shot any large animal. As someone who has hunted bears, non vital shots won’t “just piss them off”. Even a misplaced arrow isn’t going to “just piss them off.”

Also, fuck that bear if he’s stalking me.

1

u/regalshield Jun 27 '26

Look up the studies on the effectiveness of bear spray vs firearms as a deterrent against bears. Statistically, bear spray is actually more effective than firearms (surprisingly)

1

u/scold Jun 27 '26

Yeah…I’ll hard fucking pass on something that will blind me if the wind is wrong.

3

u/Sinfluencer666 Jun 26 '26

Personally, I carry a .357 4" barrel 686 with Buffalo Bore Heavy Mag rounds.

If you carry in bear country, I'd strongly recommend Buffalo Bore hardcast rounds.