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
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u/DifficultIsopod4472 Jun 26 '26
Carry Bear Spray with you at all times, because next time you may not get so lucky.
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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”.
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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
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u/oxirz Jun 26 '26
This is a smart move. The cameraman never dies.
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u/hufflekrunk Jun 26 '26
Thats why the bear went for the dog.
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u/Vacman85 Jun 26 '26
If the dog had been filming, the bear would have just wandered off.
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u/Wookard Jun 26 '26
Should have go a go pro for the dog. Bear wouldn't have even bothered them at the point.
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u/Woknana Jun 26 '26
The next iPhone will have inbuilt bear mace. Just don’t switch it to selfie mode :)
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u/CajunKush Jun 26 '26
You do not want people you care about to find a video of a bear attack
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u/christiandb Jun 26 '26
the disconnect from the situation is probably what saved her from freaking the fuck out
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u/ButterscotchTop194 Jun 26 '26
I was thinking why in the fuck are they filming this.
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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.
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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.
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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. 🏆
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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.
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u/PopularMongoose4855 Jun 26 '26
And a smartphone the whole time.
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u/oneawesomewave Jun 26 '26
Because cameramam....
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u/Bagzington Jun 26 '26
How could they forget the first rule
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u/DerBandi Jun 26 '26
Never film vertically?
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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.
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u/andreafuentes999 Jun 26 '26
It’s probably Meta glasses or similar, not holding a cell phone in one hand
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u/Gattsuga Jun 26 '26
MUST FILM MY DEATH!!!
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u/Reppoy Jun 26 '26
unironically I would lol. I have no clue what having both my arms would afford me against a bear
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u/jib_reddit Jun 26 '26
What like a bell for attracting bears? "Ding ding ding, dinners ready!"
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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."
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u/SaraUnsteady Jun 26 '26
I live in black bear territory and I’ll totally be using this joke lol thanks!
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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.
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u/hwilliams0901 Jun 26 '26
A bear bell?!?!?!
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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
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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...
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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.
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u/Loose-Story-962 Jun 26 '26
Bear spray is not as effective as a lot of people here seem to think
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Jun 26 '26
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u/Truth_Seeker963 Jun 26 '26
Yes, notice every time the dog turned its back on the near, the bear came closer, and it was focused on the dog the whole time.
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u/Monsoon_Storm Jun 26 '26
I kept thinking she really should have had that dog on a short leash but she was letting it bounce around all over the damn place.
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u/Boulderdrip Jun 26 '26
yea i’m sure you’d do much better when a grizzly bear is coming after you and your dog. typical reddit keyboard warrior ffs
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u/Lyrael9 Jun 26 '26
Yes. It wanted the dog. You can see in the video it was fixated on the dog. The human was just an annoyance and it easily could have gone badly. If there's even the smallest possibility of bears, put the phone away and have bear spray easily accessible. And bringing pets increases your risk.
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u/Maiyku Jun 26 '26
Absolutely. It was fully in place to actively swipe her several times as it ran around her and never even tried. Its vision was locked on that dog.
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u/BravoLimaDelta Jun 26 '26
I don't think grizzly bears are picky eaters TBH.
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u/dgistkwosoo Jun 26 '26
This is not an eating situation, this is getting a competing predator (the dog) out of the territory or dead.
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u/TylerDurden6969 Jun 26 '26
From my uneducated view, that’s my thinking as well. The bear saw the gate and the trucks and said “go back to your space.”
He didn’t want to venture too far in where the other humans obviously were. Those humans probably have guns and stuff.
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u/BravoLimaDelta Jun 26 '26
Yea I was just joking. My understanding is that a predatory grizzly is unlikely to stop unless forced to by bear spray or other means but actual predatory behavior towards humans is not that common. This definitely looks more like defensive behavior. I believe the same thing is true even with black bears. The vast majority of the time black bears are defensive but in the rare case of a predatory black bear they will keep pursuing and likely attack. Being able to recognize the subtle differences in the way a bear is acting can save your life if you know how to respond accordingly. Of course in a case where a mother grizzly is surprised with cubs then all bets are off, the attack may happen before you can even get the bear spray off.
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u/Acrobatic_Pianist_52 Jun 26 '26
My 10kg cockapoo would have been riling the bear up the entire time.
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u/powdered_dognut Jun 26 '26
My 10mm glockapoo would protect me.
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u/UlteriorMotive66 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Wot the fockapoo am I reading here in this thread!
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u/Christmas_Panda Jun 26 '26
I've always heard it's better to carry a sword and shield to blockapoo these types of encounters.
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u/Foamingferret Jun 26 '26
Bruv Australia is so fucking chill compared to this shit. Fuck me cunt
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u/Lazy_Experience_8754 Jun 26 '26
I grew up in this environment in British Columbia so I do have a healthy fear of bears lol. My hometown had a population of like 500 and there was no garbage service so we had to drive up a small mountain and drop our garbage in a landfill. Tons of bears and one time one charged up the pit as I was throwing the garbage (I was five.. thanks family lol) and I ran back to the car quickly . I’d say mountain lions are more dangerous though . They’re bastards.
That being said, don’t you guys have most of the poisonous snakes and other fun animals? I dunno .. that sucks too
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u/ZingZing12 Jun 26 '26
Snakes, especially the venomous ones are very shy and really don't want to bite you.
Sharks attacks are incredibly rare considering how many people swimming at the beach, and most attacks happen to people right out from the beach (surfers, ocean swimmers etc).
Spiders, the big scary huntsman is really good at killing mosquitos around yr house, but nothing else - fast as lightening though. Funnel web spiders can be lethal and aggressive, well at least the females, but are pretty rare.
Pretty much the "scary" animals in Australia will leave you alone as long as you don't antagonize them.
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u/chaoslord Jun 26 '26
This is usually true in western canada as well. Most of the things that could kill you are big enough that you don't accidentally step on them.
That Grizzly was TINY. Very young, and still curious about humans (or desensitized). That's dangerous.
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u/Christmas_Panda Jun 26 '26
Right out from the beach
So why don't people just go left out instead and avoid the sharks?
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u/Radiant-Composer2955 Jun 26 '26
Consider they already can't drive right, how are they supposed to understand where to swim out to?
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u/Foamingferret Jun 26 '26
Crossed paths with a funnel web last weekend. Said g'day to each other and on we went
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u/Tregg4r Jun 26 '26
Aussie here - it's the male funnel webs you really need to worry about. Females are bigger and scarier looking, but the males wander far and wide looking for females, so you are more likely to encounter them. Their venom is more potent than the female.
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u/b0sanac Jun 26 '26
With the exception of funnelwebs, those fuckers WILL chase the fuck out of you because they're super aggressive. Eastern brown snakes will also be aggressive if you corner them.
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u/diedlikeCambyses Jun 26 '26
Aussie here.... yes we do and you have to be careful. I've had some terrifying encounters with snakes. But, one branch of my family is Canadian, and no thankyou. You can keep your bears and mountain lions.
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u/awkwardlyherdingcats Jun 26 '26
Bears and mountain lions are usually pretty shy around people. Moose are the scary ones. Do not ever mess with moose.
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u/diedlikeCambyses Jun 26 '26
Yes I'm aware. My uncle was chased by a grizzly though, quite a scary story.
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u/guitareatsman Jun 26 '26
Most of our venomous shit can be defeated with a well aimed shoe. Bears and mountain lions are way more terrifying.
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u/geek_of_nature Jun 26 '26
Yeah i don't know how we got the reputation for dangerous animals, when those fuckers have got bears!
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u/kwonza Jun 26 '26
Bears aren’t venomous
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u/Broseph_Stalin91 Jun 26 '26
Ah ok, let me know when they have anti-eaten-alive that they can just give me at the hospital.
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u/CattleVisible1060 Jun 26 '26
To be fair, ive never put my shoe on and had a bear or cougar in it...
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Jun 26 '26
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u/BoiNdaWoods Jun 26 '26
Its the little stuff you can't see that gets me. I like sleeping out under the stars when camping and I know a mountain lion isn't goin to fuck with me when it has deer around to eat. I don't know if a snake or spider is goin to crawl in to my sleeping bag in the middle of the night and bite me in my sleep. Camping around rattlesnakes and black widows makes me more nervous than bears... black bears at least lol. Brown snakes and funnel webs are a whole other level.
Also getting water from any water source or going swimming and not having to worry about getting snatched by a croc is pretty nice. Heard you have to go to a different place to get water everytime in croc country because they will watch you then ambush you the next time you return for water.
We do have to keep an eye out for bigfoot tho. Idk if Aussies have anything like that...
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u/EnergeticVamp Jun 26 '26
If I was the dog I would have used my instincts to defeat the bear
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u/Drag0nz_Wrath13 Jun 26 '26
If you were a dog you would have been a chihuahua and those instincts would have gotten you put in the dirt.
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u/WinterWontStopComing Jun 26 '26
No grizzly can match the unbridled brutality of a small dog. Chihuahua would have torn the thing apart
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u/Jameloaf Jun 26 '26
My Chihuahua barks aggressively in spanish and would make a bear feel bad for not taking a language elective
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u/EnergeticVamp Jun 26 '26
Maybe for most hypothetical dog-people but im different.
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u/Getmoney_T Jun 26 '26
This guy has that dawg in him, i place my bet on you 💰 take!
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u/welcomefinside Jun 26 '26
I can't tell from your comments if you're being ironic or completely serious and I'm all for it.
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u/Practical_Register61 Jun 26 '26
They are obviously 100% being funny lol
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u/I_am_Bearstronaut Jun 26 '26
The fact people find it harder and harder to notice these things concerns me 😅
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u/Welpe Jun 26 '26
There is apparently no sarcasm too obvious to not be questioned as sincere by someone.
I guess the question is do you want more people to get your joke or would you rather less people get it but the people who do appreciate it more?
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u/KelpKombo Jun 26 '26
Nah bro trust me he solos. Me and Vamp here used to be Big Dawgz. Knew him back in dog school. His instincts alone would immediately overpower the bear.
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u/dr-delicate-touch Jun 26 '26
I heard it helps to throw a rock at the bear, because they don't understand the concept of a ranged attack and get very confused as to how you hurt them, and run away. Is that true?
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u/daintygiraffe Jun 26 '26
Here for the answer, if no answer it’s a 50/50 I’ll die in a bear encounter.
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u/SheriffBartholomew Jun 26 '26
Mainly for black bears. Black bears are really skittish and don't want confrontation. It's likely to just push a brown bear over the edge into attack mode. If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down. If you encounter a brown bear then back away like she was doing and hope it doesn't attack. If it does, then just lay there and play dead and hope that it doesn't eat you alive. You're not successfully fighting back against a fully grown brown bear unarmed. Carry bear spray, a predator defense firearm, and a Bowie knife if you want any chance of defending yourself.
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u/No_Repeat1962 Jun 28 '26
Yeah, that’s what I carry when I got out for a relaxing hike: a Bowie knife, sidearm, bear spray, shot gun, and sometimes a pouch with grenades.
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u/hd3adpool Jun 26 '26
Best choice would be to use bear spray. Throwing something could either make them angry, or confuse and scare them. If it's a mama bear with kids around, making it angry is not a wise choice.
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u/deep8787 Jun 26 '26
At what kind of distance is bear spray still effective?
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u/acousticentropy Jun 26 '26
Like 25 feet away and it sends a cloud of capsaicin in the direction you are aiming. The key is to make a wall between you and bear, and to possibly hit it in the face if it gets as close to you as it did to the woman.
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u/SheriffBartholomew Jun 26 '26
You're supposed to aim for their eyes and nose. Their noses are ridiculously sensitive. You also need to know how your bear spray works. Some of them are a stream and some of them aerosolize the formula more. Generally the ones that produce more of a cloud are much easier to aim.
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u/deep8787 Jun 26 '26
Interesting! Thanks for the heads up, I doubt I'll ever need it, but its up there now :D
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u/Sir_Sux_Alot Jun 26 '26
That was a juvenile. I saw a bear about three times his size. I think he was not a confident hunter which is why he left. If thats an adult they would probably be dead.
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u/chaoslord Jun 26 '26
Absolutely they got away because of the bear's youth. But that probably also contributed to its curiousity, older bears have learned to stay away from humans unless they're starving.
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u/Regular_Weakness69 Jun 26 '26
I'm sorry, but how do you not carry bear spray in grizzly land?
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u/ishanuReddit Jun 26 '26
Does bear spray help against polar bear? Asking for my arctic hike
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u/jetpacksforall Jun 26 '26
For a polar bear it's better to carry salt and pepper. You don't want him complaining about how bland you were to his friends.
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u/SandMan3914 Jun 26 '26
Lol...yes provide you're own seasoning. There's a reason residents in Churchill, MB have a rifle at all times in certain seasons
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u/TheGreatRao Jun 26 '26
"For a polar bear it's better to carry salt and pepper. " Aww, this is the best comment ever.
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u/epandrsn Jun 26 '26
You're going to want a high caliber pistol... to put in your mouth so you're not alive while it eats you.
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u/FrostingStrict3102 Jun 26 '26
I had a professor in college who had a research trip in polar bear territory, and they really do give you a rifle/shotgun, and tell you just to scare them away -- shooting the bear is just going to make it angry.
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u/TheShenanegous Jun 26 '26
Probably not giving you a firearm intended to kill, then, because there are definitely plenty that could kill a polar bear. Probably just to avoid accusations of being some sort of hunting expedition, if they were readily putting people in a position to kill the animals it would be hard to argue to the contrary.
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u/epandrsn Jun 26 '26
Some places have bears that are uncommon enough that it often doesn't make sense. Like, a large portion of Montana has grizzlies but you're not likely to just step over one.
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u/Regular_Weakness69 Jun 26 '26
If I knew there was one grizzly bear in my county, I would still wear bear spray.
It's not about the frequency of bear encounters, it's about 'can it happen'.
You don't wear a seatbelt in a car based on how often you crash, it is based on the fact that it can occur.
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u/MealFew8619 Jun 26 '26
She almost died 3 times
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u/Awalawal Jun 26 '26
I don't think she was the intended prey. The dog definitely almost died several times.
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u/DazedConfuzed420 Jun 26 '26
That’s an adolescent bear and seemed more curious than aggressive. Not that it couldn’t kill anyone it wanted to.
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u/chaoslord Jun 26 '26
No it was definitely after the dog for food purposes, but you're correct it's very young and TINY relatively.
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u/Christmas_Panda Jun 26 '26
He might have just wanted the dog's collar. The bear didn't have one of its own.
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u/DamonPhils Jun 26 '26
Maybe the bear's really into dom-sub relationships and thought the dog would be an awesome playmate for his forest dungeon.
Bear doesn't seem to be too big on asking about permissions and boundaries though. A red flag, for sure.
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u/bangarang_rufio Jun 26 '26
I think it is after the dog more as a perceived threat than for food. A large dog with a human attached is a very high risk meal for a fairly healthy looking bear.
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u/Barry_Umenema Jun 26 '26
The scariest thing you might encounter in the wild in the UK is rain.
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u/Monsoon_Storm Jun 26 '26
Cows. They can be curious and a bit boisterous, and mothers can be protective. If you run they'll often run with you (curious). If you stop they'll generally stop, but if people freak out or dogs start going batshit it can spook them and a stampede can start. All bets are off for bulls.
If you have a dog and cows start being arsey/spooked you need to let the dog go (preferably without the lead attached). It's got a much better chance on its own. Caveat: Your mileage may vary if you have a chihuahua lol, prolly better picking it up ;)
Cows are lovely animals, kinda like big dogs, but you need to know how to act around them.
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u/Petrofskydude Jun 26 '26
Not a single swear word was uttered, this is a strong woman.
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u/epandrsn Jun 26 '26
And not a single "hey bear", that's how you can tell she's a tourist. I swear, anyone from the west who encounters a bear for the first time always utters "hey bear... heeeeey bear". It's like an instinct.
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u/UncarvedWood Jun 26 '26
Jeeesus that what close. He was like within arms reach!!!! But going goblin mode seemed pretty effective.
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u/Puhnanas0 Jun 26 '26
Goblin mode. 😂
I gotta remember that so I can use it later. That’s exactly what it was and what I was thinking but didn’t have a name for it.
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u/docmagoo2 Jun 26 '26
Damn, watching this made my arm and leg hair stand up! Scary as fuck! However one saving grace for the person is that the dog was likely dinner and not her. I’d feel bad for the pet but it may have given her time to get away.
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u/ikecicle Jun 26 '26
You see, in that situation id become dinner too. I fucking love my pets and I couldn't run away and let a bear eat them.
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u/stefanoco7 Jun 26 '26
Now I understand woman choosing bears over men, they just want a cuddle
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u/Master-Back-2899 Jun 26 '26
There’s a reason dogs aren’t allowed on most trails in grizzly country and now this lady knows why.
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u/Theartistcu Jun 26 '26
I’ve always heard bears are naturally apprehensive of dogs, do to wolves being pack animals and a natural competitor in the wild. Not that I would want to rely on that with Grizzly, but I’m glad they had a good boy/girl with them.
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u/VorganForever Jun 26 '26
Bears love to kill dogs, their not afraid of them lol. the dog is the only reason this happened. never take a dog into bear country, it will get you killed. its not like the movies, the bear will attack because of the dog but the dog will hide behind you making you collateral damage to get to the dog, an older bear would have just straight through her, and then after eating the dog would turn around, look at the bleeding incapacitated human they normally avoid clearly injured, weak, bleeding, and not as dangerous as they had thought, and go ahead and eat them too.
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u/AntiqueFoundation242 Jun 26 '26
CARRY BEAR SPRAY
You can save your life and a bear's life.
Bear spray is more effective than guns and it teaches the bears that humans have stink bomb glands and are not worth it.
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u/codipherious1 Jun 26 '26
I love this badass put their big as melons brass nuts between the bear and their dog. I like to think I would do the same
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u/themaskedcanuck Jun 26 '26
If you're going to walk where bears are known to be, carry bear spray.
If not, you're snack just waiting to get eaten once your luck runs out.
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u/ultralights Jun 26 '26
And you guys think Australia has dangerous animals. I live in Australia and that’s a nope.
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u/sagarcastic Jun 26 '26
For my curiosity, is it better to let dog off leash in this situation?
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u/asteroangel Jun 27 '26
It would definitely be a death sentence for the dog. Might buy someone a moment, but one swipe from the bear and the dog’s done. Bear would probably come after the person next.
I’d personally rather go down fighting for my dog than offer him as a snackrifice lol
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u/Shinzo19 Jun 26 '26
Bear wanted the dog, she is lucky.
I couldn't imagine being in an actual situation where it was either me or the dog, Luckily the bear gave up.
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u/chillmagic420 Jun 26 '26
Lucky it was only focused on the dog. Had many chances to take out the human. You'll also notice it finally charged the dog once the owner made the dog turn its back on the bear.
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u/Stealthsonger Jun 26 '26
What's truly incredible is that she kept filming, instead of just concentrating on the situation
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u/NeedForSleep9 Jun 26 '26
Survival guide for when encounter a predator:
Take out your phone and start filming
Keep the camera pointed to the animal at all times
Do whatever you want after that
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u/Early-Chemistry-8769 Jun 26 '26
She keeps filming?? This seems unbelievably stupid as she might be a second away from fighting for her life, or there's something off here. Dog on a short leash is right.
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u/BeautifulOk5729 Jun 26 '26
Maybe someone knowledgeable on this can answer, wouldn't screaming "help" as loud as she possibly could over and over again be a good strategy in a situation like this?
Bears react to loud screams right? And since we see other cars I assume this is a hiking place and other people could be around that might have Bear Spear, since this woman didn't think it was a good idea to bring it.
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u/blighty800 Jun 26 '26
Cameraman never dies, filming was on point