The first time I saw a grizzly bear chasing a man was the last time I saw a grizzly bear chasing a man. It happened about 30 years ago, which should dispel the notion that bears are hiding in every willow patch, itching to rip off one of your limbs.
That said, seeing a grizzly closing the distance on a man running bat-shit crazy down a mountain does provide an aha moment when you might think, That could be me. There were three men, actually, me and two guys I’d fished with commercially, who had shot a Sitka black-tailed deer on southeast Alaska’s Baranof Island. They were waiting a few minutes before walking up on the animal. As they watched, another animal charged off the mountain and through the fog. One guy said, “Get ready, here comes another deer.” The other replied, “Yes, I see it. It is a big one, really brown, and it’s a bear!”
Three men. Three high-powered riffles. A grizzly bearing down on us — and we ran. As you likely know, that is the worst thing to do when a grizzly mistakes you for the lame deer it’s been chasing for two hours and isn’t happy that you claimed its next meal. A grizzly’s top speed is about 40 mph.
