Grizzly Fight... for real, 2 Grizzly Bears fighting it out

[unclebilly]

This is amazing. These are 2 full grown grizzlies fighting on the side of the road.

https://youtu.be/_HNpc1874fE

In some ways the way it begins reminds me of a recent video of an altercation at the happiest place on earth.

[unclebilly]

Oh and there is a wolf up the road in the background watching the fight unfold. Pretty cool video either way when you consider the size of these creatures, these are 1000 lb animals.

[sc_rufctr]

Lots of shouting before hand but once they got going it seemed full on.

The smaller one did well at the beginning but he was clearly overpowered.
I wonder how bad his wound was. I couldn't see any bleeding.

Imagine coming across something like that for real!

[billybek]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Lots of shouting before hand but once they got going it seemed full on.

The smaller one did well at the beginning but he was clearly overpowered.
I wonder how bad his wound was. I couldn't see any bleeding.

I have seen bar fights like that.... Only you could see who was bleeding after.

[dewolf]

Nature is mighty impressive when you see magnificent animals like that. Mind you, feel sorry for the little bloke, but at least he fought. He's clearly not a snowflake bear.

[sc_rufctr]

Any idea of how tall they are? I'm guessing close to 7 feet for the big one!

[GH85Carrera]

I understand a Grizzly can kill a full grown bull moose with one swipe of a claw. Imagine that as they trade blows.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Any idea of how tall they are? I'm guessing close to 7 feet for the big one!

Tall enough that I wouldn't stand back to back with one for comparison. I noticed that at the end when the smaller one was retreating, the camera person started retreating too. Smart move, I think.

[Hard-Deck]

I wonder where this was filmed? As I watched, I kept thinking that the photographer must have been far away, until he/she scrambled at the end. Big cajones on the bears and the photographer.

[masraum]

I'm guessing Canada, but I'm sure there's a number of places that it could have been filmed.

[Jeff Higgins]

A lot of display and posturing, but no real "fight". Yeah, it got pretty physical in the end, but once the little feller was down, the big guy just kinda reinforced who is boss. He could have made it a whole lot worse if he really wanted to, but he didn't. Like any males just "fighting" for dominance, they really are not looking to injure one another. Just watch one killing for food (which they somewhat rarely do) and the difference in demeanor and effort becomes readily apparent.

These are pretty average sized grizzes. The smaller one is probably 400 pounds at the most, and the larger maybe 600 at the most. That's the norm across their entire range, until we get to the larger coastal bears, or "Kodiak" bears. They are not a different species, they just have a better food supply and hibernate less, so they get to eat a lot more.

[sc_rufctr]

Soooo... Jeff, What would it take to kill a big bear like this?

I can't imagine any pistol having much effect except making the bear really angry.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Soooo... Jeff, What would it take to kill a big bear like this?

I can't imagine any pistol having much effect except making the bear really angry.

That's kind of a melancholy topic for me these days. In my younger days, I went after them with great relish. I just don't have it in me anymore - I think I killed my last bear almost 20 years ago. I now only hunt that which I intend to eat and, quite frankly, I don't care what anyone says - big bears are not really "edible" per se. By the time they are big enough to entice one to want to go through the hassle of killing it and getting it back out of wherever it was that happened (which can be a several day exercise for two healthy, fit men), they get pretty damn rank. So, with no desire to eat one, I now refuse to kill one just for some "trophy" value or something, or bragging rights, or whatever. I have gained far too much admiration and respect for them to do that anymore.

So, with that rather lengthy disqualifier out of the way, I'll answer your question. For me, it was always the .375 H&H Magnum with 300 grain Nosler Partitions at about 2,550 fps. Lots of guys use the .300 Winchester Magnum with heavier bullets, the .30-'06 with 200 or 220 grain bullets, heavily loaded .45-70's, and stuff like that. The .338 Winchester Magnum with 250 grain Partitions or equivalent seems to be about the most popular and often recommended. I actually used a .458 Winchester Magnum with 500 grain Hornady soft points at just over 2,100 fps one year, but that was probably unnecessary. It was just a cool rifle that I wanted to use and get familiar with prior to an even "bigger" hunt.

Guys do kill these things with big bore revolvers. Heavy for caliber cast bullets are the order of the day. That, and a guide with a big rifle looking over your shoulder. I have to wonder how many are actually "killed" with the revolver, versus just shot first with it. I would never even consider trying this myself, even as much as I love hunting with revolvers. I think it's just a self aggrandizing stunt, with the animal suffering needlessly to fuel some dickhead's need for bragging rights. But that's just my opinion...

[masraum]

Some size comparisons

[Jeff Higgins]

Those size comparisons are anything but the norm. Those guys are going well over 1,500 pounds, which would be highly unusual (but not unheard of) in wild, coastal bears. Those guys would dwarf the two in the video as easily as they dwarf those men.

I had the privilege of meeting Dan Haggarty's co-star from Grizzly Adams one time. I can't remember his name, but that fella was bumping off of 2,000 pounds. My God... The hump on his back, with all four feet on the ground, was at my shoulder height, and I'm 6'1" tall. The width between his ears was wider than my hip bones. Thank God he was a really nice guy...

Bears of this size are almost unheard of in the wild. These "celebrity" bears are very well fed and don't really "hibernate" in the traditional fashion, so they get to be well fed all year long, which greatly contributes to their size. It's not unusual for a hibernating bear to lose a couple hundred pounds. They have to make that up again when they come out in the spring. These guys don't suffer through that cycle, which is why they get so impressively huge.

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

I wonder where this was filmed? As I watched, I kept thinking that the photographer must have been far away, until he/she scrambled at the end. Big cajones on the bears and the photographer.

This was filmed on the Stewart - Cassiar highway near Stewart, BC. This is also near Hyder, AK.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/traveller-information/routes-and-driving-conditions/highway-37-stewart-cassiar

[unclebilly]

I've had a very close encounter (2-3') away from a large Kodiak Grizzly in Alaska on the Chilkoot Trail about 10 years ago. That's an experience I will never forget.

The next day, on the Canadian side, a momma black bear treed her cub right beside my tent (and bear spray which was hooked onto my pack). I had a bear banger in my pocket and ****** ran... that was far more concerning.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Lots of shouting before hand but once they got going it seemed full on.

The smaller one did well at the beginning but he was clearly overpowered.
I wonder how bad his wound was. I couldn't see any bleeding.

Imagine coming across something like that for real!

the growling and head positions are called "warning displays"

next, is some pushing & shoving

then the escalation to biting, wrestling, clawing

take out (some) of biting and it looks a LOT like a bar fight

now, who was that in the background watching?

[RWebb]

Jeff, I think that bear is named "Bert" - he loves his trainer...


a lot of the interests we have in hunting can be fulfilled by stalking with a camera and long lens...

[RWebb]

speaking of size...