Bart Pieciul was exploring the snow-capped mountains outside his hometown of Haines, Alaska, when he and his friends encountered every hiker’s worst nightmare.
What first looked like a porcupine against the snow ahead grew larger by the minute, until the 38-year-old adventurer realized in a flash of horror what it really was: a brown bear. His friends must have passed right over its den and woken it up – and it wasn’t happy
A new book recounts Pieciul’s terrifying story – and details exactly what anyone should do if, like him, they ever encounter a bear in the wild.
According to How to Survive Against the Odds: Tales and Tips for Animal Attacks and Natural Disasters, Pieciul didn’t run. Instead, he remembered what Haines residents had been told time and time again by rangers: Bears chase things that run, and they can hit 40mph.
His best option was to appear large and let it know he wasn’t prey. So he stood as tall as he could, stretching his arms wide over his head and moving them deliberately but not quickly.
‘Bear, go away. Go away, bear,’ he said in a firm speaking voice. Yelling can startle a bear and provoke an attack. But talking sternly and clearly lets the bear know it’s dealing with a human, which is usually enough to make it back off.
But this bear was standing its ground. It snarled, a fog of white breath erupting from its mouth in the cold air. Pieciul could make out its long yellow teeth.
He started to repeat his words when there was another flash of brown from behind the bear. It was a cub, yawning and sniffing the air. This was a worst-case scenario. Mother bears will do anything to protect their young.
Bart Pieciul was exploring the snow-capped mountains outside his hometown of Haines, Alaska, when he disturbed a hibernating bear
The bear paused for a moment, almost contemplative. She shook her head one last time, as if saying ‘No,’ then charged
Pieciul remembered what Haines residents had been told time and time again by rangers: bears chase things that run, and they can hit 40 mph
The bear began plodding toward him. Pieciul gulped as he inched backward toward a grove of trees and raised his voice, a last-ditch attempt to avoid an attack.
‘Go away, bear! Go away! Leave me alone!’
The bear paused for a moment, almost contemplative. She shook her head one last time, as if saying ‘No,’ then charged.
Pieciul just had time to try to shield his face before the beast chomped down on his left wrist.
Pieciul is 6ft 2in and 200 pounds, but the bear lifted him off his feet as if he was a toy, swinging him violently and never releasing his wrist.
The animal then pinned him to the snow. Cautiously, he opened his eyes – and immediately wished he hadn’t. The bear’s snout was millimeters from his face. He could feel spittle dripping onto his face. The animal was on top of him, crushing his chest and torso.
Trapped, he watched in terror as her mouth opened wide. Flaring her nostrils, she leaned in and bit the left side of his neck, tearing away his flesh and part of his ear.
Bears often bite victims by the neck and then shake them, like a dog with a chew toy. This instinctive motion is an attempt to snap the victim’s neck.
Play dead, Pieciul told himself. No matter how bad this gets, play dead. He closed his eyes and willed his body to go limp.
After biting his neck, the bear moved down his body. Over and over, her teeth sank into Pieciul. His right hip, his buttocks, his right arm. The pain was unreal, but he couldn’t scream or move. He knew it would only make things worse.
His strategy worked. The bear eventually ran off, leaving Pieciul lying in a pool of blood on the snow.
His friends had heard his shouts and run back to help.
But they now faced a new danger: given the frigid temperatures, hypothermia stood as much of a chance at killing Pieciul as his injuries did.
Fortunately, one of them had packed a satellite device that sends GPS coordinates to emergency crews. It almost certainly saved his life.
When dealing with a charging grizzly, play dead. Go completely limp, but cover your head and face with your hands (photograph: Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant)
As he lay bleeding on the snow, Pieciul’s friends focused on keeping him warm so he didn’t succumb to hypothermia
Next they transformed his backpack into a splint, and covered him with any padding they could find – extra down layers, a space blanket – and made a makeshift fire.
After about two-and-a half hours, they heard the faint mechanical whir of helicopter blades.
Pieciul underwent emergency surgery after the 2021 attack, and regained full use of his hand. Within months of the attack, he was out enjoying the backcountry again.
Did he do all the right things? Here’s everything you need to know to survive in bear country.
Know your bears
Different areas are home to different bear types, and understanding whether you’re in brown/grizzly or black bear territory is crucial to knowing how to respond to an attack.
Brown bears are significantly larger than their black cousins and have small, rounded ears, while black bears have larger, more pointed ears. Brown bears also have a distinctive hump on their shoulders.
Carry the right gear
Pieciul’s friends had all the essential first-aid gear needed to keep him alive, including an inReach satellite phone. Carrying bear spray – stronger pepper spray with a reach of 40 feet – is a good idea if you’ll be anywhere near bear territory.
Understand ‘bluff’ charges
These are highly common moves bears use to scare off a potential threat.
During a bluff charge, the bear may rear up on its hind legs or puff itself up to look more threatening. Its ears will be raised and pointing forward, facing you.
It will make several startling leaps toward you, but before it arrives, it’ll stop or dart off to the side. There will also be some growling or other vocal notes from the bear.
Know your bears: a black bear is smaller and has larger, pointy ears – and doesn’t care if you play dead
Pieciul underwent emergency surgery after the 2021 attack and regained full use of his hand
Don’t run
If a bear is bluff charging, running away may initiate a chase and attack.
Instead, back up slowly while facing the bear. Make yourself as big as possible, waving your arms over your head, and speak clearly and slowly to the bear in a loud voice, to make it clear that you’re a human.
Know bear attack warning signs
These include the bear yawning, clicking its teeth, pounding its front paws into the ground, and pinning its ears back against the side of its head. If you see these signs, the bear is stressed and could charge you at any moment.
If it’s brown, lie down
When dealing with a charging grizzly, play dead. Go completely limp, but cover your head and face with your hands. If you’re able, lie on your stomach and use your backpack or other gear as a shield to protect your spine and back.
No matter what happens, try to resist making any noise.
If it’s black, fight back
If a black bear charges you, your best hope is to fight violently. Playing dead doesn’t work with black bears, but fortunately they’re smaller than grizzlies. So while they can still be deadly, you at least have a chance.
Hit it in the head, face, and eyes with everything you have, including rocks, tree branches, or other backcountry gear.
Wait before moving
If you’ve survived an attack, let several minutes pass before getting up. A bear wants to ensure you’re not a threat, so if you pop up quickly, it may return and maul you again.
Listen very carefully to the bear leaving the area and then slowly get up and find a safe place to address your wounds.
From the book How To Survive Against the Odds: Tales and Tips for Animal Attacks and Natural Disasters by Wondery. Copyright © 2025 by Wondery. To be published on June, 3 2025 by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.
