Man Goes Duck Hunting. Then He Spots A Brown Bear Following Him Everywhere He Goes: ‘Black Bear No Worries….Brown Bear Very Worried’

The vast majority of the time, the woods are a tranquil, peaceful place. Every once in a while, however, something makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. In moments like these, you find yourself appreciating the soothing sounds of rush hour traffic and the fragrant aroma of an overflowing dumpster, i.e., humanity.

Last month, Levi Hedrick (@levi.austinnn) had this exact experience. Hedrick was hunting by himself in the woods when he noticed that he actually wasn’t alone. His companion was about the last creature he wanted to hang out with that day, however. It was a brown bear. And it was following him.

Hedrick started recording.

“I can’t walk away from this f—— bear right now,” he says, presumably for posterity. “Look at this. See him right there?”

He points the camera into the woods. A massive brown bear lumbers in the near distance, headed in his direction.

Hedrick is clearly discomfited by the bear. As he should be.

Are Bears Dangerous?

Like any wild animal, bears generally do not bother humans. But there are exceptions. Their size, speed, and strength mean that when a bear attacks, often the consequences are grave.

Sure, they’re cute in those Coca-Cola commercials, but the polar bear is generally considered the most dangerous. They’re carnivorous, unpredictable, and massive. Males can weigh up to 1,500 pounds.

The grizzly bear that followed Hedrick that day comes in as the second most dangerous bear. They only weigh a max of about half that of the largest polar bear. But at up to 800 pounds with an aggressive and territorial nature, grizzly bears are not to be trifled with.

If a grizzly bear attacks, do not run or fight. The National Park Service recommends lying motionless on the ground and covering your head with your hands and arms. This will helpfully convince the bear that you’re not a threat.

What Did The Hunter Do When The Grizzly Bear Followed Him?

In the video, he says, “I’m going to turn my back. Not looking now. Walking the other way.” Then Hedrick turns back towards the bear. It’s closer and still approaching.

“He follows me. Such a far walk home too. He is following me. I’ve gotta do it,” he says.

Then Hedrick charges and deploys bear spray. In comments, he said that this had the desired effect. The bear started sneezing and ran away.

Finally safe, he resumed walking home.

Bear Encounter Inspires Secondary Terror

It may have only happened on their screens, but people got major heeby-jeebies from Hedrick’s TikTok. As of this writing, it has 2.5 million views and more than 2,800 comments.

A user named Lorraine warned, “Black bear no worries….brown bear very worried.” Any bear can be dangerous, but black bears are generally more timid. In the highly unlikely event a black bear does attack, the National Park Service says, “FIGHT BACK WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! Do not play dead.”

Cassidy wrote with a shudder, “Ughh a grizzly bear? Biggest fear.” Vincent agreed, “I was panicking bc l would be watching him 200% of the time.”

Some people did make jokes about the bear simply trying to escort him home or looking for Christopher Robin. “Not like a 100% sure buttttt I think he was trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty….” one joked.

Hedrick told BroBible that he was duck hunting with his dog in Sitka, Alaska, when the bear began stalking him.

“When I saw the bear, I sent him home,” he said of his golden retriever via Instagram direct message.

This isn’t his first encounter with a bear, either. Hedrick said that he’s had to use bear spray on three occasions.

Although being stalked by a grizzly bear is certainly a frightening situation, Hedrick doesn’t want people to be afraid of bears.

“My advice to everybody would be don’t be scared of the bears and use bear spray. It’s always best to preserve yours and the bear‘s life and get out of there safely!”