A hunter from Alaska is recovering after getting mauled by a bear and shot. Tyler Johnson, 32, sat down with John Thompson to describe his near-death experience on the podcast In Depth Alaska.
Johnson said he was hunting with his father on the Resurrection Pass Trail near Anchorage when they startled a brown bear that was hidden in the tall brush.
The brown bear attacked Johnson, biting him in the leg. As he fell to the ground, his gun discharged, and he shot himself in the leg.
"It was like getting hit by a train, and my feet went over my head," Johnson explained. "It put its teeth into my calf as I was falling backwards. He hit me at the same time I got my gun out, and when I was falling backwards, I believe that's when I shot myself in the leg."
The gunshot didn't deter the bear, which continued to attack the 32-year-old. Johnson managed to fire multiple shots while his father flanked the bear and fired several more shots as well.
Once the bear was killed, Johnson started treating his wounds while his dad called for help. Johnson was airlifted to the hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.
Johnson said that he has no intention of giving up hunting or hiking following the harrowing experience.
"It was an epic hunting trip. That's something that not a lot of people get a block away and then share a story like that," Johnson said. "Fortunately for my father and I, we're seasoned hikers, hunters. We plan for the worst, hope for the best. That's why we had the equipment we had. That's why we reacted the way we reacted."