A hunter was attacked by a brown bear near Cooper Landing over the weekend, but survived the encounter after he managed to shoot and kill the bear.
Around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report that a hunting party was attacked by a bear on the Resurrection Pass Trail near Cooper Landing. The report stated that the party was in need of help.
The two hunters, 32-year-old Tyler Johnson and his father Chris, were in the vicinity of Abernathy Cabin when the brown bear attacked.
According to the Alaska Wildlife Trooper dispatch on the incident, Tyler was seriously injured by the bear and a gunshot wound he sustained in the process. When the bear attacked, it tackled Tyler, but he managed to fire off a series of shots with a handgun, the first of which struck him in his own leg. Fortunately, the rest of the shots found their mark, and the bear died, but not before inflicting severe injuries to Tyler’s right leg and minor injuries to his other leg and his shoulder.
The younger Johnson would later post on social media about the attack. “Hunting trip got cut short, got chewed on by a brown bear,” Tyler wrote. “I won the fight. Crazy experience, but because of my father Chris Johnson, I was able to get picked [up] by the troopers via helicopter and receive medical treatment at providence med. Alaska wasn’t going to let me leave without a few scares to remember her by.”
The father and son were able to administer first aid to Tylers injuries, which were substantial, in the field. Once Troopers arrived on the scene in DPS HELO-3, Tyler was transported to an Anchorage hospital for further medical treatment.
Chris Johnson was transported by an Alaska Rescue Coordination Center rescue team.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff in Soldotna were notified by Troopers that the brown bear had been killed.
Cover photo credit: Great Alaska Hunting Club Facebook Page
