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Bowhunter Sam Kezar says he fired seven rounds from a 10mm Glock during a grizzly bear charge in Wyoming last September, and that a shot from his hunting partner also helped stop the attack. An Outdoor Life account published Oct. 22, 2026, attributes the account to Kezar; it does not provide independent confirmation, details of any injuries, or an agency investigation.
Bowhunter Sam Kezar says he and his hunting partner survived a grizzly bear charge in Wyoming after Kezar fired seven rounds from a 10mm Glock and his companion fired a round of his own. Outdoor Life published Kezar’s account on Oct. 22, 2026, describing an encounter during an elk hunt near Yellowstone National Park the previous September; the account is Kezar’s recollection, not an independently verified incident report.
Kezar said he was hunting elk with his friend Jerrad in country he knew held grizzlies. They had seen fresh bear scat and claw marks on a tree before walking through thicker timber toward an opening. He recalled hearing rustling and a roar, then seeing a bear emerge from trees and charge. The published account places the encounter in Wyoming near Yellowstone, but does not give an exact location.
Kezar said he initially fired toward the bear’s feet, thinking it might be bluff-charging, then realized it was coming directly at him. He said he fired seven rounds in roughly two seconds while moving backward. According to the report’s summary, Jerrad also fired a well-placed round. The source material does not specify the firearm or ammunition Jerrad used, the distance to the bear, or precisely how the shots affected it.
Kezar described months of practice drawing his Glock from a holster attached to his binocular harness, followed by live-fire drills intended to simulate a sudden encounter. He said he had practiced drawing and firing while backpedaling. Those details are his account of his preparation; the report does not establish that the training alone determined the outcome or provide outside expert assessment.
Preparation in Grizzly Country
The account shows how quickly a close-range wildlife encounter can unfold: Kezar said the charge and his response lasted only seconds. For hunters and other people in bear habitat, the story underscores the practical importance of planning for wildlife encounters and knowing how to access and handle any equipment they carry. It does not establish that a handgun is a reliable or universally appropriate response to a bear encounter.
Kezar’s experience also highlights a limitation of anecdotal survival accounts: readers hear one person’s description of a rare, high-stakes event, not a controlled comparison of firearms, bear spray, or training methods. Decisions about carrying equipment should take account of local rules, individual competence, and guidance from wildlife authorities. The source does not report whether bear spray was carried or used during this encounter.
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Months of Handgun Practice
Kezar said he bought a Glock Model 20 chambered in 10mm after drawing a Wyoming elk tag for an area outside Yellowstone. He reported practicing with the pistol throughout the summer, including dry-fire draws and live-fire drills using a water jug as a target. He said he chose a chest-mounted holster attached to his binocular harness so he could reach the pistol while bowhunting.
According to the account, Kezar and Jerrad were returning to look for elk after Kezar had shot and lost a bull the day before. They moved to higher country, saw signs of bear activity, and continued into an area of timber and openings. Outdoor Life presented the narrative in Kezar’s first-person account, introduced by editor Andrew McKean. The supplied report does not include a date more specific than September 2025 or identify responding wildlife officials.
“I don’t remember drawing my pistol.”
— Sam Kezar, as quoted in his first-person account published by Outdoor Life
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Details Not Independently Confirmed
The available source is Kezar’s account as published by Outdoor Life. It does not include a statement from a wildlife agency, law enforcement, a medical provider, or another independent witness. The bear’s condition and fate, whether Kezar or Jerrad were injured, and whether authorities documented the incident are not stated in the supplied material.
The report also does not establish the exact location, the distance at which the bear began charging, or the number and placement of Jerrad’s shot. Kezar’s account says the two men survived and attributes the outcome to their gunfire, but the available material does not independently verify the sequence or assess what caused the bear to stop.
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No Further Update Reported
The supplied report does not announce a further investigation, agency review, or scheduled follow-up. No next official milestone is identified, and it is unclear whether more documentation will become available. Any fuller assessment would depend on additional information, such as an agency account, medical records shared by the hunters, or further reporting that verifies the encounter’s location and outcome.
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Key Questions
When and where did the grizzly encounter happen?
Kezar said it happened during an elk hunt in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park in September 2025. The supplied account does not give an exact date or location.
What did Kezar say happened during the charge?
He said he fired seven rounds from a 10mm Glock as the bear charged and that his hunting partner also fired. Outdoor Life’s summary says the men survived, but the incident details are not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
Did the report confirm that Kezar was injured?
The supplied account does not state whether Kezar or his hunting partner suffered injuries. It describes them as having survived the encounter but gives no medical details.
Did Kezar use bear spray?
The account discusses Kezar’s views about firearms and bear spray while explaining his preparation, but it does not say whether he carried or used bear spray during the charge.
Has a wildlife agency confirmed the incident?
No agency confirmation is included in the source material. The report presents Kezar’s first-person recollection and does not identify an official investigation or agency statement.
Source: rss
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