Watch Here for Exclusive Interview and Tips for Staying Safe in Bear Country

BIG SKY, Mont.– Outlaw Partners and Hey Bear, in conjunction with Explore Big Sky’s Hoary Marmot podcast, recently shared an exclusive interview with grizzly bear attack survivor, Rudy Noorlander, a 61-year-old Navy veteran and owner of Alpine Adventures, a snowmobile and ATV rental company in Big Sky, Montana. On September 8, 2023, Noorlander was attacked by a grizzly bear when helping two experienced hunters who rented side-by-sides from his company track down a mule deer they shot in the area. All three were carrying bear spray and guns. (Watch grizzly attack survivor interview here).

“We were within five feet of the bear, and Rudy and I had my gun drawn,” one hunter stated when recounting the event. “I was trying to shoot the bear in the head, but the bear had Rudy by the mouth and was ripping him around like a rag doll.”

Noorlander suffered extensive injuries including having his lower jaw ripped off, a broken esophagus and trachea, a punctured lung, and bite and claw marks all over his body. He was airlifted to the University of Utah hospital where he endured extensive surgeries after the accident and is now home in Montana, ready to get back out in the wilderness for work and pleasure with more bear precautions than ever before.

“It’s important for people to be aware that Montana is bear country and the possibility of encountering grizzly bears exists anywhere west of Billings,” said Morgan Jacobsen, communication and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “Taking steps to be prepared really makes a difference in your personal safety and those around you.”

Some of the safety precautions suggested while in bear country during the podcast interview include carrying bear spray, diligently watching for bear signs, hunting in a group and, if you do need to return to retrieve meat from a kill, observing your kill site through binoculars while making noise.

While safety precautions can be a key aspect of staying safe in bear country, staying consistently educated on bear sightings, learning the correct way to use bear spray, and seeking info from experts are also imperative when planning summer trips in the Montana wilderness. Companies such as Big Sky-based retail and bear safety awareness store, Hey Bear, work with MFWP to ensure that educational programming is available to all residents and visitors, that the latest information on bear sightings and encounters is shared proactively, and that bear spray, along with Hey Bear’s SCAT Belt, is readily available for rent or purchase with a solid explanation and tutorial on usage.

“Hey Bear is an educational platform with important information about how to live and travel within bear country,” said Conner Clemens, Hey Bear’s brand manager and educational director. “Our main mission is for everyone to feel more confident and informed on how to coexist with bears whether on vacation or living in areas where humans and bears coexist. We want the information we provide to be a tool in learning how to be bear aware and staying safe in bear country.”

To find out more about bear awareness and how to be more prepared for bear encounters while exploring in bear country, visit www.heybear.com.

TO HEAR RUDY NOORLANDER RECOUNTING THE GRIZZLY BEAR ATTACK, LISTEN TO THE PODCAST