Missouri Man Shares Video of Close Bear Encounter in the Ozarks

This Missouri man must have ice water coursing through his veins. He shared video of a close encounter he had with a big ole black bear in the Missouri Ozarks, but he didn't seemed to be concerned at all about the fact that an apex predator was just ahead of him on a trail.

Get our free mobile app

Enoch Two Eagles must be an experienced Missouri backcountry guy. First of all, he notices this bear ahead of him when my eyes couldn't pick up a thing. Then he casually talks to the big animal as he passes on the road in front of him. Technically, he did just about everything right. Almost. Watch.

The National Forest Service advises anyone living in bear country to be "bear aware". What "Enoch" did right was speaking loudly and making the bear aware of his presence. The one thing you never want to happen is to surprise a bear. They are normally shy albeit curious creatures that avoid human contact. If they feel like they are in danger or surprised, you run the risk of a charge and/or attack. that's especially true if it's a mama bear with cubs.

This is another example of the ever-growing bear population in Missouri. What used to be a rare encounter is now becoming even more common in the Show Me State.