Minnesota man defends himself against 525-pound bear with 5-inch knife

Minnesota man defends himself against 525-pound bear with 5-inch knife
(Image credit: iStock)

Brandon Johnson, a Minnesotan hunter, told USA Today that he survived a bear attack with nothing but a five-inch knife.

Johnson told the paper that he was tracking a black bear his friend shot in a hunting range near Sand Stone, Minnesota. The 525-pound bear knocked Johnson out, but when he regained consciousness and fought the bear with a hunting knife.

"It's just going to town on my hand, and I just keep stabbing it and stabbing it and stabbing away, and I am screaming and yelling," Johnson told USA Today. "Once I got to the point where I thought I was going to die, and I got myself to the point where I was ready to die, there was no more fear."

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The bear charged Johnson three times, but Johnson was eventually able to stab his knife into the bear's mouth. Johnson survived, albeit with extensive injuries, and his friends created a fundraising website to help him pay his medical bills. --Meghan DeMaria

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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.