Watch: Bear Opens Car Door, Scares Tourists

by
posted on June 14, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

As most hunters know, a bear's paw isn't built all that differently than a human hand—at least from a bone structure standpoint. This means, as you might imagine, that bruins are capable of using their paws to perform a number of very human-like tasks—such as opening doors. Every so often, you hear about one of the nosy little buggers walking right through unlocked doors. They seem to have even more success with vehicle doors, which one family recently learned the hard way. In a video posted to YouTube last week (and embedded above), a curious black bear opens the passenger door of a car—with a family of tourists still very much inside.

Fortunately, despite the shrieks, no one was hurt. I'd worry that some of the passengers may need a change of pants, though.

The video offers few details as to where and when the incident occurred, though some sources are saying that it was filmed in Yellowstone. The enormous National Park has been in the news a fair bit of late, most recently because of a similar video, which showed a woman being charged by a cow elk after getting too close while trying to take a selfie. With luck, this most recent video will show the uninitiated that no, bears won't be thwarted by car doors.

I've embedded the video above. I'd encourage you to give it a look. Friendly recommendation: turn down the volume before clicking play.

Latest

W H2026 04 F Hog Texas Graves 425888
W H2026 04 F Hog Texas Graves 425888

Texas, Hogs and Thermals

Follow along as Brian McCombie indulges in his favorite trio: Texas, hogs and thermals.

New for 2026: Real Avid AR-15/AR-10 Master Collections

Real Avid has taken its AR-15 and AR-10 tooling and maintenance products and bundled them into anew Master Collections series, providing AR-platform fans with one-stop solutions to meet their specific AR needs.

Turkey Decoys All Season Long

Opening day of turkey season was rainy and cold. However, thanks to scouting and trail cameras, Scott Haugen had a plan. Matter of fact, from the first day to the last, Scott has a way to set the decoys to bring the birds in. Curious? Read on for some great strategies.

New for 2026: Hornady .223 WSSM and .243 WSSM Superformance Varmint

Hornady has announced the availability of .223 WSSM 55-grain V-Max and .243 WSSM 75-grain V-Max loads in the Superformance Varmint line.

#SundayGunday: Benelli M4 EXT

On this week's #SundayGunday, we’re checking out a true stalwart of the firearms world, the Benelli M4. Long held in high regard by concerned citizens looking for a pedigreed self-defense shotgun, quite a few have been plugged to reduce capacity, and used in the turkey woods over the years, as a true multi-purpose scattergun. Why? Well, as it turns out, there is very little that separates a good defensive shotgun from a good turkey gun. Learn more about it in this exclusive video.

Roundup: Turkey Guns & Gear

Check out our roundup of the best new turkey guns and gear in 2026.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.