Bears Destroy Mock Campsite, Lone Cooler Survives

by
posted on March 19, 2014
** 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. **

Few outdoorsmen and women would ever be naive enough to doubt the capabilities of an adult grizzly, but there's still a formidable gap between imagining what the bears can do and actually seeing it. The folks at ZooMontana decided that the world at large could use a refresher on just how much damage a hungry bear might do, and figured there was only one way to really get the message across: Let a couple of grizzlies go to town on a mock campsite.

According to The Billings Gazette, ZooMontana sic a pair of its grizzly bears—Bruno and Ozzy, respectively—on a faux campsite that the staff had put together. A tent, sleeping bags, a garbage can, some chairs and a collection of coolers—about what you'd expect at your average American campsite—were mocked up and sealed in an enclosure with the duo. Bear kibble, fruit and peanut butter (the latter two of which, again, would be found in just about any real campsite) were placed inside the food containers as incentive, and the big grizzlies wasted no time in getting to work.

Through a combination of brute force and a little persistence, the bears tore the example site to shreds in short order. Only one piece of gear survived the assault: Cabela's Alaskan Guide Cooler by Grizzly Coolers. The heavy-duty unit is built to withstand the worst, and it showed. The cooler's double-wall construction was challenged by each bear, in turn. It was a little worse for the wear by the time each grizzly had given up, but it didn't open or break. That's durability.

Get a closer look at the staged carnage in the video embedded below.

Latest

Leupold Binos
Leupold Binos

Review: Leupold BX-3 Alpine HD 12x50mm

Contributor Phil Massaro reviews the Leupold BX-3 Alpine HD 12x50 binocular, which offers a stellar image at an attractive price.

New for 2026: Browning Trail Cameras' Defender Vision Pro LSF

The Defender Vision Pro LSF is Browning Trail Cameras' 2026 livestream cellular trail camera, built for users seeking immediate visibility and real-time awareness from the field. It is designed for both property and game monitoring.

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.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.