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

S&W Academy
S&W Academy

Smith & Wesson Announces Grand Opening of Training Academy

Smith & Wesson has announced the grand opening of the new Smith & Wesson Academy.

Preseason Report: Benelli Nova 3

As the 2025 fall season gets underway, check out this clip of Senior Executive Editor Jon Draper putting the Benelli Nova 3 through its paces, and chatting with Benelli USA VP of Marketing Tim Joseph about the gun's design and capabilities.

New for 2025: Cole Exclusive Rizzini BR220 Limited

Cole Fine Guns and Gunsmithing has introduced the Cole Exclusive Rizzini BR220 Limited 28-gauge/29-inch just in time for hunting season.

#SundayGunday: Bergara BMR-X Steel

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re taking a look at a precision rimfire rifle from Bergara, the BMR-X Steel. Available in . 22 LR, .22 Win. Mag., and .17 HMR, this handy little bolt-action is sure to pile up the small-game, and with the cost of rimfire ammo being a fraction of centerfire ammo, it’ll provide plenty of fun plinking practice in the off-season.

IHEA-USA Announces New Hunter Rewards Program and Investigation Instructor Academy

The International Hunter Education Association–USA (IHEA-USA), in partnership with Guidefitter, has launched PathPerks, a reward and recognition program designed for new hunter education graduates.

Remington Announces 4th Annual Shoot to Cure Fundraiser

Remington Ammunition will be hosting its 4th Annual Shoot to Cure sporting clays fundraiser on September 19, 2025.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.