Tyler Johnson grew up in Sterling, Alaska, raised in the outdoors alongside his dad, a longtime game warden. Hunting, fishing, hiking, and navigating wild places weren’t just pastimes — they were normal to life on the Kenai Peninsula.
In this episode, Tyler recounts his sudden encounter with a grizzly bear in August 2024 at Resurrection Pass in gripping detail. What happened in those moments, what went right, what went wrong, and how even preparing for this exact scenario still wasn’t enough. He walks through the decisions made under pressure, the reality of how fast things unfolded, and what survival actually looks like when theory meets real life.
But the story doesn’t end with the attack.
Tyler also opens up about the aftermath — the physical recovery, the emotional weight, and the unexpected wave of national and international attention that followed. We talk about how that experience reshaped his perspective and ultimately led him toward a new mission: developing a device aimed at preventing similar encounters and helping keep both people and wildlife safer in the future.
This is more than a survival story. It’s about preparation, humility, responsibility, and how one moment in the Alaska backcountry became the start of something bigger.
Follow Tyler on social media:
Instagram @grizzlylife907
Facebook @Tyler B Johnson
TikTok @tyler.johnsonak
