By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Jim VanSteenhouse came face-to-face with a grizzly bear and lived to share his story at the Hays Super Buck Dinner.
His Feb. 1 appearance at the North Oak Community Church also included antler competitions and giveaways to foster connections between faith and outdoor enthusiasm.
Following a dinner, VanSteenhouse took the stage to share his harrowing September 2015 encounter and the lasting scars it left behind.
VanSteenhouse is an adventurer and archery enthusiast from Houston who ventured to Canada’s Mackenzie Mountain Range to pursue a moose hunt.
After being dropped off by helicopter, VanSteenhouse and his Canadian guide, Jordan Wagner, found themselves in a remote area where they spotted a large grizzly bear but initially dismissed it.
On Sept. 5, the fourth day of the trip and miles from base camp, VanSteenhouse’s role shifted from hunting to being hunted when he was suddenly ambushed.
"When Jordan said 'Bear,' he wasn't looking at me. It's like he was looking straight through me," he said.
Wagner fires a shot to scare off the bear, and despite VanSteenhouse's efforts to escape, the bear charges and attacks VanSteenhouse.
The bear lunges at VanSteenhouse, targeting his head and shoulders as he attempts to shield himself. The grizzly bites into both shoulders, his right hip, left thigh, a calf and a hand.
"As my hand got caught up in his mouth, it just started snapping like twigs," VanSteenhouse said. "I'll never forget the way that he smelled. He smelled like death."
Caught in the grizzly’s powerful jaws, he believed his life was ending and questioned if he was ready for heaven. At that moment, his thoughts turned to his wife and daughter.
"I open my eyes, and out of the left corner of my eye, I see the bear's nostrils right there. His nostrils were close, and I could feel the air just sucking into his nose," he said.
VanSteenhouse was then dragged more than 100 yards down the rain-soaked mountain. When he tried to wipe the water from his face, he realized his fingers were twisted in unnatural directions.
He then attempts to wipe his face with his forearm, only to realize it was blood streaming from his head. Struggling to his feet, VanSteenhouse stumbles up the hill in search of Wagner, leaving a trail of red on the green moss beneath him.
VanSteenhouse reunites with Wagner, and after several failed rescue attempts using a satellite phone, a helicopter finally arrives to evacuate him.
VanSteenhouse credits his survival in the near-fatal attack to the "grace of God" and the courage of Wagner, an experience that forever changed his life.
Not only did he escape death, he found renewed faith, strengthened his marriage, and founded Bear Man Ministries to share his story and inspire others.
You can find more information on his website.