CODY — A father and son from Cody, Wyo. came within yards of death when they were charged by a grizzly bear during a hunting trip near Meeteetse. What could have been a deadly encounter turned into a miraculous escape, thanks to the son’s quick thinking and fast actions.
For Vince and his son Garrett Kalkowski, hunting has always been a family tradition.
“He's just always really loved hunting, and when he was old enough, I started taking him," said Vince about his son.
On October 3rd, the pair set out on a routine hunting trip with friends, more than 20 miles outside of Meeteetse. It was a successful day for Garrett, but Vince still needed to fill his elk tag. They had spotted a bull elk earlier in the day, but after it vanished, they continued climbing a nearby ridge, hoping for another opportunity.
“I've always looked at from a distance thinking I just always thought it would probably be a good place for elk to hang out," said Vince.
After reaching the top, Garrett stopped to take a video of the peaceful scenery. Less than 30 seconds later, they heard snapping coming from the woods. Garrett reached for his 10mm pistol out of precaution.
"I turned around and just like that, it happened. It was a burst of timber snapping and cracking. You could hear something was in the trees,” said Garrett. "Right when I heard that initial snap, I didn't think it was good."
Suddenly only four yards away, a grizzly bear emerged and charged right in their direction.
“She was low and her ears were back. She was not playing around. She had a mission and it was to, I don't know, do something to me," said Garrett.
There were only seconds to react. Luckily, he had a round-chambered, a decision he made earlier in the year to start doing. Without hesitation, he fired.
“Immediately, as soon as I could, hit my hand on my other hand, it was boom, boom, boom, as fast as I could pull that trigger. It was anything I could do to stop her from coming at me," said Garrett.
The moment was a blur for Vince. He said the decision to keep a round in the chamber that day likely saved their lives.
“I was just standing there, probably more shocked at what I just saw Garrett do than the overall bear. I was just like, you gotta be kidding me," said Vince. “I'm still in disbelief that everything went perfectly because it had to, or we'd be telling a different story.”
Garrett unloaded the rest of his magazine into the bear, who then rolled back into the woods. They quietly made their way back to their group, but still in disbelief at what had just happened and recounted the event.
“She looked like she was floating, and I just remember thinking, here it is. Then, I remember just having a clearing of my mind, getting ready to experience whatever it was, which I was pretty sure was going to be a bear on top of Garrett, and me having to shoot it off of him somehow," recalled Vince.
Now a month later, the incident still feels surreal for both men. The harrowing close call has left them with a deep sense of gratitude, knowing how narrowly they escaped death.
“My dad calls me a lot. We both think about a lot and we do the what-ifs, but you know, we can't do the what-ifs. We do the, it happened the way it happened for a reason, and thankfully it happened the way it happened,” said Garrett. "It was a huge burst of confidence for me too knowing that it was that close and I reacted the way I did, and I did have the tools and I used them correctly.”
The decision to keep a bullet in the chamber was a topic of discussion for the father and son about safety concerns, but after living through a close call, he will now do the same.
“This year, Garrett and I kind of got into debate of whether to carry one in the chamber on his Glock," said Vince. "I'm like, 'man, I don't know,' but Garrett made his own decision. He said, 'I'm carrying one in the chamber,' and I can tell you now that I do too."
The Kalkowskis are now reflecting on how lucky they were to walk away from the encounter unharmed, and they continue to count their blessings for the split-second decisions that kept them alive. You can still find them out hunting, but now said they will forever remember that day as a reminder of how to stay safe.
“Anyone that's hunting around this area or even in grace country in general, just know your equipment, know how to use it, know how to react quick, and just be aware of whatever it might be," said Garrett. "That's definitely what I owe it to."
