Grizzly bear

The Bear is an animal found in Red Dead Redemption. They are arguably the toughest, meanest and most dangerous animals in the game, easily comparable to Cougars who have a speed advantage. They are large predatory animals found throughout the western United States at the time of Red Dead Redemption.

Description
Like all animals, they can be killed, skinned and traded for large amounts of cash at General Stores throughout the game. A bear can be identified in-game by its loud growl, and by its panting and ground-shaking sound when running. In singleplayer, 2 strikes from a bear can kill Marston, and one strike is enough in multiplayer. After killing a bear, chances are another one or two will show up, responding to the gunshots or the scent of the dead bear's blood. This can be paradise for a hunter, but when trying to get out of a bad situation this can be extremely annoying.

There are two types of Grizzly Bears in the game: a lighter colored kind (most likely female) and a darker grey kind (most likely the males). The darker bears will take a few more shots than the lighter kind, sometimes taking up to three buffalo rifle shots in the body before dying.

Location
Bears usually found in common locations like:
 * The snow capped area of Tall Trees.
 * Sometimes found drinking from the rivers in Tall Trees.
 * Wandering around Manzanita Post during the afternoon. They will not be attacked by the residents.
 * Directly east of Manzanita Post, sometimes in packs.
 * Anywhere in the wooded area of Tall Trees.
 * Around Bearclaw Camp.
 * West of Wreck of the Serendipity.
 * Grizzly Bears frequently spawn on the riverbank east of Nekoti Rock.
 * The surrounding area of Beecher's Hope.
 * Bears sometimes spawn on the little stretch of land west of the Aurora Basin cabin.
 * When fully zoomed out of the map, there is a spot underneath the A and L of Tall Trees. In that area, when you shoot one bear, another one will spawn and try to attack you. Using a powerful gun, you can kill them repeatedly.

Hunting Tips
When hunting bears, having your horse with you can be a lifesaver because:
 * When on foot, a horse will flee when a bear is coming.
 * They will half rear if a bear approaches.
 * Your character runs the same speed as a bear, making for a difficult escape.

When alone on foot

 * Bears may be big, but they make almost no sound (however, they do breathe very heavily). When alone, it is recommended to turn off your music, walk slowly, and listen carefully.
 * Repeatedly pressing the run button will allow you to run faster than holding it. (This only works in single-player mode.)
 * Listen for their easy-to-hear growl just before the attack.
 * Throwing knives, unusually, are almost always a one-hit kill.
 * If you climb onto a rock or boulder, neither bears nor cougars can reach you. However, before climbing back down, ensure there are no predatory animals in the area, as they tend to travel in packs and make almost no noise.
 * Using a stagecoach, cart or any similar vehicle ensures safety from predation, as all animals -- from beavers to bears -- will not only leave you alone, they sometimes flee.
 * After killing a bear, the chances of meeting another bear quickly (and dramatically) increase.It is quite probable that after killing one or more bears, you will be faced by almost unending waves of bears, this can be very profitable and you might be able to earn "Bearly Legal" in one session if this occurs. Needless to say, however, that this is also a very dangerous situation. This is probably a bug, as Rockstar obviously did not mean for bears to be "cannon fodder" so there are usually only about 3 or 4 bears at one point in the whole of Tall Trees, however in this situation they are all attacking you!. (NOTE: Bears tend to spawn in 3's. Upon dispatching the first, remain still and rotate camera 360 degrees. If no more appear within 1-2 minutes, you can usually skin your kill in relative safety.)
 * The situation referenced above can become incredibly dangerous when hunting more than one bear at a time. There have been several reported instances of players triggering a nearly unending rush of bears when they encountered, and subsequently killed, a small family of bears just southeast of Tanner's Reach. The end result was a pile of upwards of twenty-five grizzly bears -- and one thoroughly shaken hunter.
 * Hunting bears just south of Beecher's Hope can prove to be extremely dangerous as well, since it is an open area and bears must spawn behind the player.

Melee killing
There are a few ways to kill a bear with a knife:
 * You can also use a rifle or repeater and shoot it around three times in its body, which should in turn make them weak enough to finish them off with the hunting knife.
 * Shooting the bear eight times in the feet with the LeMat Revolver will weaken the bear just enough to be able to kill it using the knife.
 * If you want to perform a melee kill on a bear in "true John Marston-fashion", lock on to a charging bear with your combat knife (NOTE: in this instance, timing is everything). Be patient and hold your ground. Center your screen on the bear's head. Once the bear comes just close enough to almost touch you, swing your combat knife. If done correctly, your will kill it with one clean slash across the bear's face. If not, you will most likely die, so having previously saved your game in Manzanita Post is a good idea. One may practice the required timing in multiplayer, making it easier for your single-player challenge.
 * One famous bear spawn point in multiplayer is Bearclaw Camp. This location just happens to have a large road in the middle that often has one or more persons walking or on horse back. If a bear gets too close, it will charge them. However, the horseback rider will not fight back and will attempt to outrun the bear. This becomes an excellent chance to strike. At this instance, you may sneak up on the bear while it is charging the horse. If you can get at least three quick stabs, the bear will die before it has a chance to even turn around.


 * If you are struggling to melee kill a bear for the Master Hunter challenge, be aware that there are three separate missions in West Elizabeth (At Home with Dutch, For Purely Scientific Reasons, and Spare the Love, Spoil the Child) that involve facing off versus a bear. All of these missions "checkpoint" you immediately before the appearance of the bear.
 * Bears get confused and scared when you lasso them, making them flee instead of attacking, so shoot your bear a few times to weaken it, then lasso it. While holding the rope, get up behind the bear and stab it a few times. This will allow for a relatively safe bear hunting session, and is also an easy way to complete the Master Hunter Challenge that requires you to kill a bear with a knife.
 * One good way to kill a bear involves stocking up on medicine. Get 5 medicines and then save your game. After that, go to Tall Trees and look for a bear. When you see a bear, get off your horse and let the bear hit you one time. Immediately press select and use medicine. As soon as you are able, run towards the bear, get behind him and start slashing. It is very easy to keep running around and stay behind the bear and slash at this point. You should be able to kill it with no problems. You probably won't need more than two doses of medecine, as bears turn slowly and only attack face-on.
 * Another way is to equip a knife while riding a horse. Simply ride around and slash at the bears. With the horse, you gain a large speed advantage, so you can ride up to the bears, slash-attack and get to a safe distance where the bear cannot attack you. Simply repeat this process of hit-and-run until the bear dies.

Weapon recommendation
Buffalo Rifle, Henry Repeater, Springfield Rifle, Bolt-Action Rifle, Carcano Rifle or Semi-auto Shotgun, Evans Repeater.


 * It is recommended to wait to skin your kills until all spawned bears (usually at least 3) have been dealt with. Once they have been slain, you will likely complete two skinnings before another grizzly shows up.


 * For the Sharpshooter Challenge, use a Buffalo Rifle, Bolt Action Rifle or a Springfield Rifle coupled with Dead-Eye to hit the bear in the head when it is dangerously close. Alternatively, equip the Carcano Rifle and find a bear in the snow-capped region of Tall Trees. Make sure to spot it at a distance. Charge toward the bear until it sees you, or if he is facing away, fire a shot into the air, which will make the bear charge. Once it does, view it through your sniper scope and enter Dead-Eye mode, making sure to target between his eyes. This should result in a one-shot kill with a direct hit.
 * In Bearclaw Camp, there is a broken house that you can visit. When you go in, bears will attack but cannot enter the house. This is a good way to snipe bears as they will often rear for a few seconds. This allows enough time to fire a shot into their forehead. In multiplayer, killing enough bears releases the legendary bear, Brumas. He features lighter-brown fur and sports a scar across one of his eyes.

Trivia

 * When skinned, the bear has a similar model as other large animals like the cattle, and the buffalo.
 * Bears will rear in front of you if enter a spot where they can not attack you. For example, standing on a rock or a structure. (However, there is an occasional glitch where the bear will stand on its hind legs and still not attack the player.)
 * If confronted by two or more bears and the player kills one, the other bear(s) will flee. (Rare)
 * There are also bears that can be hunted, which give the player bear fur and meat, but can not be identified by their fur or structure. These can apparently only be hunted by random encounters involving a hunter chasing the bear down.They were possibily the original version of the bear, changed during development but left untouched in this one area.
 * Sharpshooter rank 7 of singleplayer requires you to shoot 3 bears each with 1 bullet. Some may find this confusing and believe it requires one to kill 3 bears by shooting the gun once. However, it means kill 3 bears using 1 bullet for each bear. The best way to achieve this is to visit the Tall Trees area and shoot the bear in the head with a powerful repeater or rifle. (Example: Buffalo Rifle Semi-Auto shotgun with close proximity, coupled with Dead-Eye mode also works.) NOTE: The game counts buckshot as more than one bullet
 * If using bait to lure animals in West Elizabeth, be cautious as you may attract a bear. (NOTE: Bears do not attack only in the woods. You may get assaulted out in the Great Plains, but this is a rarity (It could be a bug, or simply the character's proximity to the woods.)
 * In real life, bears act nothing like they do in the game. In reality, bears will only attack if threatened, and are territorial (this trait does appear and is commented on in one mission, when Harold MacDougal sees a passive bear and begins shooting at it in panic, provoking the bear to attack and earning him scorn from Nastas). They are also usually seen alone.
 * In real life, bears will usually ignore humans and move away from them if they make loud noises. On most occasions in the game, bears will only attack the player if charged or taken by surprise in the forest. However, being taken by surprise may include walking past it without you noticing thus causing a seemingly unprovoked attack.
 * In Single Player mode, it usually takes two hits from a bear to die if your health is full. Although in Multiplayer, they can kill you in one hit every time. This is true for cougars as well.
 * It has been reported that, in Single Player mode, a player once experienced a bear just outside of Beecher's Hope that did not attack. Rather, the bear ran away as the player walked toward it. This could be a glitch, or perhaps the bear not seeing any threat due to a wide range in which to see the player.
 * When completing the Master Hunter Challenge Rank 8 (Kill a bear with your melee knife and collect its pelt), it is advised to lasso the bear, then immediately charge with your knife. If hit by the Grizzly, immediate use of medicine is advisable.
 * Replay the mission "At home with Dutch" after completing the storyline. Kill the bear and go to the checkpoint where the cougar is, kill the cougar and step in the checkpoint. Don't go to the next checkpoint but jump off to the cliff to commit suicide. Select "Retry from checkpoint" and you will now spawn back at the cougar spot. The bear however is back alife. descend to the bear location. The bear is now tame and won't attack you, he will just stand there and walk around. The bear will not even attack you if you shoot/punch it. The bear is also heavily prone to getting stuck in this area.

Achievements/Trophies
There are two available achievements/trophies involving the hunting of Grizzly Bears.

Videos
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