Grizzly bear

The  is an animal found in Red Dead Redemption. They are essentially a slower, tougher Cougar, with the same ability to kill the player in two hits at full health or one if they have any less. They are large predatory animals found in Tall Trees.

Description
Like all animals, they can be killed, skinned and traded for large amounts of money at General Stores throughout the game. A bear can be identified in-game by its loud growl, and by its panting, thumping sound when running. In singleplayer, two strikes from a bear can kill Marston, and one strike is enough in multiplayer. Like many predator animals, they will often respawn very rapidly, so it is not uncommon to encounter another bear immediately after skinning one.

There are two types of Bears in the game: a lighter colored kind (Brown bear) and a darker grey kind (Grizzly bear). 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. When it is dead, it is recommended to wait until two or three more come and kill them off, because even though while the player skins they are impervious to attack, the bears will sometimes wait until you are immediately done to strike and Marston will still lose health. Note that there is also a Undead Bear version that can be found in Undead Nightmare.

Locations
Bears are usually found in common locations like:
 * Anywhere in the wooded area of 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. Also take the road north out of Manzanita Post where the land begins to flatten out on the left (west) there are usually bears (3) in that area. Sometimes Bears can been seen on the road north of Manzanita Post attacking passers-by.
 * West of Wreck of the Serendipity. Bears can also be found in the marsh surronding the Wreck of the Serendipity with the help of bait although this is rare.
 * The surrounding area of Beecher's Hope.
 * Bears sometimes spawn on the little stretch of land west of the Aurora Basin cabin. If possible, retreat into the cabin, but keep a good eye on the door. The bear will not follow you inside, so you can shoot it easily.
 * Sometimes, while crossing the train bridge near Montana Ford, a bear can be seen chasing a man in the New Austin side.
 * Bears can be found in the Great Plains on extremely rare occasions. More commonly, if you put bait near the forest area right outside of Beecher's Hope near the Great Plains, one or two bears will come running to attack you directly.

One Shot kill
The player can kill a bear in one shot, right in between its eyes, using these weapons:
 * Buffalo Rifle
 * Bolt Action Rifle
 * Carcano Rifle
 * Shotgun (The Pump-action and Semi-auto are best, and even then it's best to wait for it to get close before you shoot)
 * Tomahawk
 * Throwing Knives
 * Explosive Rifle
 * Dynamite
 * Rolling Block Rifle
 * Springfield Rifle
 * LeMat Revolver

On foot

 * The player runs slightly faster than the bear. This makes them somewhat less dangerous than the Cougar, which is impossible to run away from on foot. This makes them less dangerous still if the player is on horseback.
 * 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. Regularly use the 'look behind' function, as the game can spawn bears very close to the player's position.
 * Always keep the Semi-Automatic Shotgun drawn if in bear country, in case one is suddenly encountered at close range.
 * If the player climbs onto a rock or boulder, neither bears nor cougars can reach them. 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.
 * It is impossible to block a bear attack with the knife block feature.
 * Entering Dead Eye just before a bear strikes may reduce the amount of damage the player takes.

General Tips

 * Listen for their easy-to-hear growl just before the attack.
 * Downloading the free single player outfits DLC and unlocking the Expert Hunter Outfit will double the resources you get from all animals, including bears.
 * Throwing Knives and Tomahawk are almost always a one-hit kill when hit in the face.
 * Using a stagecoach, cart or any similar vehicle ensures safety from predators, 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!
 * 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.
 * If there are two bears, kill one as fast as possible because once one knocks you down, the other one will come and kill you while you are down.
 * Skinning a bear may unspawn others nearby, but this cannot be relied upon.
 * Make sure you set up camp after skinning around 10 bears, because when a bear kills you you lose all your bear provisions.
 * A good technique to safely hunt bears involves going in the Aurora Basin, which stays shallow for a very long way out, that way the bears cannot get you and its quick to get in and out of, which is usefulll incase others show up while skinning, and the water kills them should they come in.
 * A good way to save your progress when killing bears is to purchase 2 horse deeds (The breed doesn't matter) and after you skin every bear, select one of the deed in your satchel. This automatically saves your game.
 * During "Spare The Love, Spoil The Child", it is possible to get the bear stuck inside its cave. This allows the player to easily stab the bear and earn rank eight for the Master Hunter Challenges.

Melee killing
There are a few ways to kill a bear with a knife:
 * You can 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. Another great way is to shoot it once in the head (not in the eyes) with the Henry Repeater, as this should weaken it enough to allow a one-hit kill with the knife.
 * Three shots to the bear's body with the Semi-auto Shotgun should make him die with one swing of the knife.
 * This is also a usefull tactic: Place bait at Aurora Basin, equip the knife, and stand on the edge of the bank. The bear will charge you knocking both of you into the water and he can't fight or get out, just walk up and knife him. In multiplayer, a very easy way to kill a bear with a knife to get "Spartan Survival" is get on your horse and run to the side and slash with your knife. This may takes a few slashes.
 * Shooting the bear seven 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, you 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/back 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 medicine, 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. Althought, should one attack your horse, it will die in a single attack and you will be left vunerable and unable to move for a good 2 seconds, enough to be killed.
 * Another good way to kill a bear is to be on foot and start to chase it. While it is running around call your horse and try to get close to the bear, it will attack your horse instead of you. This is another easy way to complete the Master Hunter Challenge that requires you to kill a bear with a knife.
 * To use 2 techniques in one attack try to kill the bear in one slice in the head with the right timing and if the bear pounces on you use your medicine straight away and then turn around to slice again and that should scare the bear to make it easier to kill.
 * Be aware when a bear is knifed one time, he will start to run away, this makes the Master Hunter Challenge very hard.
 * Another good way is shoot the bear 5-6 times with the Winchester Repeater in the body, but no more as 7 WILL kill it, then knife it.

Weapon recommendation

 * The Buffalo Rifle and both sniper rifles are effective if the player has time to take aim; in general, a player in bear country should equip the Semi-Auto Shotgun in case they encounter one suddenly.
 * 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.

Trivia

 * When skinned, the bear has the same model as other large animals like cattle and the buffalo.
 * Bears will rear in front of you if you 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.)
 * The goods recovered from a single Bear when skinned will sell for a total of well over $100 in Mexico.
 * Sharpshooter rank 7 of singleplayer requires you to kill 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. Shotgun shells cannot be used as they do not count as bullets.
 * If using bait to lure animals in West Elizabeth, be cautious as you may attract a bear.
 * In singleplayer, if someone runs into a bear in a settlement (usually Manzanita Post or Beecher's Hope) the bears will not attack, as they are scripted to be peaceful in these locations.
 * 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 alive. 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.
 * A 100% healthy bear can survive more than 15 knife slashes, so it is definitely recommended that you shoot the bear first then knife kill it for Master Hunter Rank 8.
 * In Multiplayer, if you ram a bear with a Super Bull about 20 times, you will kill the bear
 * Sometimes, when you go through Tall Trees on Single Player, you will see wolves chasing and attacking a bear. Either the bear will kill all the wolves or the wolves will eventually kill the bear. If the bear kills the wolves, shoot and kill the bear, skin, and skin the wolf pack. But if the wolves kill the bear, shoot and kill the wolf pack, skin them, and then skin the bear.
 * When chasing the player, bears are programmed to stop and turn around upon reaching the border of Tall Trees. However, in some instances bears may spawn on the wrong side of the border, i.e. in the Great Plains, and Hennigan's Stead on rare occasions. This allows for the bear to chase the player anywhere within the confines of that region, which can prove to be entertaining, especially when said bear runs amok in Blackwater.

Trophies/Achievements
There are two available rewards involving the hunting of Bears.

Videos
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