Alaska man punches grizzly during morning encounter

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FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fairbanks man punched a grizzly after the bear entered the camping tent he and his girlfriend were sleeping in at Sourdough Creek Campground.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that Jason Lauesen and Liz Pawelko were awakened about 6 a.m. on Labor Day by shaking and the entrance of a bear head, or maybe a paw, into Lauesen's side of their tent.

At the time, Lauesen didn't have his glasses on, and doesn't know what part of the bear he made contact with. But whatever part of the bear entered the tent shredded the inflatable pad he was sleeping on.

After the encounter, the couple found the jacket Lauesen had been using as a pillow soaked in bear saliva that reeked of fish.