Stewart was filming an episode called “Patagonia Pumas,” so the encounter was not a surprise. However, despite his calm composure and jokes about the puma eating his snacks, you can tell Stewart is a little uncomfortable with how close the animal is.  

Stewart says he and his team were filming this puma in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park when it began to follow them.

“It’s vital the national park is protected, and it’s always a privilege to be able to shine a small spotlight on these wild places and hopefully add to the massive list of reasons why humans need to protect the natural world as best as possible,” wrote Stewart on his post on Instagram.

Many also refer to pumas as cougars and mountain lions in the U.S. The animal lives in both North and South America. In the U.S., the animal’s range includes many states west of the Mississippi River.

The post WATCH: Wildlife Photographer Keeps His Cool While Puma Stalks Him appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

These five sites represent different chapters in America’s history. The National Park System (NPS) allows these historical marvels to stick around for future generations to admire, allowing us to connect with the human history of years gone by. Experiencing these sites firsthand can leave a lasting impact. Ready to add some of these to your national park bucket list?

1. Camp in an Abandoned Town—Big Bend National Park, Texas

Big Bend National Park is larger than some small countries, so it’s no surprise that there are a few unusual discoveries within its borders. The Terlingua Abajo campsite is one of them. One of the several abandoned towns in Big Bend, it was formerly a mining town in the 1800s, home to around 300 workers. Today, you can see several forgotten ruins, including a cemetery and historic buildings, from times gone by. The campsite lies 20 miles (32 km) south of the current town of Terlingua and offers incredible views of the Santa Elena Canyon. The night sky is full of twinkling stars due to the lack of light pollution. 

2. Visit a Castle From the 1920s—Death Valley National Park, California

It’s hard to believe that Death Valley National Park, the desert landscape famous for its extreme weather, has its own Spanish-style castle. Built in the 1920s, Scotty’s Castle or the “Death Valley Ranch” is hidden in the Grapevine Canyon and is an unusual sight to see in the middle of the hot desert. It was once a residence for influential figures of the 1920s and 1930s. It is named after a gold dealer named Walter Scott or “Death Valley Scotty,” although it was never actually owned by him. Architecturally speaking, it is a villa, not a castle, but it’s still an interesting place to visit. Today, you can take guided tours of the property and its gardens.

3. Explore Inside an 18th-Century Tavern—Minute Man National Historical Park, Massachusetts

Hartwell Tavern is a restored colonial inn located along the Battle Road in Minute Man National Historical Park. This area was the first battleground during the American Revolutionary War and the tavern served as a refuge for soldiers. The park is named after the volunteer American militia, “The Minute Men,” who bravely fought in the war. During the visitor season, you can go inside the tavern and relive the experiences of the people who gathered and drank there in the 1770s with interpreters bringing history to life.

4. Hike Through Thousands of Years of History—Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park is home to thousands of years of human history. The Horseshoe Canyon has some of the best-preserved rock art in North America. One of the most famous examples is The Great Gallery, which includes pictographs, life-size figures, and murals dating back to ancient times. In more recent history, this area was also a hiding place for outlaws, such as Butch Cassidy. There is a 7-mile (11.2 km) circular hiking trail that leads to The Great Gallery. 

5. Gain Insight into Evolving Cultures—San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas

The only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas offers a rare glimpse into the state’s history. There are four San Antonio Missions to discover within the park, and a fifth, the Alamo, is in downtown San Antonio. All five missions are open to the public, and the four within the park are active parish churches. Funded by the Spanish colonial government, these missions were built in the 18th century with a goal of converting local people to Catholicism. The missions served as religious and educational centers at the time. The missionaries left in 1824, but the site has been preserved by the NPS, and today you can admire the architecture and influences of Mexican, Native American, and Spanish cultures in this part of Texas.

The post 5 Fascinating Historical Sites to Discover in U.S. National Parks appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

While the dates vary, and you’ll want to check with your local offices, most permits go on sale at the start of November and range from about $5 to $15. Both National Forests and BLM lands require permits beforehand. 

Obviously, Christmas tree permits aren’t available on every public land as not every landscape is covered in pine trees. The rules for each public land’s tree availability can change yearly as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management prioritize protecting natural resources.

Rules for Cutting Down Your Own Christmas Tree

Here are some general guidelines for cutting down your own Christmas tree:

• Most holiday tree permits are issued in November. Know your location, the weather, and your ability to traverse through snow.
• Dress for the season. Always be prepared for the cold and snow, and start tree hunting early in the day to have plenty of daylight hours.
• Bring emergency supplies, including water and food and a first-aid kit.
• Remember to tell someone where you are going. Your cell phone may not work on many forests.
• The tree you choose must be at least 200 feet from main roads, recreation sites and campgrounds, and stay away from areas along the sides of streams, rivers, lakes, and wet areas. Check with the ranger district for the proper distance.
• Select a tree with a trunk six inches or less in diameter, and prepare to cut the tree no more than six inches above ground level.
• Never cut a tall tree just for the top.
• Select a tree from overstocked areas and thickets. Watch restricted areas. Cut only one tree per tag.
• Attach your tree tag to harvested tree before placing in vehicle.
• Bring a rope and tarp to move your tree from the harvest area to your vehicle.

Most National Forest permits are available on Recreation.gov. Most BLM permits can be purchased here.

Have you cut down your own Christmas tree before?

The post Want to Chop Down Your Christmas Tree From a National Forest This Year? Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

In the video, the animal grabs the deer’s neck and drags it to the ground. Although some find the video unsettling, it’s a prime example of nature.

The response to the video, which was posted on the @natureismetal Instagram account, was less about people being upset about the deer – but rather a debate erupted around whether the predator was a wolf or coyote.

What animal do you think it is? Check out the video below:

Wold of Coyote? An Expert Assessment from Voyageurs National Park

Those arguing that it’s a wolf suggest the animal looks too large for a coyote and mention the shape of its head. Others believe it could be a “coywolf,” which is a wolf and coyote hybrid. The video is from Alberta, Canada, where you can find both animals.

Outdoors.com skipped the pseudo-online experts and asked an actual wolf researcher for his opinion. 

Thomas Gable is the lead researcher who runs the Voyageurs Wolf Project. He and his team track wolves around Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota to better understand their habits. Gable knows a lot about wolves.

He says while the video is far enough away to be ambiguous enough for a debate, he’s quite sure it’s a coyote.

“My impression is that it is a coyote and not a wolf. Of course, the animal is a fair bit away from the camera, so it’s hard to tell with 100% certainty, but I would say I am 98% confident that is a coyote,” wrote Gable in an email this morning.

Check out this other viral video to see how large wolves are.

The post Is it a Wolf or a Coyote? Wildlife Expert Weighs in on Divisive Viral Video appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Tanja has documented the unlikely BFFs for over a year. Whether they are playing chess or taking naps together, it’s amazing to see the contrast between the sizes of the two animals and how well they tolerate each other. Tanja is always close by, ready to take a photo and share it with her 500k followers.

Ingo is a magnificent Belgian Malinois, a sheep-herding dog breed. According to the American Kennel Club’s website, they are “smart, confident and versatile” and are likely to grow to 22-26 inches tall (55-66 cm). These dogs love to spend time outdoors, getting plenty of exercise with their owners. Ingo is no exception.

Ingo and Poldi are just two of Tanja’s many photography subjects. She also captures other wildlife using a Nikon D4 camera and several lenses. “Seeing things through the camera fascinates me. That’s the reason I take photographs,” Tanja shares in one of her Instagram posts. “Being alone with the animals is the most beautiful part of the process.”

The post This Unlikely Friendship Between a Dog and an Owl Will Melt Your Heart appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

A 2022 study found a 16% increase in vehicle and deer collisions the week after daylight saving time. One of the leading arguments for a permanent DST is the decreased risk of crashes. 

However, for now, we’ll see another end to daylight saving. So, in the meantime, state agencies like Colorado Parks & Wildlife want to remind drivers to be extra vigilant.

“This is the time of year when we start seeing more animals on the move at our state parks and on our roads,” said CPW Fishers Peak State Park Manager Crystal Dreiling in their official press release. “Drivers across the state can expect to find wildlife on or near the roadways as winter approaches and they can do their part in helping to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions with bear, elk and deer by traveling at slower speeds and staying vigilant.”

Wildlife officials are partnering with the state’s Department of Transportation for their message and offered these tips to drivers:

• Slow Down. Driving more slowly increases reaction time and reduces the chance of a collision.​
• Stay Alert while driving at dusk and dawn. This is when many of Colorado’s wildlife are the most active and are likely to be crossing roadways.
• Scan Ahead and watch for movement along roadsides. When driving at night, watch for shining eyes in headlights. Always look and be prepared for more than one animal.
• Obey traffic signs and watch for wildlife warning signs.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife says the best action the state can take is creating more animal-safe infrastructure. These designs include wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and fences along busy roadways.

The post Daylight Saving Time Ends This Weekend – and That Means an Increased Risk for Collisions With Wildlife appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Wildlife officials say they had to tranquilize the animal to remove the net. However, with limited time until the buck woke up, officials had to act quickly. Officers decided to remove the antlers instead.

“In a perfect world, we could walk up and easily remove the netting, but wildlife rescue is rarely that straightforward,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife in a social media post. “The decision to remove the antlers was made with the deer’s well-being as our top priority.”

Officials say the antlers will grow back by next year. In the meantime, the deer gets to live a life free of obstructions that could have hindered it from eating.

Earlier this fall, wildlife experts warned homeowners of items like hammocks and holiday decorations that can often get stuck in deer antlers. The warning is something to remember as we head towards the winter holiday season.

The post Colorado Deer Loses 8 Pounds After an Entire Hammock Is Removed From Its Antlers appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

1. Mola Molas (and Family)

What even is this, you ask? It’s an ocean sunfish, also called a Mola mola, and doesn’t it look a little—special? Its very unbalanced body is partially thanks to the fact that a mola’s back fin, while there, simply never grows. Its teeth are fused together like a beak. 

Mola molas can exceed 10 feet long and weigh 4,000 pounds, which is undoubtedly huge. In fact, ocean sunfishes like M. mola are the largest bony fishes in the world. M. mola’s close relative, the bumphead sunfish (M. alexandrini) is officially the largest. So I guess they really are special.

2. Shoebills

This isn’t an internet prank or an AI image-generation fail—it’s a real bird that lives in swampy areas of east-central Africa. The shoebill looks like an angry cross between a pterosaur and a modern stork that you wouldn’t find terrifying at all. Unlike a stork, the shoebill makes a disconcerting machine-gun sound that’ll make you run and duck for cover.

The shoebill’s scientific name, Balaeniceps rex, hints at its prehistoric appearance, as well as its prehistoric lineage (which does, in fact, intersect with the infamous T. rex). Its large, clog-like beak gives it its common name, although we might prefer “B. rex.” 

When you see a shoebill in person, you wonder why it’s staring at you so intently, and it can get uncomfortable. In all seriousness, though, these bizarre, meme-worthy birds and their wicked stares are wicked cool. 

3. Aye-Ayes

If you haven’t seen one of these before, best of luck unseeing it now that you have. It’s an aye-aye, a nocturnal lemur of Madagascar, and it’s kind of cute in its own very bizarre way. Besides the obviously odd physical features—the strikingly yellow eyes, large ears, rodent-y teeth, and wiry, wild fur—things get even stranger when you take a gander at the aye-aye’s fingers.

Aye-ayes use their long, skeletal middle fingers to find grubs living in trees. How? They tap rapidly on tree trunks and branches, then listen for tiny echoes indicative of grubs’ tunnels bored into the wood. When they hear echoes, they use their front teeth to bore a small hole in the tree or branch, stick in one of those skinny fingers, and pull out a juicy grub.

4. Babirusas

In Indonesia, there’s an animal called a babirusa with some incredibly bizarre teeth. (You read that right—those are teeth.) A male babirusa’s lower canines protrude out of its mouth as it matures, but it’s the upper canines that’ll really make you do a double take. At some point during development, a male babirusa’s upper canines rotate and grow through its upper jaw, piercing the skin. To make the whole thing even more outlandish, those teeth keep on growing, eventually curving back and piercing the animal’s skull.

Babirusas are called “pig deer” because they look like pigs with antlers on their faces. Only males have the wild teeth, and though it looks like a horrendous way to live from the perspective of a human, the males with the gnarliest teeth attract the most females.

5. Axolotls

The silliest salamander you ever did see, the axolotl, will definitely make you want to take a second look. (Is that thing smiling? What’s with the head fringe?) This critically endangered freshwater amphibian only lives in Mexico’s Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, and it’s a scientific marvel. Unlike other salamanders, the axolotl doesn’t complete its metamorphosis—it never “grows up.”

The fringy structures around an axolotl’s head are feathery gills it uses to extract oxygen from the water. These animals can regenerate limbs and even parts of their brains, once again making them extremely interesting to the scientific community. In the wild, axolotls are typically mottled green and brown. Lighter pink varieties in the wild are rare, but humans breed them as pets. 

6. Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillars

The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar looks like someone’s gone and drawn a face on its body. The fake face would make a human do a double take for sure, and it scares away predators too. Those false eyespots are just spots, but don’t they look bizarre? Coupled with its swollen front end and corresponding eyebrow-ish marks, the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar’s “stare” looks quite convincing. If it could talk, it’d probably say, “made you look.”

The post Made You Look: 6 Bizarre Animals That’ll Make You Do a Double Take appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Humble Beginnings

Peterson grew up in Newberry, Ohio, somewhere southwest of Cleveland that doesn’t have any fast-food restaurants—not even a Starbucks.

Peterson’s love of animals started early. He and his sister spent much of their childhood running around in the woods catching snakes, turtles, and frogs. They’d disappear into the wilderness behind the house, getting into swamps, ponds, creeks, and rivers and catching things like bullfrogs, painted turtles, water snakes. The most dangerous thing in their neck of the woods was a common snapping turtle. 

Coyote’s family would camp across the U.S. together, which encouraged his love for outdoor adventure. His animal knowledge is completely self-taught from reading books, working with experts, and leaning on his semi-photographic memory.

“I developed a skill for being very good at being able to submerge myself into the environment without being noticed, which allowed me to get close to animals,” he said. “And then I developed the skill for being very quick at hand-eye coordination—to be able to catch things.”

Coyote eventually moved on from the animals in his backyard to some more dangerous ones—including snakes, as well as lizards and the creepy-crawlies of the world. He learned how to interact with these animals without making them feel threatened. He says there’s something to the idea of having a “touch” with animals; it is all about hand-eye coordination and being fast, while also being gentle at the same time.

The College Years

By the time Coyote got to college, he admits he was more into sports cars and girls than animals—the “typical teenage-type things”—but it was in these foundational years that Coyote’s love for storytelling really began to blossom.

“I became very interested in how an individual who watches a film ends up feeling internally,” he said. “And I was like, ‘why are these movies making me feel a certain way?’ I wanted to learn how to make other people feel like that.”

Coyote decided he wanted a career in screenwriting, producing, and directing, but Ohio State University did not have a film program. He didn’t give up, though, convincing his guidance counselors to allow him to create a personalized study program. He took different classes from separate departments in the university to create his own major, essentially piecing together a degree in cinema.

“I wanted to learn the business of the ‘street,’” he said. “I wanted to learn the legalities of the industry. I wanted to learn how to write. I wanted to learn how to build teams. I wanted to learn how to produce. I never had interest in ever being in front of a camera.”

Behind the camera, Coyote was good. He won a screenwriting competition and ended up directing the first feature film at Ohio State in over 25 years. 

Inspired by the likes of adventurers Steve Irwin and Bear Grylls, Coyote loved the fast-paced editing and in-your-face cinematography of shows like Man vs. Wild, and his own take on the genre eventually became Brave Wilderness, but the road to success was a long one. 

The Origins of Brave Wilderness

Coyote and his business partner, Mark, came up with the idea for Brave Wilderness when they both had day jobs. Coyote was working 9-5 for a printer-ink company and not making enough to support himself. 

“Everybody told us no,” Coyote said after countless pitch meetings and feigned interest that never led to a signed contract. He worried that 10 years down the line he’d be $100,000 in debt with a day job that wasn’t fulfilling his passion for storytelling.

One day, Coyote’s boss asked about his movie projects and then invested a small amount of money to help Coyote and Mark get started. They used the money to establish their first LLC and get an entertainment attorney to help them protect their intellectual property—the most valuable thing at the end of the day.

“We could put together pitch packages and the test footage, but made sure we were doing it the right way and we weren’t getting taken advantage of or giving up the rights to ownership of our likeness and image of the footage,” he said.

The pair continued to develop their concept for over five years and had cast a friend as the wildlife presenter on camera, while Coyote was directing and filming.

“When the cameras really weren’t rolling I would be catching a snapping turtle, and then I would bring it into the scene for the host to hold,” Coyote said. “He would have his lines memorized.”

While pitching that concept, big wigs at different production houses would watch the footage and ask where the animals came from. Coyote showed them behind the scenes, and they said, “Well, that’s the show.” And just like that, Coyote became the star. 

From Behind the Camera to in Front of It

Coyote says it’s funny that he ended up being in front of the camera. In the end, it was his Ohio roots and his special “touch” with animals that was the ticket to eventual success.

Success wasn’t won quite yet, though. On the verge of giving up, Coyote and his team launched a channel on YouTube and in 2014, they launched Brave Wilderness.

“We recognized that YouTube was our opportunity to get our foot in the door and get people watching our content,” Coyote said. “And if people started watching and they liked it, we knew that we would get some momentum, which is exactly what we did.”

YouTube was a miracle for them as a distribution platform.

“We are not reliant on anybody in Hollywood. I have no greater executive or parent company. We are 100% in control of our own existence,” Coyote said. “It goes back to knowing your intellectual property rights and having the right legal assistance to guide you with the business choices you make.”

Coyote had graduated from Ohio State in 2005, but it was a solid nine years before he began to see the fruits of his labor, spending at least five years on the development of Brave Wildness and losing a multi-million-dollar opportunity that fell through at age 26. He says they “didn’t make a dime” off Youtube until 2016, when they finally started making a consistent revenue.

“[It was] a solid decade of non-stop hustling, getting paid zero dollars—zero income from my glorified hobby,” Coyote said. “We were dumping all of our vacation time, all of our extra financial resources to keep the machine going. But we knew in the back of our minds that this was primed to happen.”

Coyote believes practice will never make perfect, it will just make you better. All of those learning curves along the way drove him and his team harder to figure it out. He believed they had all of the right skill sets to make something amazing—and they did.

Coyote concludes: “If you truly believe that you can accomplish something, you just keep pushing and keep trying. It takes resilience. Don’t be afraid to take risks.”

The post Coyote Peterson on His Wild Career (That Almost Didn’t Happen) appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

According to Blue Ridge Parkway officials, they have multiple reports of visitors feeding and attempting to pick up a young bear in the area at Lane Pinnacle Overlook. As a result, “we can’t have nice things.” The route is now closed from mile 367.6 near Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to mile 375.6 at Ox Creek Road. That section is northeast of Asheville, North Carolina, and includes the closure of a visitor center. 

“We are closing this section of the road temporarily for the safety of both the bear and park visitors,” said Superintendent Tracy Swartout in a social media post. “When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food, it can lead to very dangerous situations. In this instance, we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.”

Officials say visitors trying to reach the Craggy Gardens recreation area can still take NC80 from the north. However, there is no timeline to reopen the roadway.

Visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited site in the National Park Service system. Fall is especially busy for the parkway as the mountains running through North Carolina and Virginia turn vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Millions of visitors will make the drive to see the leaves change.

Besides photo opportunities of leaves, fall is also a critical time of year for bears who are working towards hibernation. The animals must eat as much as possible to fatten up for their long nap. However, feeding bears causes habitation, meaning bears lose their natural fear of people. In many of these situations, officials are forced to euthanize bears.

Want to get closer to wildlife? Try a pair of binoculars.

The post ‘Very Dangerous’: Popular Section of the Blue Ridge Parkway Closes After Tourists Repeatedly Feed and Attempt to Pick Up A Bear  appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.