Hunter survives grizzly bear attack by shoving his arm down animal's throat

A hunter survived an attack by a grizzly bear by shoving his arm into its throat to induce a gag reflex and scare it off.

Chase Dellwo, 26, said he used the technique after remembering a tip he had read in a magazine when he came face-to-face with a 180kg grizzly in the US.

He had been using a crossbow to hunt elk with his brother in the Montana mountains when animal attacked after being startled.

The hunter had walked up a creek bed as he stalked the animals and was just a metre from the bear when he noticed it.

Mr Dellwo said he only had time to take a few steps back before the bear knocked him off his feet and bit his head.

"He let go, but he was still on top of me roaring the loudest roar I have ever heard," he said.

The bear then bit Mr Dellwo's leg and shook him, tossing him in the air. As the bear came at the man again, the hunter recalled a story he read in a magazine.

"I remembered an article that my grandmother gave me a long time ago that said large animals have bad gag reflexes," he said. "So I shoved my right arm down his throat."

The advice worked, and the bear left.