Hailey photographer Buck Wilde was photographing grizzly bears for National Geographic’s “Grizzly Encounter” when a mother bear rose up to defend her cub from a huge male bear in front of him. The cubs took off toward him, just missing his left shoulder as they high-tailed it to a safe location.

“The mother bear came to me, stuck her head into my legs, her face in my tripod. I was having an out-of-body experience—the most frightening thing ever. And then it was over,” Wilde recounted.

Listen to more of Buck Wilde’s tales in today’s Eye on Sun Valley video.