The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1060 - Remi Warren
CHAPTERS
- 0:02 – 2:24
Surviving an 11-foot grizzly: why this attack felt different
Joe opens by pressing Remi Warren on the recent Afognak Island bear attack. Remi explains the psychological fog of adrenaline, how quickly it unfolded, and why it permanently changed his view of “just getting scratched.”
- •Remi’s initial reflection: the fantasy vs. reality of surviving a bear attack
- •Adrenaline effects: memory distortion, time dilation, and tunnel focus
- •The attack felt like a true life-or-death event, not a bluff charge
- •Timeframe: only a few months to process what happened
- 2:24 – 6:48
Afognak Island elk hunt: brutal terrain, giant elk, and bigger bears
Remi describes Afognak (near Kodiak) as a miserable but unforgettable place to hunt. They outline the terrain’s punishing density and steepness, plus the scale of the elk and brown bears that live there.
- •Afognak’s vegetation and steepness: a mile can take hours
- •Constant rain/wind and navigation challenges in thick brush
- •Elk on the island can reach ~1,400 pounds—moose-sized
- •Bears regularly exceed 1,000 pounds and can be 11+ feet
- 6:48 – 10:08
How the attack started: lunch break complacency and the missing pistol
The group returns near their hung meat and relaxes for lunch—exactly when a bear charges in. Remi recounts the critical error of letting his pistol stay on the pack and how “not wanting to be that guy” contributed to being unready.
- •They hadn’t seen bears for days, which lowered vigilance
- •Only two pistols among six people; bear spray unusable in high winds
- •Remi’s pistol placement mistake becomes an immediate problem
- •Bear appears at ~30 yards in a full-speed run
- 10:08 – 12:21
Chaos and tactics: the juke, the trekking pole strike, and ‘riding the bear’
Remi details the split-second improvisation that likely saved lives: he jukes away, Yannis hits the bear in the face with a trekking pole, and Garrett ends up improbably on the bear’s back. The group’s scattering creates confusion that prevents the bear from locking onto a single target.
- •Remi realizes there’s no time to reach the gun even three feet away
- •Yannis’ trekking pole strike appears to turn the bear
- •Garrett (“Dirtmouth”) ends up on the bear as it runs downhill
- •The ‘scatter effect’ prevents the bear from selecting one victim
- 12:21 – 15:32
The bear circles back: horror-movie charges and the rescue problem
After the initial clash, the bear repeatedly charges from different directions in extremely thick brush. Remi emphasizes that even a non-fatal mauling could have been deadly due to the weather and the near-impossibility of a quick evacuation.
- •Bear charges multiple times from changing angles; they pivot around a tree
- •Visibility is extremely limited; the bear is mostly heard, not seen
- •100 mph winds and storms make helicopter rescue unlikely
- •They debate whether the bear had claimed the carcass
- 15:32 – 19:47
Aftermath: destroyed camp, hypothermia risk, and the electric bear fence
Escaping the immediate threat, they return to find their camp shredded by extreme winds and rain. They rebuild shelter, reset an electric bear fence, and work to dry gear and avoid hypothermia—stacking survival problems on top of the attack.
- •Winds knock people down and rip gear away
- •Tents collapse; sleeping bags and pads get soaked
- •Emergency relocation behind a spruce; improvised shelter setup
- •Bear fence basics: battery-powered pulsing electric ribbon
- 19:47 – 21:12
Processing mortality: the terror of ‘thinking while dying’
Joe and Remi move from logistics to psychology—how close calls force confrontation with death. Remi describes the dread of being aware during an unavoidable fatal moment, comparing it to plane crashes and equipment failures.
- •Remi’s fear centers on the final conscious thoughts before death
- •Comparison to aircraft going down or parachutes failing
- •Task-focus vs. helplessness: why having a job (like shooting) matters
- •Shift in mindset: before the attack ‘no bears will attack’; after ‘every bear will attack’
- 21:12 – 43:26
Predator encounters and public perception: grizzlies, wolves, and viral outrage
They broaden into stories of grizzly bluff charges, wolf encounters, and how social media distorts the public’s understanding of predators. Joe and Remi argue that people romanticize apex predators without grasping real risk or the role of population management.
- •Bluff charge vs. predatory intent: uncertainty is what makes it terrifying
- •Wolf close-calls and the reality of wolves testing humans
- •Tourists and online critics vs. those living in predator country
- •Conservation framing: admiration for predators doesn’t negate management
- 43:26 – 49:26
Hunting policy flashpoint: British Columbia grizzly ban and urban-rural divide
Joe describes BC’s policy shift from limiting ‘trophy’ retention to banning grizzly hunting entirely. They criticize decision-making based on skewed public feedback, and discuss the lived consequences for remote residents dealing with dangerous bear encounters.
- •‘Trophy hunt’ law: keep meat, not skull/cape—seen as wasteful
- •Rapid transition to a full grizzly hunt ban
- •Sampling/representation issues in public surveys and petitions
- •Practical reality: residents still must kill problem bears in self-defense
- 49:26 – 1:01:50
Invasive species realities: Maui axis deer, Australia’s mistakes, and poison control
The conversation shifts to invasive species and why hunting is often the most workable control tool. Remi explains Maui’s axis deer problem and “Hunters for the Hungry” style programs, then contrasts that with destructive poison approaches like New Zealand’s 1080 drops.
- •Axis deer in Maui: population explosion without predators
- •Food donation programs as a public-benefit hunting model
- •Australia’s introduced predators (foxes/cats) devastating native wildlife
- •New Zealand’s poison strategy (1080) and its ecological/ethical downsides
- 1:01:50 – 1:08:38
From ‘Apex Predator’ to spearfishing: octopus intelligence and freedive breath control
Remi shares spearfishing stories, including the controversial-but-common method of killing octopus by biting the brain area. They then dive into freediving training—how relaxation and heart-rate control can extend breath holds dramatically.
- •Octopus dispatch method and why it’s done underwater
- •Octopuses are highly intelligent yet heavily preyed upon
- •Freedive training: mental calm and oxygen conservation
- •Stages of oxygen deprivation and the deceptive ‘I don’t need to breathe’ feeling
- 1:08:38 – 2:32:35
The drive for hardship: solo hunting, public lands, and functional fitness for the mountains
Remi explains why he chooses the hardest hunts—struggle as payment, meaning, and memory. They discuss public-land access (Nevada vs. Texas), environmental rollbacks, and the training and biomechanics needed for steep, pack-heavy mountain hunting.
- •Remi’s preference: harder hunts over guaranteed success
- •Public lands shape culture: Nevada’s access vs. Texas privatization
- •Functional training: yoga for decompression, balance work, Turkish get-ups
- •Preparation realities: stairs/step-ups, foot mechanics, and injury prevention (blisters to gangrene)
