Bret Bohn Wiki Bio: Mountain Men Star, Alaskan Guide, Survivalist, and Life with Ivy O’Guinn

Bret Bohn is a seasoned Alaskan outdoorsman, registered hunting guide, and television personality who gained national attention through his appearances on the History Channel’s Mountain Men. With decades of experience in guiding, trapping, and wilderness survival, Bret represents a modern generation of subsistence hunters navigating life in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Alongside his wife, Ivy O’Guinn, he lives off-grid in interior Alaska, where the couple operates an extensive trapline, offers guided expeditions through their business BBB Alaska, and showcases traditional skills that reflect deep-rooted knowledge of the land. From surviving a grizzly bear attack to overcoming legal and medical adversity, Bret’s life is a testament to endurance, expertise, and connection to the Alaskan wilderness.

Early Life and Background

Bret Bohn was born in January 1987 and raised in Alaska, in a family closely connected to the outdoors. His father, Glenn Bohn, was a retired schoolteacher who later became a hunting guide, while his mother, Lorraine Phillips, supported and encouraged Bret’s early exposure to wilderness skills. As a young child, Bret accompanied his parents on backcountry outings. By age three or four, he was already hunting small game like snowshoe hares using a BB gun.

His first big-game achievements—a caribou at seven and a moose at eight—set the stage for a lifetime of outdoor pursuits.

He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology from the University of Alaska, combining his outdoor lifestyle with a formal education that expanded his professional opportunities.

Career

Bret Bohn is a registered Alaskan hunting guide with over 13 years of experience leading guided hunts across remote regions of the state. Through his outfitting business, BBB Alaska, he offers all-inclusive guided expeditions for moose, grizzly bear, Dall sheep, and both baited black and brown bear hunts. The operation also includes specialized trapping tours, catering to clients seeking immersive wilderness experiences.

His work spans Southeast Alaska, Kodiak Island, and the Alaska Peninsula, where he specializes in moose and brown bear expeditions. In addition to guiding, he has more than two decades of trapping experience and serves as a certified Polar Bear guard for Alaska pipeline operations. His hunting activities extend to other regions, including elk in Idaho, cougar in Nevada, and deer in Saskatchewan. He holds Basic Hunter and Bow Hunter certifications from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Bret is also a licensed private pilot and holds a 50-ton Master Coast Guard License. His safety qualifications include training in Wilderness and Remote First Aid, Blood Borne Pathogens, Adult AED, and Standard First Aid.

Medical and Legal Challenges

In 2013, Bret developed complications after treatment for nasal polyps, resulting in a prolonged hospital stay. During this time, state authorities placed him under legal guardianship, transferring decision-making authority to a third party. His parents, Lorraine Phillips-Bohn and Glenn Bohn, contested the decision in court, arguing for the restoration of Bret’s autonomy. In 2014, a judge terminated the guardianship, allowing Bret to regain control over his medical and legal affairs.

2016 Grizzly Bear Attack: A Test of Survival

On April 15, 2016, Bret and his 77-year-old father, Glenn, embarked on a spring bear hunt in the Alaska Range near the Denali Highway. What began as a routine outing turned into a life-or-death struggle when a 9-foot grizzly bear attacked Glenn, mauling his face and nearly scalping him.

The Attack: The bear charged after Glenn’s rifle (a .300 Weatherby Magnum) failed to stop it due to a misfired reload. Bret, armed with a .454 Casull revolver, sprinted toward the chaos, firing six rounds at point-blank range to save his father.

Miraculous Survival: Despite horrific injuries—including a partially detached face, lost eye, and shattered wrist—Glenn remained conscious, even directing Bret to photograph the scene for documentation.

Evacuation: Bret navigated a 24-mile snowmobile ride to get help, refusing painkillers or blood transfusions due to his family’s distrust of medical institutions (stemming from a prior legal battle involving Bret’s own hospitalization in 2013).

Television Career

Bret Bohn appears on the History Channel’s Mountain Men, beginning with Season 12, alongside his wife, Ivy O’Guinn. The show documents their remote lifestyle in Alaska’s interior, where they operate an extensive 230-mile trapline, hunt wild game, and maintain an off-grid homestead. Their episodes highlight seasonal challenges such as extreme snowfall, predator threats, and food self-sufficiency, providing a practical look into subsistence living.

The couple’s dynamic reflects a complementary partnership—Ivy’s background in taxidermy and commercial fishing pairs with Bret’s guiding expertise to manage the demands of wilderness life. Their inclusion in the series broadens its geographic and generational diversity, offering viewers a modern, working couple’s approach to surviving and thriving in Alaska’s backcountry.

Before joining Mountain Men, Bret also contributed to documentary work behind the scenes on National Geographic’s Life Below Zero (2019–2020) and Life Behind Life Below Zero (2019), further connecting him with the genre of Alaskan survival storytelling.

Marriage and Off-Grid Life with Ivy O’Guinn

Bret married Ivy O’Guinn on July 1, 2024, following a two-year engagement. Their wedding took place at The Cannery Lodge in Alaska, surrounded by open wilderness and decorated with moose antlers—elements that reflected their outdoor lifestyle. Ivy wore a lace gown with floral detailing and a fur shoulder wrap, while Bret chose a navy-blue suit accented with a wildflower boutonnière. Adding a personal touch, Ivy handcrafted Bret’s wedding ring from antler, a material chosen for its deep connection to their shared life in the wild.

Today, they live in a remote cabin in the Alaska Range. Ivy, an Alaska Native, is a commercial fisherman and trained taxidermist. The couple operates a trapline through interior Alaska and spends summers in the coastal village of Egegik, where Ivy has long been involved in the fishing industry.

Net Worth

As of 2025, Brett and his wife Ivy O’Guinn have an estimated combined net worth of $300,000. Their income sources include commercial fishing, guiding, trapping, taxidermy, and their television appearances on Mountain Men.

Bret Bohn – Wiki Bio Facts

Full Name	Bret Bohn
Date of Birth	January 1987
Age (as of 2025)	38 years old
Place of Birth	Alaska (resides in Wasilla)
Nationality	American
Profession	Hunting Guide, Trapper, TV Personality
Known For	Mountain Men (History Channel)
Business	BBB Alaska – Hunting & Trapping Expeditions
Years Active	2010s–present (TV debut in 2023)
Television Shows	Mountain Men (2023–), Life Below Zero (crew, 2019–2020), Life Behind Life Below Zero (2019)
Spouse	Ivy O’Guinn (married July 1, 2024)
Children	No public information
Residence	Alaska Range, remote off-grid cabin
Education	B.Sc. in Aviation Technology, University of Alaska
Certifications	Registered Hunting Guide, Bow Hunter, Polar Bear Guard, 50-ton Master Coast Guard License, Private Pilot License, Wilderness First Aid
Net Worth (2025)	Estimated $300,000 (combined with Ivy)
Notable Events	2013 Legal Guardianship Case, 2016 Grizzly Bear Rescue