History Awesome / TheFoxAndtheHound

** Black bears are notorious amongst hunters as they much more vicious than brown bears. A bear encounter doesn't always end with a mauling as they can be scared by loud noises and lots of arm waving. However, being within 6 feet of an angry black bear is just about the worst position you could ever be in as, once a bear is angry, it won't stop being angry. Even playing dead isn't always effective as it will bat around your "corpse" for a good long while and Slade would've been unlikely to walk away afterwards let alone make it to his car and drive to get help. Slade almost certainly knew this, being an experienced hunter. The fact that he managed to shoot the thing and ''load another shell into his gun'' before it pounced on him just shows how experienced he is and how good his muscle memory. It's especially impressive as he was tumbling from fear the entire time. Granted, shooting a bear with the type of ammo he had would probably just piss it off more than anything, but some chance of survival is better than no chance.

* [[spoiler: Tod, exhausted and nearly drowned from fighting a bear and falling down a waterfall, can barely move as Slade takes aim at him with a shotgun. Then]] Copper [[spoiler:steps in between Slade and Tod and refuses to move an inch causing Slade to come to his senses, calm down and lower his weapon.]]

** Made even better by the fact that he didn't even have to do it. He and Vixie could have just run for it, but instead he goes back to save his former best friend after said friend ''had told him he intended to murder him, and his mate.''

* One could also say this about how the [[TheDeterminator two birds never fail to give up trying to catch the caterpillar.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Friendship: it saves you from ''getting eaten by a bear!'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:]

** Made even better by the fact that he didn't even have to do it. He and Vixie could have just run for it, but instead he goes back to save his former best friend after said friend ''had told him he intended to murder him, his mate, and his cubs.''

[[caption-width-right:350:Leave my friend alone, you stupid bear!]]

* [[spoiler: Tod, exhausted and nearly drowned from fighting a bear and falling down a waterfall, can barely move as Slade takes aim at him with a shotgun. Then]] Copper [[spoiler:steps in between Slade and Tod and refuses to move an inch causing Slade to come to his senses, calm down and lower his weapon.]]

** Made even better by the fact that he didn't even have to do it. He and Vixie could have just run for it, but instead he goes back to save his former best friend.

* "AMOS SLADE YOU TRIGGER HAPPY LUNATIC, ''GIVE ME THAT GUN!!!''" Woman is ''badass.''
** It gets better: just before, she stood [[DeathGlare staring him down]] even as he struggled to bring his vehicle to a stop, but never once moved. Then she shoots his radiator, before threatening him with it, with him fearfully responding "Watch it! That thing's loaded!" She promptly fires it into the air without hesitating, then throws it back at him ''(hard)'' with the biting phrase "''Now'' it ain't loaded!"

** Tod's BigDamnHeroes moment when he saves Copper in time from the bear. . Just imagine: a 13-pound fox fighting a 1,200-pound bear, an animal capable of snapping a fox in half. ''[[spoiler:And Tod won.]]''.

*** Even before the fight, it was awesome. Amos has become [[HoistByHisOwnPetard ensnared by one of his own traps]] and is about to be mauled by the bear when Copper jumps and proves exactly why dogs are considered man's best friend: he gives the bear exactly three seconds of warning before he jumps to his master's aid. And he doesn't he try to distract the bear and lead it away, but chomps down right on the bear's neck ''four times'' and all but refuses to let go!

*** Even before the fight, it was awesome. Amos has become [[HoistByHisOwnPetard ensnared by one of his own traps]] and is about to be mauled by the bear when Copper jumps and proves exactly why dogs are considered man's best friend: he gives the bear exactly three seconds of warning before he jumps to his master's aid. And does he try to distract the bear and lead it away? ''[[PrecisionFStrike Hell no!]]'' He chomps down right on the bear's neck ''four times'' and all but refuses to let go!

** When Tod hears Copper's yelping echo, he turns and is ''horrified'' to see his former childhood friend getting nearly killed. Against his better judgment, Tod quickly runs back to save his old friend. Just as the bear prepares for a final blow on the wounded Copper, Tod leaps on the bear's back and bites him on the ear, making the bear turn his attention from the hound to the fox! Biting and scratching wildly, Tod he lures the bear away from Copper and Amos. Eventually, he manages to lure the huge bear onto a fallen log over the waterfall which snaps, sending both plummeting several meters down the waterfall. [[spoiler:Tod survives.]]

** Tod's BigDamnHeroes moment when he saves Copper in time from the bear. When Tod hears Copper's yelping echo, he turns and is ''horrified'' to see his former childhood friend getting nearly killed. Against his better judgment, Tod quickly runs back to save his old friend. Just imagine: a 13-pound fox fighting a 1,200-pound bear, an animal capable of snapping a fox in half. ''[[spoiler:And Tod won.]]''.

** Tod's BigDamnHeroes moment when he saves Copper in time from the bear. When Tod hears Copper's yelping echo, he turns and is ''horrified'' to see his former childhood friend getting nearly killed. And against his better judgment, Tod quickly runs back to save his old friend. Just imagine: a 13-pound fox fighting a 1,200-pound bear, an animal capable of snapping a fox in half. ''[[spoiler:And Tod won.]]''.

** Tod's BigDamnHeroes moment when he saves Copper in time from the bear. Just imagine: a 13-pound fox fighting a 1,200-pound bear, an animal capable of snapping a fox in half. ''[[spoiler:And Tod won.]]''

** It gets better: just before, she stood [[DeathStare staring him down]] even as he struggled to bring his vehicle to a stop, but never once moved. Then she shoots his radiator, before threatening him with it, with him fearfully responding "Watch it! That thing's loaded!" She promptly fires it into the air without hesitating, then throws it back at him ''(hard)'' with the biting phrase "''Now'' it ain't loaded!"

* "AMOS SLADE YOU TRIGGER HAPPY LUNATIC, ''GIVE ME THAT GUN!!!''" Oh, and then she shoots his car and throws the gun back at him. Woman is ''badass.''

** Copper fighting the bear before Tod took over. Especially when he manages to slash its nose.

** Copper fighting the bear before Tod took over. Especially since when he manages to slash its nose.

** The bear itself taking a gunshot to the shoulder and continuing the attack like it was nothing.

"AMOS SLADE YOU TRIGGER HAPPY LUNATIC, ''GIVE ME THAT GUN!!!''" Oh, and then she shoots his car and throws the gun back at him. Woman is ''badass.''* [[spoiler: Tod, exhausted and nearly drowned from fighting a bear and falling down a waterfall, can barely move as Slade takes aim at him with a shotgun. Then]] Copper [[spoiler:steps in between Slade and Tod and refuses to move an inch causing Slade to come to his senses, calm down and lower his weapon.]]

* [[spoiler: Tod, exhausted and nearly drowned from fighting a bear and falling down a waterfall, can barely move as Slade takes aim at him with a shotgun. Then]] Copper [[spoiler:steps in between Slade and Tod and refuses to move an inch causing Slade to come to his senses, calm down and lower his weapon.]]

** Don't forget Tod's BigDamnHeroes moment when he saves Copper in time from the bear. Just imagine: a 13-pound fox fighting a 1,200-pound bear, an animal capable of snapping a fox in half. ''[[spoiler:And Tod won.]]''
** Heck, the bear itself deserves mention for taking a gunshot to the shoulder and continuing the attack like it was nothing.
*** That's no ordinary bear, it's [[RegularShow Death Bear]].

* The bear fight at the end has to count, if only for the terrific animation of the bear itself by GlenKeane. It's a fast, powerful and frightening creature, and it really showed what the young, hungry animators at the studio were truly capable of.

** Heck, the bear itself deserves mention for taking a gunshot to the shoulder and continuing the attack like it was nothing.

** Don't forget Tod's BigDamnHeroes moment when he saves Copper in time from the bear. Just imagine: a 13-pound fox fighting a 1,200-pound bear, an animal capable of snapping a fox in half. ''[[spoiler:And Tod won.]]''