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[buffybr]

Awesome sounds like it was skills and not huge amounts of gear that brought your success.

Luck and persistence have a lot to do with it. I could have used a spotting scope the years I hunted in 500. When 302 was unlimited I hunted different parts of it at least 4 years and found legal rams 3 of those years without a spotting scope, but there were places I could have used one. I hunted 303 at least 2 years and a spotting scope wouldn't have helped where I was hunting. I only hunted 300 1 year and again a spotting scope wouldn't have helped where I hunted, but there other areas in 300 where one would. I'm also pretty sure that I was wearing jeans and my lucky cotton shirt the years that I killed rams.

 

[shines@times]

Have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend all you Ovis-obsessed Hunt Talkers. Try not to trip over each other while scouting "The Tooths." After all, we wouldn't want to upset any Liberals by violating social distancing, now would we?

Still plan on replying to the optics selection question before too many more days elapse. I will say that I made some similar compromises to those described by buffybr, though I left jeans and flannel shirt in the truck for the drive home.

PS: Wish me luck on being a Montana resident next season--I'm still trying. If one you would buy that military surplus 6x6 that I posted earlier it would help me scratch up the down payment on a piece of western Montana real estate I've been itching to acquire ever since I walked into it a year ago and bumped elk herds four times, put up about a dozen Whitetails, several turkeys, two grouse and flushed a small bunch of ducks off the marsh in less than a day's walk. Of course, it seems like there is a dark lining to every silver cloud (see what I did there?). In the case of this particular bit of real estate, that would be the tick bites that I picked up on that same inspection hike. The fact that I'm on about my fifth variation of "Offer to Purchase" is a bit frustrating too. Kind of reminds one of trying to locate a good ram in the unlimited units.

 

[BirdManMike]

You too, shines.

Made my first foray into the Beartooths this past week — no sheep seen.

Am down visiting family in Nevada now. Took a boat out on the Colorado and saw three desert rams. One looked good.

 

[C Bow]

Buffybr can I please ask what years did you hunt the 500 unit and have you ever hunted 501? Thanks C Bow.

 

[buffybr]

Buffybr can I please ask what years did you hunt the 500 unit and have you ever hunted 501? Thanks C Bow.

I've hiked in 501 but never hunted it.

I hunted in 500 once in the early '80s, and a second time in the late '80s or early '90s. I had horses then, and I saw 1 ram in the two trips. A lot of great looking country.

 

[C Bow]

Thanks

 

[Cav1]

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from hunting the unlimiteds, but I gotta admit this sign up Tom Miner Basin made me a little nervous.

 

[buffybr]

Ha Ha Ha

Yes there are Grizzly bears in the Tom Miner Basin. I've hunted, camped, hiked, and even worked there many times in the past 40+ years and have yet to see my first Grizz there. I'm not saying that you couldn't encounter one or that you shouldn't be careful, but there's not a Grizz waiting behind every tree ready to attack you.

That would be a great sign to post next to every "Welcome to Montana" sign at all of the roads coming in to Montana.

 

[Bluffgruff]

Got my purchase encouragement notice from FWP, can I not pay for this thing online? Says phone or mail...

 

[theat]

Ha Ha Ha

Yes there are Grizzly bears in the Tom Miner Basin. I've hunted, camped, hiked, and even worked there many times in the past 40+ years and have yet to see my first Grizz there. I'm not saying that you couldn't encounter one or that you shouldn't be careful, but there's not a Grizz waiting behind every tree ready to attack you.

That would be a great sign to post next to every "Welcome to Montana" sign at all of the roads coming in to Montana.

I have only hunted Tom Miner once and have also never seen a griz there. Apparently there were a few around though since half the drainage was closed due to a hunter fatally shooting a sow in self defense leaving two cubs behind. We also came away with our own griz story. This is what happens when you leave your elk out overnight in that drainage.



Luckily the bear decided to leave the kill as we approached. Our luck was twofold as he decided on the game bag full of trim and neck meat for his first meal and left the rest relatively unscathed.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I've never seen one in Tom Minor myself but I haven't been there in a few years either. Nor am I really looking to find one. Back in the 80s and 90s when my dad and uncle hunted in there and across the way in Buffalo Fork and Hellroaring the griz stories they had were enough to tell me that they weren't nothing too mess with. One time dad got charged to 10 yards by a sow, he unloaded his rifle at her didn't even phase her. All misses and she gathered her Cubs and continued messing with them all day. Another they were walking back to get horses after they put a couple bulls down and 2 of the 4 horses were gone the other 2 were being circled by a huge boar. They got him to finally leave after about 6 cracker shots. Needless to say they didn't ride those ponies that night, found the other 2 on the way back to camp. And many many more stories like that. I've said it before, the grizzlies are like the land version of a great white shark. I don't mind seeing them from across the way but when they're on the same hillside or face your on it's enough to make the hair stand up IMO.

 

[MTLabrador]

That’s how I feel about it. A grizzly is something I wanna see in the wild from time to time but unless I’ve got a tag in my pocket looking for one I’d prefer he’s a spotting scope distance. They deserve a healthy respect. The ones who get hurt often don’t respect what they are dealing with.

A lot of times it’s just bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve had a few up close encounters and I’ve been bluff charged by a sow with cubs. I certainly respect grizzlies and always go prepared, but any one of those encounters had the potential to end very badly. If you spend enough time in areas with a lot of bears I think having some too close for comfort encounters is inevitable.

 

[MTLabrador]

I guess I should have clarified more. What I mean is the people who get mauled around campgrounds near Yellowstone on the regular basis probably aren’t respecting what they are dealing with. Kinda the same as the ones who try to pet the buffalo Alot hunters do happen upon them unexpectedly and get in bad situations.

Agree 100%. I actually watched a guy with a camera chase a grizzly into the timber near Cooke City once. I have no idea why that bear didn’t turn on him.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Agree 100%. I actually watched a guy with a camera chase a grizzly into the timber near Cooke City once. I have no idea why that bear didn’t turn on him.

I always love the photos from the park. People wearing flip flops taking pictures of a sow and cubs from about 10 ft smh..... one of these days.....

 

[MTLabrador]

I always love the photos from the park. People wearing flip flops taking pictures of a sow and cubs from about 10 ft smh..... one of these days.....

It’s amazing that the park bears and the road bears on Togwotee don’t kill people every year...

 

[BirdManMike]

Funny Tom Miner and Grizzlies in mentioned as I just saw a picture the other day from Tom Miner with not one but six grizz in the shot. Ill see if I can find it again.

 

[Carnage2011]

I was bear hunting Sunday in the Gardiner area and turned up 3 grizzlies. Didn’t see any sign all day, but found them in the spotter about an hour before dark.

They are what they are. If someone is afraid of grizzlies I don’t think the unlimited’s would be an enjoyable hunt.

 

[theat]

These are some of the bears that I managed to get pictures of while in the mountains surrounding Yellowstone.

Saw this bear on my first day of a 14 day solo sheep hunt. It spent a couple hours digging up ground squirrels right next to the main trail accessing the drainage. When it got tired of that, it headed up to the pass where my bivy camp was located. Luckily it didn't find my camp, but it did find the tree my food was hung up in and tore up the trunk of the tree and some of the ground around the base of the tree. I was shocked that it didn't break the paracord I had the food tied up with since there were claw marks all around where I had it tied. I went for water right at twighlight and while pumping water through my filter, I looked up and there the bear was 40 yards away staring at me. Thankfully I must not have looked or smelled like a good meal since my pistol and bear spray were on my pack 75 yards behind me back at camp.


A week later I was climbing up a ridge and looked up to see this bear coming straight down towards me. By the time I got my pistol unholstered it had turned enough that it ended up about 50 yards to the side of me. It sat down and took a break enjoying the view. I traded my pistol for my camera and got its attention so I could get this picture.


I wasn't very interesting so it kept on going a few seconds latter.


Late the following night this bear or another griz ended up waking me up while tearing into my pack that was leaning against a tree about 10 yards from my bivy sack. I yelled at it and it ran off a few yards. I spent the rest of the night sitting up in my sleeping bag with my rifle in my hands while it circled me. Between my exposed upper body freezing and the adrenaline from not knowing where the bear was other than when it walked through patches of moonlight, stepped on a stick, or the handful of times it huffed and stomped the ground, it was a long unpleasant night.

While working on a fire just south of Cooke City this griz came into our small fire camp a few times. Never caused us any problems but it did a bit of damage to some other nearby camps while the occupants were gone for the day.


Other random bears




Ive had a couple other close encounters with griz in those mountains that nearly resulted in a bear getting sprayed or shot, but I had other priorities than taking pictures of those ones. Definitely not a griz behind every tree around there, but there are plenty enough that people need to be very cautious and follow all guidelines while recreating in that area.

 

[MTLabrador]

These are some of the bears that I managed to get pictures of while in the mountains surrounding Yellowstone.

Saw this bear on my first day of a 14 day solo sheep hunt. It spent a couple hours digging up ground squirrels right next to the main trail accessing the drainage. When it got tired of that, it headed up to the pass where my bivy camp was located. Luckily it didn't find my camp, but it did find the tree my food was hung up in and tore up the trunk of the tree and some of the ground around the base of the tree. I was shocked that it didn't break the paracord I had the food tied up with since there were claw marks all around where I had it tied. I went for water right at twighlight and while pumping water through my filter, I looked up and there the bear was 40 yards away staring at me. Thankfully I must not have looked or smelled like a good meal since my pistol and bear spray were on my pack 75 yards behind me back at camp.
View attachment 142390

A week later I was climbing up a ridge and looked up to see this bear coming straight down towards me. By the time I got my pistol unholstered it had turned enough that it ended up about 50 yards to the side of me. It sat down and took a break enjoying the view. I traded my pistol for my camera and got its attention so I could get this picture.
View attachment 142391

I wasn't very interesting so it kept on going a few seconds latter.
View attachment 142392

Late the following night this bear or another griz ended up waking me up while tearing into my pack that was leaning against a tree about 10 yards from my bivy sack. I yelled at it and it ran off a few yards. I spent the rest of the night sitting up in my sleeping bag with my rifle in my hands while it circled me. Between my exposed upper body freezing and the adrenaline from not knowing where the bear was other than when it walked through patches of moonlight, stepped on a stick, or the handful of times it huffed and stomped the ground, it was a long unpleasant night.

While working on a fire just south of Cooke City this griz came into our small fire camp a few times. Never caused us any problems but it did a bit of damage to some other nearby camps while the occupants were gone for the day.
View attachment 142393

Other random bears
View attachment 142394

View attachment 142395

Ive had a couple other close encounters with griz in those mountains that nearly resulted in a bear getting sprayed or shot, but I had other priorities than taking pictures of those ones. Definitely not a griz behind every tree around there, but there are plenty enough that people need to be very cautious and follow all guidelines while recreating in that area.

Those are some awesome photos! I need to remember to pack a camera more often.

 

[Irrelevant]

These are some of the bears that I managed to get pictures of while in the mountains surrounding Yellowstone.

Saw this bear on my first day of a 14 day solo sheep hunt. It spent a couple hours digging up ground squirrels right next to the main trail accessing the drainage. When it got tired of that, it headed up to the pass where my bivy camp was located. Luckily it didn't find my camp, but it did find the tree my food was hung up in and tore up the trunk of the tree and some of the ground around the base of the tree. I was shocked that it didn't break the paracord I had the food tied up with since there were claw marks all around where I had it tied. I went for water right at twighlight and while pumping water through my filter, I looked up and there the bear was 40 yards away staring at me. Thankfully I must not have looked or smelled like a good meal since my pistol and bear spray were on my pack 75 yards behind me back at camp.
View attachment 142390

A week later I was climbing up a ridge and looked up to see this bear coming straight down towards me. By the time I got my pistol unholstered it had turned enough that it ended up about 50 yards to the side of me. It sat down and took a break enjoying the view. I traded my pistol for my camera and got its attention so I could get this picture.
View attachment 142391

I wasn't very interesting so it kept on going a few seconds latter.
View attachment 142392

Late the following night this bear or another griz ended up waking me up while tearing into my pack that was leaning against a tree about 10 yards from my bivy sack. I yelled at it and it ran off a few yards. I spent the rest of the night sitting up in my sleeping bag with my rifle in my hands while it circled me. Between my exposed upper body freezing and the adrenaline from not knowing where the bear was other than when it walked through patches of moonlight, stepped on a stick, or the handful of times it huffed and stomped the ground, it was a long unpleasant night.

While working on a fire just south of Cooke City this griz came into our small fire camp a few times. Never caused us any problems but it did a bit of damage to some other nearby camps while the occupants were gone for the day.
View attachment 142393

Other random bears
View attachment 142394

View attachment 142395

Ive had a couple other close encounters with griz in those mountains that nearly resulted in a bear getting sprayed or shot, but I had other priorities than taking pictures of those ones. Definitely not a griz behind every tree around there, but there are plenty enough that people need to be very cautious and follow all guidelines while recreating in that area.

And I thought I had bear stories, f....