Grizzly Incident Count

I know it’s hunters that do the most risky behaviors but I’m continually amazed at how unobservant the general public is. I’ll never forget walking 60 yards from some moose on a trail in Red Lodge, and on the way back asking multiple groups of people “are the moose still there?” and they just gave me a stupid look and said “what Moose?” On the way back out, the Moose very much were still there. Three large, black animals laying in the white snow by the trail.

Those people are all asking to get attacked by a bear. Their spray isn’t going to save them from their own inability to see what’s in front of their nose
 
I know it’s hunters that do the most risky behaviors but I’m continually amazed at how unobservant the general public is. I’ll never forget walking 60 yards from some moose on a trail in Red Lodge, and on the way back asking multiple groups of people “are the moose still there?” and they just gave me a stupid look and said “what Moose?” On the way back out, the Moose very much were still there. Three large, black animals laying in the white snow by the trail.

Those people are all asking to get attacked by a bear. Their spray isn’t going to save them from their own inability to see what’s in front of their nose
This is why I think there may be some bad encounters here in the Root as the bears move in. Lots of people. New people with no clue. mtmuley
 
This is why I think there may be some bad encounters here in the Root as the bears move in. Lots of people. New people with no clue. mtmuley
Hopefully people learn quickly... unfortunately as a society that reacts instead of prevents, I'm sure it'll take a few attacks before people realize they should be cautious.
 
I know it’s hunters that do the most risky behaviors but I’m continually amazed at how unobservant the general public is. I’ll never forget walking 60 yards from some moose on a trail in Red Lodge, and on the way back asking multiple groups of people “are the moose still there?” and they just gave me a stupid look and said “what Moose?” On the way back out, the Moose very much were still there. Three large, black animals laying in the white snow by the trail.

Those people are all asking to get attacked by a bear. Their spray isn’t going to save them from their own inability to see what’s in front of their nose
Or what they’ll do even when they see something. We saw a large male grizzly bear within easy archery range of the car while on vacation. There were people between our car and the bear with their kids.
 
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Your question implies that the answer has to do with the lower 48 having many more humans wandering around in bear habitat.
It also has to do with the difference between coastal browns and even interior grizzlies. For whatever reason, and the loss of white pine is often attributed, the greater yellowstone grizzly has really adapted to be much more aggressive and diverse in its food sources. They have become trained to gunshots, take kills from other predators, and are more likely to be close to livestock and other human activiities. They just generally seem to have a higher aggression level on average and hunters in the worst areas are going to have several encounters a day and a large percentage of hunter kills are claimed by grizzlies in some North West Wyoming hunts. And yes particularly in interior grizzly interactions there are probably a lot fewer encounters. There is also a learning curve for locals as grizzlies haven't been a part of the landscape for a lot of years and then you add another reintroduced predator to compete with wolves.

All I know is its a hairy situation when you hunt up there to an extent that I don't think is encountered in Canada despite the higher numbers, but is likely to become more prevalent with BC's hunting ban as I can really see very few limits for that population now. I think Western Canada is going to see a lot of the same issues here quick if not already.
 
An activist judge in missoula who doesn’t follow the law but makes outcome based decisions is the reason why.
My understanding is the Judge has essentially bought into the corridor and connected population arguments that if taken to an extreme would not mean delisting until we have bears from Mexico to Canada. When you see bears in the lower Wyomings and as close to Kemmerer and Cokeville its only a matter of a few years and they are going to start wandering into the prime habitat of the northeast corner of Utah and then all bets are off on their expansion along that corridor to CO if not controlled. I think that is what the judge is banking on if they can hold off. They keep talking about connecting the northern groups but that is what I think the bear advocates really want to see.
 
The family of the couple that was found dead after a grizzly pulled them out of their tent might suggest otherwise on the bear spray.

To each their own, but I'm not worried about teaching a bear a lesson. I just want to survive the encounter. If killing the bear ensures I don't end up mauled, then it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make...
Use what you feel comfortable with but at least in Northern Wyoming you would be crazy to only have pepper spray. 1st there is always the constant wind issue. 2nd starting with the guide a few years back there have been numerous injuries and serious fatalities where pepper spray was deployed. I understand that bears who have been sprayed before aren't particularly fearful of it again according to some studies.

Finally, I think there needs to a distinguishment from what may work with less agressive coastal bears exc and the specifics here. The problem with the bear spray studies is the majority of the the deployment is cautionary and preventative where almost all the firearms studies are last resort scenarios. In actual studies Firearms have proven far more effective than given credit for even firearms that seem underpowered at preventing fatalities. As a rule of thumb my plan is for bear spray with time in the right conditions and firearm for a situation that I might be lucky enough to deploy something in a surprise.

That probably is dumb and I should choose one or the other but if you are hunting in those really dicey areas where encounters are daily you can't take the legal risk of just having a firearm because most encounters probably don't go that far but it is nice to have the deterrent as a precaution rather than waiting for escalation. Just my thought. If I had to choose its firearm all the way just because of spray limitations but someone not comfortable with both the use and the choice should take the spray.

In the end precautions to avoid encounters are the best defense but its hard to hunt with cowbells, singing, and avoiding cover.
 
Use what you feel comfortable with but at least in Northern Wyoming you would be crazy to only have pepper spray. 1st there is always the constant wind issue. 2nd starting with the guide a few years back there have been numerous injuries and serious fatalities where pepper spray was deployed. I understand that bears who have been sprayed before aren't particularly fearful of it again according to some studies.

Finally, I think there needs to a distinguishment from what may work with less agressive coastal bears exc and the specifics here. The problem with the bear spray studies is the majority of the the deployment is cautionary and preventative where almost all the firearms studies are last resort scenarios. In actual studies Firearms have proven far more effective than given credit for even firearms that seem underpowered at preventing fatalities. As a rule of thumb my plan is for bear spray with time in the right conditions and firearm for a situation that I might be lucky enough to deploy something in a surprise.

That probably is dumb and I should choose one or the other but if you are hunting in those really dicey areas where encounters are daily you can't take the legal risk of just having a firearm because most encounters probably don't go that far but it is nice to have the deterrent as a precaution rather than waiting for escalation. Just my thought. If I had to choose its firearm all the way just because of spray limitations but someone not comfortable with both the use and the choice should take the spray.

In the end precautions to avoid encounters are the best defense but its hard to hunt with cowbells, singing, and avoiding cover.
Care to provide links to any of the "studies" you are citing? Particularly, the one where bears that have been sprayed are somehow less affected by it in subsequent encounters?
 
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