How to defuse a grizzly encounter peacefully?

[OceanandMountains]

Hey y’all-

I hunt in griz areas and also heading to Alaska for a caribou hunt this year but I have never had a griz encounter. I’m not a paranoid type but I am a prepared type.

I know all the bear prevention stuff:
- keep a scent free clean camp
- move meat far from gut pile
- bear fence as an option, etc.
Check, check, check.

And I know and use the available last resort defense options:
- bear spray
- heavy hitting hand gun that you’ve practiced with
Check, check.

But, what I feel like isn’t talked about as much and what I’d like to learn more about as part of my ‘backcountry continuing education’ is, what to do when you actually encounter a grizzly to avoid it escalating into a gun or spray situation.

Obviously if you see them before they see you just sneak out. But what about when you actually run into one in the thick bush, or return to a kill and find one on your meat, or have one charge? I’ve seen Rinella and crew yell and wave them off or shoot over their heads which is all good but, I’d like to hear some solid from-experience advice on what to do to hopefully defuse it and have all parties walk away in one piece.

Any tips, recommended reading material, or videos are welcome.

 

[MTLabrador]

Assuming you’re already fairly close and the bear knows you’re there, be calm, loud, tall, and confident. I don’t think warning shots do any good whatsoever. The Meateater guys do a good job of handling bear encounters from what I’ve seen.

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Did a drop camp in AK for caribou and had bears in and around everyday. Always just made sure they knew where we were and 2x took warning shots when they got too interested in camp and they moved away albeit slowly on their own time. We had a sow and cubs around and we would hunt the other side of the valley. It’s usually flat so you can glass em up

 

[OntarioHunter]

I always wondered if hypnotism would work. Hmm. Sounds like an interesting research project. Just have to find a psychiatrist with a pair of brass balls that will fit inside a 17th century suit of armor.

 

[Jc2020]

Me and my cousin had a sow with cubs about 75 yards away One time she started grunting and swatting the ground Biting the air we just Stood side by side and slowly backed off and they stayed put we were ready to shoot if need be but luckily didn’t have to. As far as a kill I’d yell and make noise when coming back to it and if possible I’d move the kill out of any thick brush to a spot you can have a better view when you return which I know isn’t always possible though

 

[buffybr]

I've lived, worked, and hunted in grizzly country since 1975. In that time I've only had one encounter with a grizzly.

Two friends and I were camped at the end of a logging road near West Yellowstone, MT. We had two elk and a moose hanging in the stock rack in the back of my truck.

One night just before going to bed, I went out to check my horses. As I returned to our tent I stopped on the edge of the road and a grizzly woofed and clicked his teeth at me from the top of the bank, 20' above me.

I had my Ruger. 44. mag on my hip so I drew it and fired a shot over his head. No reaction. I fired another shot into the tree next to him. Again no reaction.

So I picked up a tennis ball size rock that I threw and hit him. He then ran off into the forest.

There was another camp in an old clear cut about 1/4 mile from ours. They also had an elk hanging. Evidently the bear went to their camp, as a few minutes after he left ours we heard a half dozen quick (pistol ?) shots from their camp, and shortly afterwards they pulled their camp and drove out.

The next morning I saddled one of my horses and tracked the bear from our camp to the other camp then across the clear-cut and into the forest. There were occasional drops of blood in the bears tracks after he left the other camp

The grizzly had an ear tag and a radio collar. We reported the incident to FWP, and found out that he had been a problem bear by Cooke City, and had been relocated to where we were.

A few years ago one of the guys that I used to work with was attacked and mauled twice in one day by a grizzly. Todd is very woods savvy, but he unknowingly got between a sow and her cubs. I'm glad you survived that one Todd.

 

[refuseresist]

Throw your trekking poles at it

 

[ShortAction]

My daughter and I have both encountered a Grizzly. Fortunately, they had other things on their minds so I can't say we did anything specific to avoid an "incident".
Might want to check out this youtube video.

 

[Panda Bear]

I was asked to respond but can not add much that hasn't already been said . We probably encounter more bears in town than in the mountains or on the ice. But either way, everything that has been said already will work,-- or not.

Grizzly defending cubs or food sources need to be avoided. All things being equal bear spray is your best line of defense, but we have used, Flares ( on ice or in winter so as to not start a forest fire ) Bangs, Fence, 12 gauge when in town or from sled, with bean bags, rubber bullets, whistle crackers, type stuff. If not hunting, sing, whistle, talk, make noise, plus everything you mentioned in your opening post

I do not know anyone who encounters more bears each year than Salmonchaser. He encounters them every day for several months each year and sometimes several of them a day. The op might want to pm him and ask him for advise.

 

[OceanandMountains]

So I picked up a tennis ball size rock that I threw and hit him. He then ran off into the forest.

Glad to hear it played out the way it did but it def feels like hitting a bear with a rock could also get a very different response. Looking back do you think that since you already had your gun in hand you could have also just tried to back away and let him move on?

 

[buffybr]

Glad to hear it played out the way it did but it def feels like hitting a bear with a rock could also get a very different response. Looking back do you think that since you already had your gun in hand you could have also just tried to back away and let him move on?

Where would I have backed away to? Inside our tent-camper? Like I mentioned in my story, we had the quarters of 2 elk and a moose in the back of my truck. We had left the hide on the moose quarters when we packed it out, and my friend that shot it skinned them in camp and had thrown the skins in a pile of logging slash that would later be burned. That is what attracted the bear to our camp. He had been chewing on one of the skins. He had found something to eat. He wasn't going to just move on.

Having spent most of my life in bear country, and although this was the first time a grizzly came into my camp, it was not my first encounter with bears. I have chased black bears away several times. I had to shoot in self defense a charging black bear once. I even climbed a tree and caught an orphaned black bear cub. A few days ago I learned that one of my neighbors was walking in the woods above our houses and found an occupied black bear den. It is within 1/4 mile of my house.

Looking back, what we should have done was to have made a stout meat pole or two between some trees farther away from our camp. That is easier said than done. Also my friend should have discarded the moose hides farther away from our camp.

 

[406Born]

 

[Tradewind]

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I had 5 straight years of bad bear encounters, then no bad bear encounters for over a decade.
On some hunts no bears seen at all, one sheep hunt I saw 13 different grizzly bears.
So encounters are variable.
In interior Alaska, black bears often act spooked when there is a grizzly around.

Moving the meat as far away and as soon as possible from the gut pile.
My hunting partner had to shoot a charging griz because it was on the gut pile as
we were getting the last 2 meat bags to move away.

Always having instant access to bear spray.
We use a portable electric fence around our camp.
Alaska fish and game website has good information on using electric fences to deter bears.
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=livingwithbears.bearfences

My experience in wilderness areas where humans are rare, warning shots mean nothing to the bear...was that thunder?

Sometimes "charges" are just curious bears. I've had a couple occasions where a grizzly ran at us from a couple hundred yards,
stood on its hind legs trying to catch scent, trying to figure out what we were.

Other times I've surprised a grizzly bear on a river bank moose kill, either rafting or riverboating and those bears displayed
lots of aggression...snapping jaws and pacing up and down the river bank.

2-year olds that have just been kicked out by mom can be a problem...they don't seem to fear humans and they
are hungry...sometimes very difficult to scare those youngsters away.

 

[NDGuy]

Throw your trekking poles at it

God what a legend, forever bragging rights!

 

[EYJONAS!]

I always wondered if hypnotism would work. Hmm. Sounds like an interesting research project. Just have to find a psychiatrist with a pair of brass balls that will fit inside a 17th century suit of armor.

What kind of mushrooms do you eat.....

 

[MITCHMO]

Ok bear with me on this one...... har har

in all seriousness has anyone ever tried lots of barking? I know it sound silly but think of how different animals react to hounds barking. Everything from squirrels to mtn lion act differently. Anyone who hunts with hounds if any sort should understand what I’m talking about.

a buddy of mine in Montana claims everyone handles grizz encounters wrong. Bears stand on their hind legs as a sign of aggression. He claims hunching over so he doesn’t look threatening keeps from provoking the bear. I think the only reason I would bend over would be to kiss my ass goodbye.

 

[kwyeewyk]

Bears stand on their hind legs as a sign of aggression.

They actually stand up to investigate, get a better look, signs of aggression are ears pinned, biting/popping jaws, swatting the ground, stuff like that. This is a good book behavior and attacks (I recommend the book not Amazon)

https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Attacks-Causes-Avoidance-revised/dp/158574557X

I wouldn't recommend barking like a dog, could provoke them, dogs have been known to bring bears to their owners when they engage the bear then run back to you

 

[Panda Bear]

in all seriousness has anyone ever tried lots of barking? I know it sound silly but think of how different animals react to hounds barking. Everything from squirrels to mtn lion act differently. Anyone who hunts with hounds if any sort should understand what I’m talking about.

Dogs have been used to hunt the white bear since forever.

The Karelian is finding a larger following in Russia today for the purpose of bear defense.

We find a dog helpful in giving us an early warning, but they need to be well trained, so as not to chase, if on land or tip over the canoe if on water

Sometimes "charges" are just curious bears. I've had a couple occasions where a grizzly ran at us from a couple hundred yards,

stood on its hind legs trying to catch scent, trying to figure out what we were.

Other times I've surprised a grizzly bear on a river bank moose kill, either rafting or riverboating and those bears displayed
lots of aggression...snapping jaws and pacing up and down the river bank.

2-year olds that have just been kicked out by mom can be a problem...they don't seem to fear humans and they
are hungry...sometimes very difficult to scare those youngsters away.

Agree, some bears may go a lifetime and never see a human, but if they do, they are curious, and as stated, 2 yr olds can be very worrisome.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

What kind of mushrooms do you eat.....

I dont know...might be onto something with this