????? On solo camping around Griz

[JV842]

Solo hunted numerous times in Colorado backcountry, had many encounters w blacks. Hunting in Montana again this year, while studying topos I found a very good looking spot of BLM sourrounded by private w water and flanked by steep cliffs. Looks like an unbelievable elk spot but pretty much impossible for a day hunt. My ??? is how different would it be, me camping out solo in Griz country compared to what I dealt w in black country in Colorado? Would it be foolish or doable?

 

[TheSurveyor]

Not an expert and only spent a little time hunting in grizzly territory but a clean smart camp is the same no matter the type of bear. As far as number of people, less people less food I suppose.

 

[belly-deep]

Odds are you wont even know there's griz around.

 

[mdunc8]

Just use common sense and you'll be fine (probably)

 

[Southern Elk]

Hang your food away from your camp and do your cooking and eating there.

 

[TheJason]

Depends on you. I really don't think grizzlies are more prone to raid camps than black bears. Can you handle it? Don't mean it as a smart ass question, some people just don't cope with it.

I have and I don't worry about it. Hang your food properly and keep a clean camp.

 

[RobG]

If you wake up in the middle of the night to noises outside the tent it is always a grizzly.

 

[406LIFE]

If you said where you wwre, might help to say what chances are of even interacting with a griz. If you really wanted to, you can get an electric fence. Like others said, clean camp and being smart and I doubt you'll see one. I wouldn't just roll my sleeping bag on the geound, but no need to loose sleep either.

 

[Shablabar]

If you wake up in the middle of the night to noises outside the tent it is always a grizzly.

Sounds advice for a sound night's sleep!

 

[SteveE]

If you wake up in the middle of the night to noises outside the tent it is always a grizzly.

+1
Hahaaaa!

Very true. I never get much sleep on the bivy hunts anymore.

One eye open.

 

[mixedbag]

I slept just fine in Alaska even after watching a big grizzly throw around the left overs of my caribou.But,I was always nervous popping outside the tent to pee at night.I did sleep with my rifle loaded next to me and we had a bear fence.Both of those give you alot of peace of mind.In reality neither would help if one jumped on me in my sleep though.You know how to keep a clean camp.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Keep a clean camp. Don't cook or eat in your tent. Hang your food high in a tree at least 100 yards from your tent, and in a spot that is open and visible enough that you would see a bear on your approach. Keep your bearspray and/or firearm in a handy spot like your waist belt and NOT inside your pack or strapped to the back. You want it easily accessible in a fast, high pressure situation.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

And if you kill, make sure you hang your meat plenty far away from the gut pile. Approach the meat very slowly each return trip, making plenty of noise.

 

[mixedbag]

Good point.I think I would be more afraid after a kill and all your stuff smelling like fresh blood.

 

[RobG]

If you wake up in the middle of the night to noises outside the tent it is always a grizzly.

Bring a book like Night of the Grizzlies to pass the time between twig snaps. I got used to the little scruffling sounds outside but about shat my pants when a mule deer snorted in the middle of the night.

Grizzly encounters are almost always from surprising the bear, not from getting pulled out of the tent at night unless the bear is used to associating food with humans. Which is to say your biggest risk is when you are walking around, so that is when you should be nervous.

I think the main reason they want you to hang your food is so the bears don't find it and start associating it with people. Once they do that they will start poking around the tents, etc. 40 years ago we used to leave our camping crap on the ground in the Bob and bears just didn't want to have anything to do with people. However, if enough people do it sooner or later a bear will find it and learn people=food. That's more likely to happen in campgrounds rather than the background. Unless you are Treadwell, but don't worry that was in the fall when the bears are stuffing themselves with food.

 

[Eyeguy]

If you wake up in the middle of the night to noises outside the tent it is always a grizzly.

Haha. And its ALWAYS best to shoot first and ask questions later....

 

[JV842]

Thnx for the advise. I've done 10 Day solo trips in the Lizard Head in Colorado. Never really been bothered about being in bear country, had some mighty close encounters w blacks. Was mainly interested in any differences in camping around Griz.

 

[Ben Long]

Hunt hard and sleep well. I sleep fine in grizzly country anymore, but carry a few 5 mg tablets of melatonin to help the sandman along if necessary. The precautions about keeping a clean camp are smart. You might consider a bear keg or the new kevlar bear bags if the local trees aren't so suited for hanging food. Bear spray too. Bears are a real risk but only one of many in the backcountry. Don't be stupid and you'll be fine. Probably.

 

[Bambistew]

The odds that you will encounter a bear in camp while you're there or sleeping, is about zero, IMO. The issue I have is leaving a camp for the day, not knowing if it will be there when I get back. Bears like plastic, especially neoprene, vinyl, and fuel. The only thing I keep in my tent is my sleeping stuff and cloths. Everything else goes elsewhere.

The biggest issue in bear country is surprising a bear. This is almost always the reason for encounters. Walking up on them in the brush, or on a trail. Most bears will run, but some will stand their ground.

At a kill site, I put a "flag" up of some sort on a long stick and place it such a way that if the carcass or meat is moved the flag will fall. That way I have a visual of the kill site far before I can actually see it.

Good luck, and sleep soundly. Odds are extremely low that you'll have an encounter anyway. I surprised a big boar a few weeks back. I stopped to take a break, eat a snack and take a short nap. Apparently I did all this within about 100 yards of a grizz. I continued up the hill and jumped a bear in the brush at really close range. , luckily he ran the other way, but he let me know he was pissed that I inadvertently snuck within 20 yards of him and woke him up. I've had a number of close encounters with bears, each one is different.

 

[Southern Elk]

The odds that you will encounter a bear in camp while you're there or sleeping, is about zero, IMO. The issue I have is leaving a camp for the day, not knowing if it will be there when I get back. Bears like plastic, especially neoprene, vinyl, and fuel. The only thing I keep in my tent is my sleeping stuff and cloths. Everything else goes elsewhere.

The biggest issue in bear country is surprising a bear. This is almost always the reason for encounters. Walking up on them in the brush, or on a trail. Most bears will run, but some will stand their ground.

At a kill site, I put a "flag" up of some sort on a long stick and place it such a way that if the carcass or meat is moved the flag will fall. That way I have a visual of the kill site far before I can actually see it.

Good luck, and sleep soundly. Odds are extremely low that you'll have an encounter anyway. I surprised a big boar a few weeks back. I stopped to take a break, eat a snack and take a short nap. Apparently I did all this within about 100 yards of a grizz. I continued up the hill and jumped a bear in the brush at really close range. , luckily he ran the other way, but he let me know he was pissed that I inadvertently snuck within 20 yards of him and woke him up. I've had a number of close encounters with bears, each one is different.

This is absolutely true. I've had two scary run ins with bears. One black bear and one grizzly. In both instances I was sneaking around hunting and bumped into sows with cubs. We've never had an issue while in the tent, but we always hang our food and anything a grizzly may like the smell of in a tree at least 100 yds from camp.