cgasner1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2016
- Messages
- 3,106
School Me on Hunting In Grizz Country
- Thread starter Dsnow9
- Start date
406dn
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2019
- Messages
- 2,299
I hunt elk in grizzly bear country every year. My brother and I set up camp at a trailhead camp ground. I sleep in a slide in camper, he sleeps in the horse trailer. We've not yet had any bear trouble in camp, or any other time for that matter.
I've picketed the horses, but have come to prefer a campground with corrals for my horses. The downside to that is you won't have the place to yourself.
I don't mind riding in the dark in the morning to hunt. In the afternoon, we usually hunt until close to sunset. I don't mind coming out as dusk turns to evening.
I carry two canisters of bear spray, because if the day comes that you need to use it, you are still likely in the back country. In rifle season, which is when I hunt, be aware that the propellent in the bear spray is not as effective when cold. I generally carry one inside my coat, in a manner that allows quick access. The other canister is in the day pack as a spare. Of course the rifle is always at hand, when off the horse.
More than once my horses have alerted me to game, including grizzly bears. A horse won't walk upwind into a bear without you knowing something is up ahead. The times my horses have been around bears, they've kept their head, maybe not the next time.
With the last four elk I have dressed, I've used the gutless method. I think it offers a few advantages. It does not release nearly as much aroma into the air, compared to when you open up the animal. It is also surprisingly quick, as you get the hang of it. I've chosen to leave the hide on the quarters. Once you get the legs off, maneuvering the rest of the elk to get the remaining meat is not heavy work. I'd guess that it takes 30-45 minutes from the time I start to when the meat is ready to load on the horses. It might take 20 minutes to unroll the saddle panniers and get them rigged on each horse. Then just load up the hind quarters and head on one horse, and everything else on the other horse.
The best defense is your common sense. Bears leave evidence when they are around. If you see very fresh sign, don't pretend that the bear isn't around. It might well be very close by. If you come across gut piles, know that they will be a bear magnet. When we dress an elk, we pull the gut pile to an area where it can be seen a good ways away. One year, we did this, and a couple of days later, a grizzly bear dragged the remains back into nearby timber. I guess he wanted a little privacy.
I've picketed the horses, but have come to prefer a campground with corrals for my horses. The downside to that is you won't have the place to yourself.
I don't mind riding in the dark in the morning to hunt. In the afternoon, we usually hunt until close to sunset. I don't mind coming out as dusk turns to evening.
I carry two canisters of bear spray, because if the day comes that you need to use it, you are still likely in the back country. In rifle season, which is when I hunt, be aware that the propellent in the bear spray is not as effective when cold. I generally carry one inside my coat, in a manner that allows quick access. The other canister is in the day pack as a spare. Of course the rifle is always at hand, when off the horse.
More than once my horses have alerted me to game, including grizzly bears. A horse won't walk upwind into a bear without you knowing something is up ahead. The times my horses have been around bears, they've kept their head, maybe not the next time.
With the last four elk I have dressed, I've used the gutless method. I think it offers a few advantages. It does not release nearly as much aroma into the air, compared to when you open up the animal. It is also surprisingly quick, as you get the hang of it. I've chosen to leave the hide on the quarters. Once you get the legs off, maneuvering the rest of the elk to get the remaining meat is not heavy work. I'd guess that it takes 30-45 minutes from the time I start to when the meat is ready to load on the horses. It might take 20 minutes to unroll the saddle panniers and get them rigged on each horse. Then just load up the hind quarters and head on one horse, and everything else on the other horse.
The best defense is your common sense. Bears leave evidence when they are around. If you see very fresh sign, don't pretend that the bear isn't around. It might well be very close by. If you come across gut piles, know that they will be a bear magnet. When we dress an elk, we pull the gut pile to an area where it can be seen a good ways away. One year, we did this, and a couple of days later, a grizzly bear dragged the remains back into nearby timber. I guess he wanted a little privacy.
Hawk Tuah
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2018
- Messages
- 1,608
Same rules as when you iz on da streetz: gotta get him before he gets you.
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,676
Don’t worry. You’re probably going to be just fine and in the event that you aren’t going to be fine, why die with a troubled and worried mind?
Mine comes in at 2.5 lbs, plus a lot of AA batteries. Space wise, hmm, similar space to a camelback bladder half filled.
I want to find a better option than AA batteries though
mxracer317
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2020
- Messages
- 1,204
"Gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean. Earn your keep". LOL.
Here is what I got on my G20... Pricey and hard to come across right now, but feel that with a larger sight reticle, antifog, waterproof, red dot, yada yada, it "might" help.
mxracer317
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2020
- Messages
- 1,204
Inert Training Canister
Practice using bear spray with inert training canisters containing no active ingredients, sold individually or with an active canister.
counterassault.com
I keep my bear spray on my pack’s chest harness during rifle and bow and another canister on my side when bow hunting. I don’t carry a handgun. I only bow hunt with a partner but I rifle hunt and camp alone most of my rifle outings. A rifle gives me a false sense of security. I’m up close with grizzlies each season and have not had a problem…yet
When I make a kill I get the meat as far away as I can from the ribcage/entrails to a spot that I can hopefully see from a distance however a cool shady location for meat care takes priority imo. If you smell hints of an old carcass and see carrion birds assume there is a bear close by especially if you notice tracks. Respect your intuition and 6th sense. I know two people who have been mauled and lived to tell about it. Their first instinct was not to proceed but they did anyway. Their tales make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. If you think it’s not a good idea to work the wind and cow call into some cover that you have a grizzly feeling about-back off and trust your caveman instincts. I truly believe that if a bear knows you are a human and has time to think about it they will hightail it just an elk unless they’re old half starved with bad teeth then they might follow you for a mile or two. Hang your foodand meat high and don’t camp too close to it if you want to get a good nights sleep
Nick87
Well-known member
I wasn't sure if I was the only one who caught that one or not.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Take rjthehunter with you, he's billy bob badass with a 10 mil...
rogerthat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2015
- Messages
- 2,971
Yeah he fits the bill as the bear bait buddy.
belshawelk
Well-known member
Dont feed the bears.
Starting with yourself.
Starting with yourself.
Mallardsx2
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2015
- Messages
- 2,772
Some of the best advice I’ve seen on here lately for sure.
Flynarrow
Well-known member
I've spent 45 years bow hunting/fishing in griz country in MT, WY, ID, AK and Russia. A few close calls to learn from. I have been seriously charged and lost a nice moose to a grizz.
Clean camp......no snacks in tent, no food cooked in camp, no food stored in camp. Hang your food 10 feet up away from camp. Camp in open areas.
Bear spray....fresh and readily available...not tucked in your pack or under clothes. A spray isn't infallible but better odds than instantly killing a fast charging bear with a pistol IMO.
Think twice about hunting evenings. Don't leave a killed animal overnight. Good chance a griz will be on it in the morning and you have a good chance of killing a griz or getting injured/killed if you try to retrieve it in the morning.
Hang meat at least 10 feet up and in a spot you can glass before approaching it.
If you see fresh griz activity just leave.
Make some noise if you cant see well ahead or at night.
Clean camp......no snacks in tent, no food cooked in camp, no food stored in camp. Hang your food 10 feet up away from camp. Camp in open areas.
Bear spray....fresh and readily available...not tucked in your pack or under clothes. A spray isn't infallible but better odds than instantly killing a fast charging bear with a pistol IMO.
Think twice about hunting evenings. Don't leave a killed animal overnight. Good chance a griz will be on it in the morning and you have a good chance of killing a griz or getting injured/killed if you try to retrieve it in the morning.
Hang meat at least 10 feet up and in a spot you can glass before approaching it.
If you see fresh griz activity just leave.
Make some noise if you cant see well ahead or at night.
SAJ-99
Well-known member
Are you talking about the kill, or the entire area? The latter would seem hard in some of those areas. For areas around the park, I would almost guess that if you don’t see bear sign you aren’t paying enough attention.
Caseknife
Well-known member
Have hunted three different times in a unit south of Cody that has a good population of grizzly bears. We have killed elk each time and hung the quarters away from the gut pile/remains in an area that we could see from a distance and left them overnight. Each time it has been only one of us with a tag, rifle hunting. Whoever doesn't have the tag will be packing .44 Mag with hardcast and each of us carry bear spray on our belt or packstrap. Bear spray is hanging within reach when processing the elk and we are constantly watching. We camp in a wall tent by the road and keep a clean camp. We haven't had any issues at all, yet. Last time we did have some guys stop at our camp in the evening and say that they had been watching a sow and cub on the ridge above our camp. Keeps you on your toes. Believe the most threat will be surprising a bear, encountering one on a gut pile, or sow with cubs. Primarily just be aware of your surroundings. So many people go through life without knowing what is going on around them, not good in griz country.
Flynarrow
Well-known member
Once I ignored some fresh griz scat....stepping over it and proceeding less than 50 yards when a giant head poked up behind a dead elk (not mine) at 20 yards. I slowly backed up until 50 yards and scattled. Fresh is fresh....like hours or less old tracks going down a trail you are on would seem to be the type of griz evidence that would have me leaving that immediate area. Much of our country is steep so people and griz like to follow stream bottoms.....high potential situation for conflicts.
I’d be too scared of getting shot in the ass by that 10mm
Forkyfinder
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2023
- Messages
- 2,701
Id take Rj and his 10mm in the wind and rain instead of propelled human taco seasoning.
If you havent sprayed that stuff in inclimate weather to try - you should.
Similar threads
