School Me on Hunting In Grizz Country

[Rie Bread]

Use the sidearm you are GOOD with. Six shots from a short barrel 44/454 etc does no good in the in the air/hair or dirt. A Glock 9mm with 15/17 rounds of 147 grain buffalo bore hard cast going where you want them is far more effective.

Yeah don’t be afraid to get Compton with it.

 

[Tradewind]

Aaaaand this thread is descending into the gun vs bear spray big dick contest.
Bear spray, pistol, carry whatever you want to. My only suggestion would be to practice pulling and using whatever you choose

and you expected something different...

 

[Flynarrow]

This fall is my first time in WY Grizz country too. We are getting four (4) llamas, bear spray and one guy is bringing a large caliber pistol.

I've read that the llamas are great at sensing predators and sound off an alarm when they smell or hear them. So far, I'm going on this until I learn I need something else.

Having had llamas in bear country I can attest that they are indeed good bear sensors.....they begin their alarm chatter as soon as they see or sense one.

 

[Straight Arrow]

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.

Flynarrow offers great advice as described above.
Griz usually want to avoid people, so unless the smell of available food is prominent you won't see the bear. Bear Aware is an important phrase/practice.
Recent concerns about "self defense" griz mortalities situations has prompted increased scrutiny and investigation of griz shootings. 'Just sayin'.

 

[northernmaineguide]

Alaska Forest Service uses 12ga pumps with 3" chambers. Lots of folks Luv 45/70. But infact a 30/06 with 180gr bullets will shoot right straight thru an 7/800 lb Bear.........

 

[Bigjay73]

12ga and 000 buck would be my choice

 

[atlas]

Grizzly attack victim doesn't blame bear, describes the 'most violent thing' he's ever experienced

 

[MarvB]

...going to look into a fence like @FREAK recommended. I believe @deletedmemberavidindoorsman is bringing one but coming a couple days after me

He's just hedging that the bear will be full by then...

 

[npaden]

I didn't read through all of the posts but having hunted off and on in some pretty thick grizzly country I just try to go on with life and not worry about it too much. With that said, I carry bear spray and try to keep a clean camp and all that fun stuff, but when I'm hunting, I'm hunting and not out there blowing a whistle and making noise. I've always rifle hunted and do carry spray but not a sidearm in addition to the rifle.

Been in on 7 elk kills in grizzly territory and never had an issue but a close friend had one huffing while he was finishing field dressing an elk with his son one time when I wasn't with them. It didn't come in on them but it was after dark and they were making lots of noise for sure.

Stupidly I've gone back to some of the kill sites to see what was up the next day(s) and had some untouched and others look like someone had come in there with an excavator and covered the entire carcass up. Saw one medium grizzly actually on a carcass one time and it ran away like it's pants were on fire hauling the entire liver out with it as it ran across chest and waist high dead fall that was near impassable for us. Always wondered if it was us that caused him to take off or if there was a bigger bear coming in that made him run off. We didn't stick around.

 

[Sheltowee]

Just to be contrarian, I'm going to suggest you think long and hard about the high-cap 9 assuming that your 9 (and barrel, if aftermarket) is rated for Buffalo Bore or Underwood hardcasts. Vortex Nation did a pretty cool gel test on a mock bear skull a few months ago on their YouTube page. Hardcast 9 compared reasonably well to the 10 as far as pure penetration. Personal taste, I'd rather have 17 rounds to poke a hole in something important than just 7. .357 will almost certainly serve you just fine but I don't think it is as wide of a gap in this context as some might imagine.

Of course, the *correct* answer is to go for the best of both worlds and buy a Centimeter, preferably in Glock 20 flavor.

 

[Dubz337]

Lots of people saying handgun and fair enough, if that option was available to me in Canada I'm sure I would explore it. But as its not, I carry a short barrel shotgun strapped to my backpack as well my rifle. I'm Metis and can hunt year round, so I'm out hunting in the summer when the bears are out and about. I load it with slugs, buckshot as a 'warning' just makes no sense to me, most likely cause of the way I use it. The shotgun comes out once I have an animal down, which is the most dangerous time for a bear interaction. If its coming to challenge me for the meat I have down on the ground it isn't gonna be warned off by buckshot. Even if I could use a pistol, the shotgun seems lie a better tool to me. While actively hunting or trekking, if I encounter a bear, I have bear spray that I'll use (and have used twice) and my rifle as a backup. The main thing to remember is to keep a clean camp site, walk the opposite way of any cubs you see, and steer clear of any kill sites. Other than that, bears are not something to worry about.

I also pee all around my campsite as I heard that will deter them but who knows if thats just BS lol

 

[KayakMacGyver]

This may seem like a stupid question to more of you experienced mountain men, but I've always wondered about bloodied clothing and arms/hands after breaking down an animal

I have had several experiences where I made my kill (elk) late in the late afternoon, broken down the animal and spent the night in my spike camp before packing out the next day. In almost all cases, I have decent amount of dried blood on me from the process. Even worse if I've had to hang meat or move it from a kill site. Often, creeks or water are not accessible.

Not sure how keeping the scent of a dead animal off you is avoidable and seems to negate the clean camp initiative.

Is this issue a consideration in grizz country and any advice?

 

[kwyeewyk]

This may seem like a stupid question to more of you experienced mountain men, but I've always wondered about bloodied clothing and arms/hands after breaking down an animal

I have had several experiences where I made my kill (elk) late in the late afternoon, broken down the animal and spent the night in my spike camp before packing out the next day. In almost all cases, I have decent amount of dried blood on me from the process. Even worse if I've had to hang meat or move it from a kill site. Often, creeks or water are not accessible.

Not sure how keeping the scent of a dead animal off you is avoidable and seems to negate the clean camp initiative.

Is this issue a consideration in grizz country and any advice?

I wondered the same, my favorite answer was post #2, just don't get bloody! Can you guess which deleted member that was?

Thread 'After the kill in grizzly country' https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/after-the-kill-in-grizzly-country.296347/

I get pretty bloody no matter how hard I try to stay clean, but haven't had the situation yet where I needed to stay in the woods for long after killing one, usually able to get a load back to the truck within 12 hours of kill and clean up before going back for the rest. Just use your food bag for a pillow so you can throw it to them and run!

 

[Derek44]

Lots of people saying handgun and fair enough, if that option was available to me in Canada I'm sure I would explore it. But as its not, I carry a short barrel shotgun strapped to my backpack as well my rifle. I'm Metis and can hunt year round, so I'm out hunting in the summer when the bears are out and about. I load it with slugs, buckshot as a 'warning' just makes no sense to me, most likely cause of the way I use it. The shotgun comes out once I have an animal down, which is the most dangerous time for a bear interaction. If its coming to challenge me for the meat I have down on the ground it isn't gonna be warned off by buckshot. Even if I could use a pistol, the shotgun seems lie a better tool to me. While actively hunting or trekking, if I encounter a bear, I have bear spray that I'll use (and have used twice) and my rifle as a backup. The main thing to remember is to keep a clean camp site, walk the opposite way of any cubs you see, and steer clear of any kill sites. Other than that, bears are not something to worry about.

I also pee all around my campsite as I heard that will deter them but who knows if thats just BS lol

This may be another north of the border discrepancy, but it is my understanding that shooting a grizz that is trying to take your meat or carcass that you are working on is not permitted. Does not constitute self defense and you are actually supposed to surrender said carcass to remain within the law. I could be mistaken and have been many times though so take that for what it’s worth. Actually seems to be a smart option to me though legal or not, to surrender.

 

[Dubz337]

This may be another north of the border discrepancy, but it is my understanding that shooting a grizz that is trying to take your meat or carcass that you are working on is not permitted. Does not constitute self defense and you are actually supposed to surrender said carcass to remain within the law. I could be mistaken and have been many times though so take that for what it’s worth. Actually seems to be a smart option to me though legal or not, to surrender.

If I see it coming in and have the time and the opportunity to safely remove myself from the situation, then that would definitely be the option I would choose no question. I have no interest in killing a grizzly, self-defence or hunting, to me personally they are a physical representation of the mountains. But if it comes in hot ready to fight me to the death for that meat, I’m gonna have the benefit of having that shotgun in my hand. A fine is better than being torn to death in my books. Same reason I don’t do multi day hikes in Banff where I can’t carry a firearm. A couple and their dog were killed and partially eaten in a purely predatory attack in Banff a year or two ago. They even used their full can of bear spray and it didn’t stop the attack. In cases like that, I want the shotgun.

 

[mxracer317]

Balls of steel.

 

[Tradewind]

I drew a Wy general west tag and will be hunting in Grizz country. I grew up in Colorado and contrary to some social media personalities beliefs I’ve never hunted or camped in Grizz country. I am coming at this completely green. I will take any and all pointers and recommendations people have.

If I was a bear, I'd bite you just for wearing that hat

 

[Lov2hunt]

What’s better for protection? A sidearm or his rifle?

Ummm. Both and then some

 

[Dsnow9]

If I was a bear, I'd bite you just for wearing that hat

Oh that’s good, I’ll be wearing a different hat this year!

 

[Dubz337]

This may seem like a stupid question to more of you experienced mountain men, but I've always wondered about bloodied clothing and arms/hands after breaking down an animal

I have had several experiences where I made my kill (elk) late in the late afternoon, broken down the animal and spent the night in my spike camp before packing out the next day. In almost all cases, I have decent amount of dried blood on me from the process. Even worse if I've had to hang meat or move it from a kill site. Often, creeks or water are not accessible.

Not sure how keeping the scent of a dead animal off you is avoidable and seems to negate the clean camp initiative.

Is this issue a consideration in grizz country and any advice?

Camp near water and wash yourself off back at camp