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I'd have to say that the grizzly population has grown considerably over the years, so your experiences over the past may not be applicable in the future. People can get into trouble, in general, by not recognizing that circumstances have changed. And way too many grizzlies means that there is more competition for food, which leads them to go all over the state looking for a beer and a good burger. Just sayin'I've lived and hunted in Montana for almost 50 years, both places where I lived (one in NW Montana, and now in SW Montana) I have had black bears as close as on the deck of my house, and grizzly bears sighted and left their tracks on my land within 1/4 mile of my house. I've never seen the need to carry a gun for grizzly protection every time I go out of my house.
For 20 some years I had horses and packed my hunting camps into the wilderness areas just north of Yellowstone NP. In all those years I only saw and encountered one grizzly bear. He came into our camp because we had 2 elk and a moose quartered and hanging in the stockrack in the back of my pickup truck. The night that I encountered him he was no more than 10 yards from me, and the 2 shots that I fired, one over his head and the other into the tree next to him didn't phase him, but when I picked up, threw and hit him with a golf ball size rock, he ran away.
A couple of years ago I went on a Brown bear hunt in SW Alaska. I hunted with my .375 RUM, and my guide carried his .300 Win Short Mag rifle.
You're right, the grizzly population has grown considerably in the last 30-40 years, and grizzly/human encounters are becomming more common. They need to be managed.I'd have to say that the grizzly population has grown considerably over the years, so your experiences over the past may not be applicable in the future. People can get into trouble, in general, by not recognizing that circumstances have changed. And way too many grizzlies means that there is more competition for food, which leads them to go all over the state looking for a beer and a good burger. Just sayin'
The feds designated the grizzly as an endangered species in the lowers 48 in 1975.You're right, the grizzly population has grown considerably in the last 30-40 years, and grizzly/human encounters are becomming more common. They need to be managed.
45 years ago we could buy an OTC grizzly tag for $25 and I think there was a 10 bear quota, which wasn't reached some years. Back then I would buy a grizzly tag every year just in case I would see a bear on the gut pile of the deer or elk that I shot, like one of my co-workers in Eureka did one year. But back then I didn't realize how good we had it and just like the $25 Unlimited bighorn sheep tags that we could buy every year, I didn't take that hunting seriously enough.
But just because a few years ago a bow hunter videoed a grizzly in the field across the road from my house, and my next door neighbor saw grizzly tracks in the snow 300 yards above our houses, and last summer a black bear climbed the fence to eat the berries in my back yard and left piles of partially eating berries, I'm not packing a .44 magnum every time I cook burgers on my BBQ.
Montana had a grizzly season until 1993-94. Last seasons were spring.The feds designated the grizzly as an endangered species in the lowers 48 in 1975.
I hunted hard in Alaska for four years when I was single, "fearless" and "foolish". I hunted Cold Bay for brown bear with two buddies and hunted Kodiak Is. alone for the brown. I camped all over McKinley NP and hunted caribou and moose with no fear... Now I don't step out of my truck in grizzley country. I'm terribly afraid of them and personally feel they should be managed to the number slightly above "endangered" same for the wolf. That's how I feel!!While "Im not scared of the devil" those big humped back bears give me "Pause"! Means I dont want him around me, in camp or on the trail either, ha. never hunted in griz country, but I would take a stout rifle if I did! whew
The feds designated the grizzly as an endangered species in the lowers 48 in 1975.
You need to carry a 375h&h, at a minimum, with the length of some of those, those sentences.I've lived and hunted in Montana for almost 50 years, both places where I lived (one in NW Montana, and now in SW Montana) I have had black bears as close as on the deck of my house, and grizzly bears sighted and left their tracks on my land within 1/4 mile of my house. I've never seen the need to carry a gun for grizzly protection every time I go out of my house.
For 20 some years I had horses and packed my hunting camps into the wilderness areas just north of Yellowstone NP. In all those years I only saw and encountered one grizzly bear. He came into our camp because we had 2 elk and a moose quartered and hanging in the stockrack in the back of my pickup truck. The night that I encountered him he was no more than 10 yards from me, and the 2 shots that I fired, one over his head and the other into the tree next to him didn't phase him, but when I picked up, threw and hit him with a golf ball size rock, he ran away.
A couple of years ago I went on a Brown bear hunt in SW Alaska. I hunted with my .375 RUM, and my guide carried his .300 Win Short Mag rifle.
I had just read that quote about "endangered" from some "official" document, I wasn't relying on memory. I think what happened, individual states started making their own regs. which may have led to the hunting in the Bob. I guess it doesn't matter about the regs., a person just needs to protect themselves one way or another....firearm or some good spray.More accurately they were listed as threatened, if memory serves. That is the "loophole" that allowed for grizzly hunting in the Bob.
SportOptics is running sales on Leupolds.....Just sayin', LOLOLOL.I tried and failed to buy my sister’s 6x36 Leupold, I offered her more than it was worth and she wasn’t willing to part with it. I decided to spring for a new Zeiss for my Sako and mounted the trusty old VX3, slicked up the trigger a little, and the old Ruger is ready to hunt. It shoots well with Hornady 225 CX factory loads, and I’ll probably load up some 225 Accubonds once I shoot the factory stuff.
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And don't forget to bring along a shovel! LOLOLOLOLI had just read that quote about "endangered" from some "official" document, I wasn't relying on memory. I think what happened, individual states started making their own regs. which may have led to the hunting in the Bob. I guess it doesn't matter about the regs., a person just needs to protect themselves one way or another....firearm or some good spray.
I wish they still made the old fixed 6x or the 2.5-8 without CDS. I got a pretty sweet deal on the new Zeiss though.SportOptics is running sales on Leupolds.....Just sayin', LOLOLOL.