Grizzly fatal attack at glacier and another attack at Yellowstone

[Lush342]

Bear spray first it's the most effective tool in grizzly country by a good margin. Good on you for refreshing it.

Switching to the 10mm is a solid upgrade over 9mm for bear defense. More power and better penetration if you ever have to use it as a backup. Just run good hard-cast or heavy loads like Underwood or Buffalo Bore.

Stay vigilant, make noise, and keep that spray accessible. Enjoy the parks safely.

 

[7mm-08]

It's not limited to wildlife either. So many of these people don't understand how unforgiving this part of the country is. Last year a young man fell in the canyon on avalanche creek in GNP. It's ice cold water in a narrow rock canyon moving at roaring speed.,..Why get so close to the edge?! The carelessness deaths happen every year and so many are water related. Much of NW MT has little to no cell service.

In Idaho the natives generally shrug and mumble something about "the shallow end of the generally pool." Death has a way of stopping the procreation of the stupid and their wider societal affects.

 

[Turkeytider]

I know of multiple Thorofare guides who have been at it for 30+ years who carry no pistol and no spray who would disagree.

I used to be very worried about bears when I first moved to WY. I dont worry about them at all anymore.

Not to say I am not still diligent and prepared, there just isn't any fear regarding them anymore.

I’m sure they would indeed disagree. My 78 years on the rock has proven to me the veracity of the old adage, “ Familiarity breeds contempt “. I would agree that the vast majority of times nothing unpleasant occurs. Then there’s that one old bear that’s too old to hunt effectively.

 

[grfox92]

I’m sure they would indeed disagree. My 78 years on the rock has proven to me the veracity of the old adage, “ Familiarity breeds contempt “. I would agree that the vast majority of times nothing unpleasant occurs. Then there’s that one old bear that’s too old to hunt effectively.

I agree. I think the fact that they are out there with clients unarmed is dumb.

The point I was trying to make is that G Bears arent nearly as scary as a lot of people make them out to be. I used to be one of those people.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I never understood why people hike solo in bear country. I always made it a point to at least hike with someone I could outrun if we ever came across a bear.

While funny and usually true the bear in Yellowstone got both of them this time!

 

[Kenai_dtracker]

When we were in Yellowstone in 2023 we came across dozens of cars parked on both sides of the road with some blocking traffic. As we got up I asked someone walking what the delay was and they said a sow and cubs were seen crossing the road so everybody piled out of their cars to go get pictures. There were literally people running into the woods to get a picture of them like they were a completely harmless animal.

I got a couple pictures from the sunroof when they popped out on the hillside but I was absolutely not getting out of the car anywhere near a sow with cubs.

Are you sure that they were not trying to pet the bison? Seems like a common theme at Yellowstone. Retardation seems to runs strong with folks on vacations.

 

[Kenai_dtracker]

Yep, I saw a Grizzly on the back side of Jenny Lake back in October of 2025. I hike there often, as I'm only about 1.5hrs away, and there's a bunch of deadfall back there. I always carry concealed no matter where I'm at.

Big fan of using what you train with. I never understood people feeling like they should up-gun to a gun that they rarely shoot just because they're in bear country. I'd rather hit a bear in the face with a 124gr GD two or three times over maybe once with a 10mm hard cast. Not to mention once you get past the 9mm/40 frame guns, they become much lest comfortable to carry 24/7.

With it being August, I figure safety in numbers, but then again, when we were hiking in YNP and the Tetons, it was always early in the AM, so 75% of the time we were alone. That was planned, I hated tourist when I'm on vacations, haha!

On a serious note, I'll be carrying my stone glacier pack hunting pack when hiking. It's a bit over kill, but it's so comfortable and I'll be prepping for fall elk as well. As a ski patroller on the east coast, I tend to carry a bit of extra stuff (first aid, SAM splint, tourniquet, Israel bandage, etc.) as a habit, so a bigger pack is ok. What I'm trying to figure out, is how to carry concealed, but accessible with my pack on.

When I fished Alaska way back when, I had a chest holster for my S&W 29.

 

[TXHunt]

For those carrying when hiking in NP's such as Yellowstone and Glacier, are you open carrying, say on your bino harness or keeping it concealed?

 

[wesfromky]

With it being August, I figure safety in numbers, but then again, when we were hiking in YNP and the Tetons, it was always early in the AM, so 75% of the time we were alone. That was planned, I hated tourist when I'm on vacations, haha!

On a serious note, I'll be carrying my stone glacier pack hunting pack when hiking. It's a bit over kill, but it's so comfortable and I'll be prepping for fall elk as well. As a ski patroller on the east coast, I tend to carry a bit of extra stuff (first aid, SAM splint, tourniquet, Israel bandage, etc.) as a habit, so a bigger pack is ok. What I'm trying to figure out, is how to carry concealed, but accessible with my pack on.

When I fished Alaska way back when, I had a chest holster for my S&W 29.

Hill people gear kit bag is great for discrete carry. Bonus is you can mount your bear spray on it as well.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

After having been to these national parks several times, its honestly amazing tragic events like this aren't more common. People get really really dumb when there's an opportunity for a photo op of an animal. Especially yellowstone, wow you see some absolutely ignorant people on those trails.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I know of multiple Thorofare guides who have been at it for 30+ years who carry no pistol and no spray who would disagree.

I used to be very worried about bears when I first moved to WY. I dont worry about them at all anymore.

Not to say I am not still diligent and prepared, there just isn't any fear regarding them anymore.

When I hunted in the Bob in '21, EVERY guide carried a shortened lever action guide gun in 45-70.

 

[grfox92]

When I hunted in the Bob in '21, EVERY guide carried a shortened lever action guide gun in 45-70.

Yea not sure why, but in the Wyoming Thorofare there is a little culture of thinking its ridiculous to carry around a heavy pistol. Obviously not all of them as I know plenty of guides who carry. But I also know of guys who have lived back there 3 months a year for 20 to 30 years, watering horses at night 100 yards from camp, cooking in camp, and dont bring in a pistol.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My daughter and I had the displeasure of running into a "bear jam" in YP last May. There were 4 grizzlies, 2 about 50 yards from the road and 2 more about 100 yards out. There were idiots sitting on the side of the road, morons with tripods set up, and vehicles everywhere. We were headed north and the road for us was clear once we got past them. However, the road south was backed up for miles. Here is a link to a video I took.

A couple days later we were super fortunate to catch a sow with cubs crossing the road in East Glacier. We had the place to ourselves, and it was a super cool moment. Here is that video and please pardon my excitement! We watched from a safe distance inside my truck.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Yea not sure why, but in the Wyoming Thorofare there is a little culture of thinking its ridiculous to carry around a heavy pistol. Obviously not all of them as I know plenty of guides who carry. But I also know of guys who have lived back there 3 months a year for 20 to 30 years, watering horses at night 100 yards from camp, cooking in camp, and dont bring in a pistol.

The guides didn't recommend carrying, but didn't tell a guy he couldn't. They were mostly concerned about the extra weight and fatigue as the average hunters aren't usually in the best shape.

 

[nphunter]

My bear spray expired in 2022. You think I should replace it? I just assumed those dates are arbitrary....like the California Cancer warnings.**

Pepper spray doesn't expire; the concern is that the can will lose pressure over time and not function properly. The actual pepper oil in the can doesn't degrade with age. My grandma has aerosol hair spray that still works from the 80's in her bathroom closet. I'm not sure I would risk it with bear spray in grizzly country but I would think since it's a one time use can and not being used at all that it would last a very long time.

 

[Turkeytider]

I agree. I think the fact that they are out there with clients unarmed is dumb.

The point I was trying to make is that G Bears arent nearly as scary as a lot of people make them out to be. I used to be one of those people.

I’ll take your word for it. Color me overly cautious if you will, but I have a tendency to be that way about things that can make me into a hot lunch with very little effort!

 

[jesco88]

For those carrying when hiking in NP's such as Yellowstone and Glacier, are you open carrying, say on your bino harness or keeping it concealed?

Concealed, everywhere I go,

 

[dgfavor]

I always have bear spray on my bino harness up in the park...sometimes I do bail out of the car without my bino harness though. I don't carry firearm in the park but we are really just "road hunting" and cautious about maintaining distance - my wife loves the park but refuses to venture much beyond sight of a good sprint to the car!! Outside the park, in the GYE periphery, fishing, hiking, hunting, etc - I carry bear spray and firearm on bino harness all the time...I may forego the gun if we are in a pretty occupied campground or the like.

I did get myself, with an assist from the Mrs., into a much closer than desired griz bear encounter last year. We came across a small gathering of cars and folks set up with optics/cameras/etc on roadside. I bailed out sans bino harness/spray and moved up the road where a sow with two cubs were feeding up the hill, not much over 100yds away. My lovely wife remained in safety of the car. Pretty quickly the sow and cubs fed up out of sight onto the bench above. The crowd that was on foot all started hustling up the road - I was just shooting with a 300mm off a monopod so did quick pack up and started striding down the hill back to our car. I'm still not sure how they collectively all pulled this off but every remaining car, including my wife in our car, fired up and drove off up the hill as well. Very quickly I was completely alone not much over 100yds from sow with two cubs, out of sight just above me. I turned and started hustling up the hill to catch up to the herd and glanced up to see this - momma changed her mind apparently and was coming back down:

Sheee-it!! I'd guess 85yds max. I took quick inventory of my resources - there were none so I started backing back down the hill just as a solo guy in a Subaru came idling past then stopped when I waved at him. I quickly knocked on his passenger window, he popped the door and I told him there was a sow with two cubs right above us and could I jump in if they come closer. He gave me the thumbs up, pulled to the roadside and I took shelter behind his car and we got some great shots.

Suspiciously, that was not the first time my wife has sped past me with a nefarious look on her face to drive down the road to put a grizzly between me and the car...seems sus to me anyway...
She stranded me with this sow and cub between us once but I had myself mixed up in a crowd of folks I'd sized up as slower, more tender, and better eating than me!

Anyone know if there is an optimal ratio of bear spray canisters : bear(s)...I have wondered if at times a fellar might just find himself out gunned:

 

[smittydantes]

My daughter and I had the displeasure of running into a "bear jam" in YP last May. There were 4 grizzlies, 2 about 50 yards from the road and 2 more about 100 yards out. There were idiots sitting on the side of the road, morons with tripods set up, and vehicles everywhere. We were headed north and the road for us was clear once we got past them. However, the road south was backed up for miles. Here is a link to a video I took.

A couple days later we were super fortunate to catch a sow with cubs crossing the road in East Glacier. We had the place to ourselves, and it was a super cool moment. Here is that video and please pardon my excitement! We watched from a safe distance inside my truck.

worked in GTNP a couple of summers, the bear jams were unbelievable. Especially after seeing first hand how fast grizzlies can move. Like my pops said, "turns out common sense ain't so common"

 

[KenLee]

When I was looking into it last summer, Yellowstone was the only place that stated it was illegal to “discharge” a firearm.

Not illegal to carry (if the person was legally allowed to carry) but illegal to “use”.
No exceptions or other wording in regard to self defense.

I found no wording like this for Grand Teton or Glacier.

I’m not a lawyer and the info was obtained through Google searches with a preference to anything .gov.
Assuming that would be the closest thing “information”.

I'd had to trust in a few jurors having a brain. I'm sending it.