Hunting in grizzly territory

[Waterman86]

2 buddies and I had archery elk tags for the South Fork in WY. We had ice climbed there many times so kinda knew the area but it was awsome exploring that range without snow on it (spoiler we didn't get an elk...). We knew it was grizzly country and we all spent alot of time reading and about how to be safe in grizzly territory. There was a lot of people with alot of advice (mostly opinions on what gun to carry) but it seemed like most people who had personal encounters recommended vigilance, a loud yell and bear spray as a backup.
On day 8 we woke up at 3am packed up and headed out. I was 2-3 miles up canyon before realizing my bear spray fell out of my pocket when putting on pants in the tent. By 3 pm we we're on an elk and closing in. He was in a draw in front of us and I ranged the other side at ~105yrds but the clearing was 27 - 50ish. My buddy was set up 15yrds uphill and left of me, another was 20yds behind send cow calls.
I had a shooting lane and was looking for any movement when I saw a big brown thing move in front of my opening. I turned and grabbed my release as the unit of a brown bear takes a step back, looks strait at me through my shooting lane and then turns to point straight at me.
This was one of the most thrilling 45 second wildlife encounters I have ever had. It never seemed threatening but rather curious. We just stared at each other while I yelled to my friend to stop calling and pull back. I did go for my gun at one point but decided I would be better off moving with a free hand since it would do nothing if it decided to come taste me and the down timber was super thick).
In the end we regrouped retreated to a clearing. Without incident. Once we were together my buddy did mention he had to step over a fresh pile of bear poop with a piss puddle still present, that probably should have been our trigger to break off the stalk.
I have had a few bear encounters in the Teton and the San Juan's since but nothing compares to locking eyes a stones throw away. I can still see its big round face and dark eyes, super pretty animal.

Anyway, I was looking up bear encounter stories for a wild med course I teaching found this thread and thought I would share.

Jeff

 

[bkraushaar]

2 bowhunters just killed a charging grizz in Island Park ID this week. Certainly of concern on all sides of YP.

Any indication of where within the larger Island Park Elk Zone the grizzlies are most concentrated? Are they spread evenly (north/south; east/west)?

 

[Bigborealaska]

Any indication of where within the larger Island Park Elk Zone the grizzlies are most concentrated? Are they spread evenly (north/south; east/west)?

They are all over the unit / area. I was witness to a biologist from fish and game tracking a collared grizz through an area they are said not to be while hunting in 2021. I would expect to see more in the Island Park / Yellowstone area but dont let your guard down in other areas.

 

[RP50]

Any indication of where within the larger Island Park Elk Zone the grizzlies are most concentrated? Are they spread evenly (north/south; east/west)?

My opinion after being there, they are likely on every mountain system within 50 miles of YP. May just be one lone bear, but likely exists. We talked to a local biologist when scouting some new ground this year, said they had 3 collared bears in one draw 8 miles West of Sawtell the week we were out there. Reading stories about how they're clear over in the Missouri breaks of Central Montana now, I wouldn't let your guard down anywhere in IP zone.

 

[well_known_rokslider]

On our archery hunt in Wyoming this past September we crossed paths with a resident who used to work for WF&G. We asked him about the units around Yellowstone and how bad the bear situation really was and he said quote, "It's bad. You don't hear but a fraction of the the encounters that happen. I don't even go up there unless it's during rifle season and with horses." Take that anyway you like. If you decide to go, pay no head to this "if I survive the first 15 seconds nonsense. Be vigilant. Be prepared. 10 seconds may be all it takes to lose a jaw.

 

[Kyle C]

 

[Andrewlonghi]

 

[Andrewlonghi]

I don't think I'll have to worry about fighting grizzlies this next year thanks to points creep, but there is a specific unit that we are looking at that we might be able to pull a tag for. I've been researching it and looks like there's not alot of access to it u less ypu go threw private. I don't want to post up units #'s so if someone would like to PM me maybe I can get a better idea about it .

 

[Andrewlonghi]

On our archery hunt in Wyoming this past September we crossed paths with a resident who used to work for WF&G. We asked him about the units around Yellowstone and how bad the bear situation really was and he said quote, "It's bad. You don't hear but a fraction of the the encounters that happen. I don't even go up there unless it's during rifle season and with horses." Take that anyway you like. If you decide to go, pay no head to this "if I survive the first 15 seconds nonsense. Be vigilant. Be prepared. 10 seconds may be all it takes to lose a jaw.

I was wondering about this myself as I'm sure we don't hear about every grizzly bear encounter

 

[Archer86]

Plenty of bears up in nw wyoming it's not if you will see them it's how many will you see in alot of areas.

I am not sure I would burn alot of points in a area with lots of grizzly running around if you have hunted around them enough to know you won't let it take over your hunt or have someone with you that's comfortable in bear country. I don't hunt it on foot I will only use my horses

I live in the nw corner and play in bear country a little pm me some questions and I will see if I can help you out I am guessing you are looking at some limted quota areas and not general.

 

[Valkyrie]

I’m an east coast PA guy and have had many black bear encounters. Every one of them the BB ran away like a scalded dog. Cant imagine a brown bear. Bears as a whole are beautiful animals and I would love to put eyes on a grizzly before I’m too old to get out there. Maybe I’ll go to a zoo! Lol!

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I was wondering about this myself as I'm sure we don't hear about every grizzly bear encounter

True but there is also not the massive pile of human remains that the anti-bear/wolf/<predator of choice> crowd love to say will occur either.

There are way too many idiots in alpha predator country that manage to survive, even when recording themselves doing stupid things to animals that can easily kill them, which demonstrates that we just are not actively being hunted and/or killed en masse by these alpha predators.

Folks are not freaking out about bees, wasps, and hornets which kill 60+ people every year in the US.

 

[well_known_rokslider]

Folks are not freaking out about bees, wasps, and hornets which kill 60+ people every year in the US.

Comically bad comparison.

60+ people per year. Appx 330 million humanoids in the US presently. That gives us a 1 in 5,500,000 chance for death by bee type creature. There's nowhere near 5.5 million people hunting in grizzly territory. And hunters aren't getting messed up because they're allergic to the bear.

 

[Gutshot007]

Take some benadryl and an epipen into grizzly country and you should be fine. Lol

 

[iamthenick]

Comically bad comparison.

60+ people per year. Appx 330 million humanoids in the US presently. That gives us a 1 in 5,500,000 chance for death by bee type creature. There's nowhere near 5.5 million people hunting in grizzly territory. And hunters aren't getting messed up because they're allergic to the bear.

Too true.

As someone who lives in florida i hear all the time how the chances of being attacked by a shark are astronomically low. Because they add in all the people in the country who have 0% chance of being attacked into the equation. Your chances of being bitten by a bull shark in utah are quite low, but when you are swimming in the gulf of Mexico... a little bit higher.

Edit: i would imagine your chances of a bear encounter go up much higher while working on packing out a dead animal as well.

 

[well_known_rokslider]

Edit: i would imagine your chances of a bear encounter go up much higher while working on packing out a dead animal as well.

And usually hiking as quietly as possible, and deliberately walking upwind so they can't smell you coming, and usually in thick cover where you and the bear have poor visibility, and prime hunting hours are right after and right before dark when bears are most active... the list goes on and on

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Too true.

As someone who lives in florida i hear all the time how the chances of being attacked by a shark are astronomically low. Because they add in all the people in the country who have 0% chance of being attacked into the equation. Your chances of being bitten by a bull shark in utah are quite low, but when you are swimming in the gulf of Mexico... a little bit higher.

Edit: i would imagine your chances of a bear encounter go up much higher while working on packing out a dead animal as well.

Absolutely correct.

But the dead bodies are not piling up on the beaches from sharks. Nor are there dead bodies piling up in apex bear country. Dead bodies are not piling up where there are wolves, mountain lions, or any other predator. The only species actively target humans are humans.

Yet the fear mongering pimps will lead folks to believe that it is a near guaranteed death sentence to step foot in <predator-of-choice> environment. Doesn't matter if it is brown/grizzly/polar bear country or in various water environments with sharks.

These individuals will rightly tell folks to not expect a elk, deer, caribou, moose, etc behind every bush and tree. But when it comes to apex predators, their stories change and suddenly there are big bad bears, wolves, lions, etc behind those same bushes and trees.

Low odds event even when spending an inordinate amount of time in apex predator country. Accept it, be prepared for it, and go live your life.

 

[iamthenick]

Absolutely correct.

But the dead bodies are not piling up on the beaches from sharks. Nor are there dead bodies piling up in apex bear country. Dead bodies are not piling up where there are wolves, mountain lions, or any other predator. The only species actively target humans are humans.

Yet the fear mongering pimps will lead folks to believe that it is a near guaranteed death sentence to step foot in <predator-of-choice> environment. Doesn't matter if it is brown/grizzly/polar bear country or in various water environments with sharks.

These individuals will rightly tell folks to not expect a elk, deer, caribou, moose, etc behind every bush and tree. But when it comes to apex predators, their stories change and suddenly there are big bad bears, wolves, lions, etc behind those same bushes and trees.

Low odds event even when spending an inordinate amount of time in apex predator country. Accept it, be prepared for it, and go live your life.

I think most people are just advising to take precautions. Because when people say its a 1 in a billion chance it makes it sound like its not even worth considering it will happen.

 

[Archer86]

Absolutely correct.

But the dead bodies are not piling up on the beaches from sharks. Nor are there dead bodies piling up in apex bear country. Dead bodies are not piling up where there are wolves, mountain lions, or any other predator. The only species actively target humans are humans.

Yet the fear mongering pimps will lead folks to believe that it is a near guaranteed death sentence to step foot in <predator-of-choice> environment. Doesn't matter if it is brown/grizzly/polar bear country or in various water environments with sharks.

These individuals will rightly tell folks to not expect a elk, deer, caribou, moose, etc behind every bush and tree. But when it comes to apex predators, their stories change and suddenly there are big bad bears, wolves, lions, etc behind those same bushes and trees.

Low odds event even when spending an inordinate amount of time in apex predator country. Accept it, be prepared for it, and go live your life.

You have obviously never spent a week in a area with high grizzly population you absolutely will run into a grizzly bears in certain areas in nw wyoming pitching it as a low odd chance you see them is comical. Will you have a bad encounter most likely not but you will see them they will be around.

Hunter encounters are much more likely then the hippie hiking in a few hours after daylight and back at his car 2 hours before dark.

Serious hunters will be hiking well before day light and well after dark sneaking through areas to get to where the elk are and you could easily bump into a bear in the dark. Get a elk down close to dark you better have a plan. Bears will be on that kill in no time if they are close

No one said it was a death sentence i said if it's going to effect the way you are going to hunt its best not to waste alot of point on the hunt. Chances are if he is looking in the nw corner he will be going with a guide or knows a resident to get him in the wilderness since a majority of the elk are in the wilderness areas in those locations.

 

[Preston]

What is the process of shooting a grizzly before you walk out to report it to Fish and Game, do you gut out the bear or leave it whole and possibly let it spoil?

I hunted a high grizzly bear concentration area this last fall in Montana and seen two sets of fresh grizzly bear prints (two different bears). We shot two bulls about 1 hour and half from the truck and knew we would have a bear or two on the carcasses either that day or the next. We shot them at daybreak and spent 2-3 hours quartering them up and spent most of that day packing the 10 pieces of meat to hang in a tree about 8-10 foot off the ground and 500 yards away from the kill sites. The 2.5 days we packed the meat we never seen nothing but magpies and ravens on the leftover carcasses.

I took my hunting hound with me and carried a fully loaded rifle (bear spray would have been pointless due the wind blowing every direction).

I think they only thing I will do differently is cut a horse trail this next summer over all the deadfall to speed up the packing process and carry a small double pulley and 50’ of rope. It would speed up the process of hanging the quarters at one point and one guy can lift 200-300 lbs with a double pulley system and it wouldn’t weigh 5 lbs.

You can notice I tied up my long underwear at the base of the tree and I always try to piss around the tree.