MT Elk hunting on the front? Is it worth it with all the grizzly encounters?

[MLGrace]

there's a grizzly for every square mile over there.

wow, I had no idea that the bear population was that high. I used to hunt solo in AK but the numbers were not that extreme. That is more than serious.

 

[mt100gr.]

One of my coworkers was elk hunting near Deerlodge Mt this year and took this picture.

....that's a stout griz....F!

 

[44Sam]

I was up in the hills by Lincoln MT for 7 days in September and didn't see any bears, not many elk either.... I struck out but in the back of my mind I was not looking forward to quartering that thing up in the dark had I been successful. I hope they have a Griz season soon.

I was in Lincoln Mt Sept 25 to Oct 1 solo also , no elk just mt lion and goats

 

[swehrman]

This was taken last on the east side of the Flathead Valley about 85 yards from my house. This bear seems to do a good job avoiding humans. Every time I ever captured it on camera was at night or very early in the morning.

-- Scott

 

[MallardSX2]

I would hunt it, but I would not be walking out in the dark and I would have significant firepower. If I ever hunted it I would have to lie to my buddies and tell them there were none in that area because if they found out there was they would never go. lol

 

[wind gypsy]

Simple solution.....be prepared to pack it out when you kill one.

OP, why didn't you guys pack out the elk that evening?
....

The original post indicated the encounter happened when the hunter returned to pack out the rest of the elk, which to me insinuates part of the elk was packed out after it was broken down. He did say “on the carcass” which might mean the meat didn’t get far enough from the carcass.

Your solution would only be simple if you hunt elk in a manner that most people do not as far as I can tell. I.E. only kill in places with motorized access, have pack animals with you at all times, or have 3 friends willing to follow you around the mountains waiting to pack out your elk. I’ve only been in on 8 elk pack outs but in none of those instances were we able to get an entire elk out without making multiple trips.

 

[grizz_bait]

I don't think opening a season will teach grizzlies to fear humans. Grizzlies aren't herd animals and it's unlikely they would ever see another bear die by human hands. At least not often, especially if the state issues a low number (6) of tags per year. Opening a season on grizzly bears would only reduce encounters if the state issued a liberal amount of tags, thereby reducing overall bear numbers. That's not gonna happen.

As a hunter in the grizz woods, you are no longer the apex predator. Accept that or don't hunt there. Statistically, driving to the trailhead is more dangerous. Of the thousands and thousands of hunters that hit SW Montana this year, there were only a few maulings and no deaths. Haven't heard of any attacks this year up on the Front. I sound like a broken record, but so does every response in this thread.

 

[137buck]

One of my coworkers was elk hunting near Deerlodge Mt this year and took this picture.

From a friend's game camera, this is the boar and I have spotted a sow with two cubs nearby, and this is just outside of Deer Lodge. I still will hunt solo, you just have to be smart about it. You shoot something, get it broke down and get all the meat away from the carcass and get the meat hung up in a tree out in an open area, and when you come back to get it, stop and took a good look around before you just stumble into the area and surprise a critter.

 

[Beendare]

Your solution would only be simple if you hunt elk in a manner that most people do not as far as I can tell. I.E. only kill in places with motorized access, have pack animals with you at all times, or have 3 friends willing to follow you around the mountains waiting to pack out your elk. I’ve only been in on 8 elk pack outs but in none of those instances were we able to get an entire elk out without making multiple trips.

I typically hunt with one or two guys in elk camp even though many times we hunt solo....we have either horseback or backpacked in to spots in MT/ID and Wyo.

We backpack or get the horses in to the downed bull and pack them out right away- ALWAYS- and we have not have a problem.

I wasn't trying to crack on the OP, just making a suggestion.IMHO, Knowing the difference with a bears mental processes is key.

....