Precautions in G-bear country

[Coyote Commander]

It points out that the bears to fear are those that have had the highest exposure/least negative interactions with humans, whether in parks, on fishing rivers, or in wilderness interface areas of high traffic.

I.E.....Wyoming and Montana grizzlies.

 

[bcimport]

Marlin Guide gun loaded with 430gr hard casts helps me bust through the alders and sleep a little more comfortably.

 

[crazy_davey]

Crazy-Davey, it seems like the western slopes of Alberta have a lot of problem cats. Known a few people over the years that have run in into aggressive cougars, especially in 402 for some reason.

Yes, we have lots of cats in the foothills and western slopes. I have never been stalked myself that I know of but my cousin and a friend at work were both stalked while bow hunting(two separate experiences) not far from our place in the foothills of SA. I did come face to face(5 yards) with a big cat while running down some switchbacks down in Waterton many years ago.

Caught this guy on my trail camera about five hundred yards from our door:



A different one, same spot:



One my father took just north of our place quite a few years ago:

 

[crazy_davey]

LoL! That'd make a guy kinda tense and sweaty! It would be extra cute and fuzzy tho...

Ya, it was a cute fuzzy ball and made me sh1t my pants about the second I saw it...

My wife and I had ridden the quad into and area that we used to frequent quite a bit scouting looking for sheep, deer and elk. We were there this time looking for a memorial plaque that we had hung on a big old dead tree for a friend that had past away a few years earlier. We got off the quad and split up to find the plaque and were both still wearing our quad helmets. When I stepped over that old dead log and saw the cub a million things went racing through my head but the biggest thought was for my wife as I didn't know exactly where she was. That heavily loaded Guide Gun in my hand all of a sudden felt like a pellet gun!

I yelled for her to get back to the quad right now hoping that she would hear me and that mamma wouldn't. luckily she did hear me and beat me back to the quad. I was still slowly backing away from the cub while watching the patches of bush where I thought mamma could be. When I got back to the quad my wife was standing there wondering what in the world was going on. I told her to get on the quad and we got the heck out of there. After a short, quick ride I stopped so that I could catch my breath and tell the story to my wife of what almost happened but thankfully never did!

It was only two years later that we were charged by a super pissed off grizzly with three cubs in the exact same spot while in my friends Toyota pickup(thankfully). That truck still has the scratches on the tailgate to prove it!

 

[Buster]

Again, to avoid bear encounters, do not step on their cubs! Talk about a close call. How you avoided momma on that one is a true miracle.

I was bowhunting elk on a ridge just north of window mountain quite few years ago. I sat a well used trail for 2 days waiting for a legal bull. On the 3rd morning rifle season opened up, so out came the 300. I decided to move up the trail a bit to get into an open area. I had made it 100 yards from my original spot when I walked up on a buried elk. How I managed to not run into the bear that was saving it, with only bow in hand, was pretty amazing. The thought of it still sends a chill up my spine.

 

[2rocky]

Any Thoughts about the Age of Bear spray?

How often should I replace my can? every 2 years? 5 years? 10 Years?

 

[Bigfeet]

My newest bear spray, bought last year, has an expiry date on it. If I remember right (it's at home, I'm at work so no chance to check right now), it was good for 5 years. I used to check my older bear sprays every year by giving them a short burst. If they had lots of power, I trusted them, but I would replace them every 5 years or so.