Did a 10 day solo fly in moose hunt in Alaska 2015. In hindsight I probably won't do that again. Never saw a bear, but on two occasions a set of new tracks would show up overnight within 200 yards of my camp (kept a super clean camp, no oils or grease, cleaned everything in the lake). Shot a bull on day 6, sat phoned pilot and flew out on day 8, by then the carcass was covered by ravens and when the pilot landed he said "There's a big ole Griz on your carcass". I started reevaluating all my choices.
Hunted and camped in backcountry of Montana at least a dozen times , keep a clean camp , and electric fence for a permanent camp if you want it to be there on your return for both griz and blacks . I sleep like a baby out there . The warm weather would be your bigger problem than bears .See bears almost every trip , Had a huge mountain lion walk thru camp last fall , that was cool
The place I was hunting wasn't that far from Deer Ridge Lookout. It was in the Purcell Range. About 10 years ago, a bear hunter was killed after a grizzly attack on the other side of Deer Creek drainage, near the Montana border. He had mistakenly shot the grizzly, thinking it was a black bear, but he only wounded it. The grizzly mauled him when they were tracking it in thick brush, and his partner shot the bear again to try to stop the attack, but the bullet passed through the bear and killed the hunter being mauled.
I was charged by a bear and had to shoot at it, while tracking a wounded bull.
Yeah, but you guys don't get thrown under the jail for shooting one lol
Can’t worry about the local wildlife
I also wondered about some grizz "advantage" until I recently met with my college roommates who are life long Wyo residents and hunters (in their late 60's) who have taken elk, moose,sheep, pronghorn in the state. They are all hardcore hunting veterans and all live or have lived in Wyoming counties having bears.Can’t worry about the local wildlife
I say use it to your advantage, lots of folks don’t like hunting around them, which is a benefit if you are ok with it.
I have not hunted in grizz country but plan on moving to Wyoming in a few years, and will be looking for places in grizz country, I have heard enough say they won’t hunt around them that if it reduces pressure at all, I will take big bears any day.
It’s the boogie man effect, the thought of them is scary, but we face more hazards in normal life and never bat an eye… of course respect their capabilities, use common sense and be proactive, but I wouldn’t think twice about it, and would choose their habitat to hunt if it keeps even a few people out… or walking in late and leaving early not wanting to walk in the dark… I see them as a benefit more than a hazard
Several threads on this. You'll get lots of different opinions. Personally I prefer at least 44 mag but a lot depends on what you shoot well.
