The actual "highest grizzly density in the lower 48"

[Dos Perros]

even if they had accurate numbers (they don't) what geographic area would it be for? an estimate for a large geographic area doesn't tell anyone very much

would it be numbers from October or numbers from May or yesterday? obviously they can vary greatly seasonally

I think there is some very good information in this thread from folks who actually have spent time in these areas- not going to get much better than that.

Which is borderline criminal as far as management goes.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I just returned from a 6 day hunt in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. I assume this is included in the NCDE. Our camp was 18 miles in from the trailhead at the Swift Dam. 6 hunters and 4 guides had one encounter with a black bear (couldn't get a shot in dark timber) and one encounter with a grizzly and her cub. We covered 60 miles on horseback and another 30 on foot across multiple mountains and drainanges.

That being said, the guides have been in this country all their lives and when we talked about grizzly populations, they agreed with the points already stated on this thread. 1) Numbers are grossly underestimated. 2) Whether you see them or not, they are always there...

 

[mtwarden]

what's criminal is that grizzlies are fully recovered in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana and we still don't have even a limited hunting season

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

what's criminal is that grizzlies are fully recovered in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana and we still don't have even a limited hunting season

Agree and according to our guides, what is also criminal is that when a grizzly dies or is killed in the region it is always a tragedy. They said their funerals are given more respect, dignity, and thorofare than an adult human or child. They got some real wackos in MT that are influencing the management of these predators.

 

[mtwarden]

It’s not from Montana, it’s outside of Montana. You have national groups that absolutely don’t want grizzlies hunted regardless of how strong the population is. They can shop for a federal judge (easy to do) to halt a season- that’s exactly what they did when Idaho and Wyoming proposed both proposed limited hunting seasons- Montana didn’t because they knew the suit was coming. Now we have to wait years while the suit slowly (very slowly) winds it’s way through court. Sadly if the suit is won by the states, all they have to do is appeal the decision and it will add more years yet

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

It’s not from Montana, it’s outside of Montana. You have national groups that absolutely don’t want grizzlies hunted regardless of how strong the population is. They can shop for a federal judge (easy to do) to halt a season- that’s exactly what they did when Idaho and Wyoming proposed both proposed limited hunting seasons- Montana didn’t because they knew the suit was coming. Now we have to wait years while the suit slowly (very slowly) winds it’s way through court. Sadly if the suit is won by the states, all they have to do is appeal the decision and it will add more years yet

Agree on all points. Too much hollywood bleeding heart influence and money creeping in to Kalispell, Missoula, Butte, and Livingston.

 

[rodney482]

My buddy in Cody has this apple tree raping fatty next to his house.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My buddy in Cody has this apple tree raping fatty next to his house. View attachment 330337

LMAO!!!

 

[sneaky]

The Cabinets are full of them

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[sneaky]

That's called, I'm not going to "get dead" because of a grizzly attack; that's what that's called! Contrary to some people's perception, they are not humans' friends. The masses may be ignorant and complacent but reality would settle in right quick as they watch a charging grizzly! I've lived it... more than once!

It's always the same story, in many areas of life... it can't happen until it does, and then, of course... the long horse faces, and... how can I capitalize on this...? Who can pay me/us for this? We did everything humanly possible; certainly, there is a way that "we the family" can collect because of Joey's ignorance...

Most people who are mauled have no idea a bear is there until it's on them. You can carry 4 pistols, 6 knives, and 2 cans of bear spray and it won't matter. If the bear is sub 100 yds you will have about 2-2.5 seconds to identify, assess, and grab a weapon before it's on you then try to make a CNS hit under duress. May the odds be ever in your favor.

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[Ridge Hunter 83]

Most people who are mauled have no idea a bear is there until it's on them. You can carry 4 pistols, 6 knives, and 2 cans of bear spray and it won't matter. If the bear is sub 100 yds you will have about 2-2.5 seconds to identify, assess, and grab a weapon before it's on you then try to make a CNS hit under duress. May the odds be ever in your favor.

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Sure, sneaky.

Is there a chance that I could stretch it to 3.186952 seconds?

Are you a "palm reader" also?

Another one...

 

[TreeWalking]

@MTSasquatch, if I gave you an airplane and a lawn dart and told you I’d give you a trillion zillion dollars if you flew at night on Sept 15 and randomly dropped a lawn dart at 30,000 feet and into a bear’s ass, where you winging that thing?

SE of Columbine Lake above Yellowstone. Had a steaming pile of scat in my headlamp as crawled out of my Hilleberg to greet the darkness of pre-dawn. Closer than 50 yards, maybe 50 feet. Way too big a diameter to be anything but a grizzly. Tracks in the mud. Dried tracks in the dried mud from the snow melt the prior couple of weeks. Tracks in the shaded so remaining snow pads. Yet, never saw a bear of any flavor and glassed for over a week while 11 miles in from the trailhead. Never stumbled into fresh kills. Lots of bear tracks, though, and I would pay extra attention to my bear spray holster when passing through trees which occasionally spilled over the hiking trail.

 

[bsnedeker]

Most people who are mauled have no idea a bear is there until it's on them. You can carry 4 pistols, 6 knives, and 2 cans of bear spray and it won't matter. If the bear is sub 100 yds you will have about 2-2.5 seconds to identify, assess, and grab a weapon before it's on you then try to make a CNS hit under duress. May the odds be ever in your favor.

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I was coming up on a bend in a FS road last week when a small black bear came hauling ass around the corner directly at me about 40 yards away. The instant he saw me he spun and ran the other way but it got me thinking....what if that had been a grizz? 40 yards I would have had about 1 second to make the decision to grab my spray or gun and deploy it. I mean, I'm a pretty big bad-ass but I'm doubtful I would have been able to do that.

 

[sneaky]

Sure, sneaky.

Is there a chance that I could stretch it to 3.186952 seconds?

Are you a "palm reader" also?

Another one...

I doubt you could stretch it any further because your ego obviously wouldn't allow it.

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[PA Hunter]

Im gonna say the Wyoming Thorofare my statistics are only based on seeing them demons on every single hunting trip every day i have hunted in there. Also my guide mauled and my friend charged. They really do need a controlled hunt. It is impossible to harvest an elk without a bear on it my morning.

 

[Elk97]

Four and a half days of hunting south of Big Sky MT. Between myself and two sons we had three close encounters with griz and one with wolves. No elk were harmed during our hunt.

 

[Laramie]

I am amazed yearly at the number of people who hunt elk in grizzly infested areas. Gives me hope that a bit of courage still exists in this country.

 

[Dos Perros]

I am amazed yearly at the number of people who hunt elk in grizzly infested areas. Gives me hope that a bit of courage still exists in this country.

Some of us are just stupid.

 

[Crowmangler]

Im gonna say the Wyoming Thorofare my statistics are only based on seeing them demons on every single hunting trip every day i have hunted in there. Also my guide mauled and my friend charged. They really do need a controlled hunt. It is impossible to harvest an elk without a bear on it my morning.

Agree 100%.. Just hunted 4 days in there.

Day 1 a single griz was walking straight towards us & the guides ran it off.

Evening of day 2 my hunting companion killed a bull right at dark. The guide had a bad accident which resulted in me staying with him while he lay immobile for about 1.5 hours literally right beside the carcass. During this time we heard the bear "grunting" off in the distance. While the other 2 guys went to retrieve the horses, he decided staying any longer was a really bad idea so we splinted his leg & hobbled out best he could. He's a tough SOB & I began to think that he could probably whip the bear's ass if it showed up. We met up with the others around midnight, finally returning to camp a little before 4 am. After we left, the bear took the head & about half the meat overnight.

Day 3 we crossed a sow & cub at a different location which had multiple caches of buried carcass pieces.

The evening of day 4 my bull died basically in that same spot right before dark. I've never been such a nervous wreck breaking that thing down. Pack mule was going bat shit crazy almost the whole time.

There were multiple encounters by the other hunters in camp too.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I will check that location off my future list of possbilities.