WY Grizzlies

[elkbowhuntr]

Here's a couple of trail cam pics from the Island Park area, Grizzlys have really taken over. Buddy had one within 60 yards, luckily no encounters. I also have a video of a Grizz sow and cub but it wont upload.

 

[cole96]

I just got back from a guided thoroughfare elk hunt just outside YNP, probably in a similar area as the OP. 7 of 8 hunters in camp were successful. I believe 3 of the 7 bulls killed had GBears find them but i don't believe there was any meat lost to them. The bear that found my carcass started to dig a hole to burry it and then got sidetracked and took the antlers i put in a tree nearby and started skinning the skull for me. I personally saw 2 bears; 1 small one on the 1st day of hunting a few hundred yards from the park and 1 medium bear near camp on day 2 after we retrieved my elk. These are the good ole days boys and girls as it is just going to get worse if nothing changes.

View attachment 774410

What outfit did you go with

 

[jpe5714]

I've hunted the Thorofare 4 times, so I have first hand knowledge of those bears. They have NO fear of humans. And I killed a bull in '17 with a rifle, so it was a 200 yard shot. Watched it drop in place. We get on the horses, ride down to the bull, and as we're quartering it, a big ass boar was sitting literally where I shot from. We poacher packed the meat out and came back for the head and horns the next day. We tied it to a tree. Obviously the boar was on the carcass and needless to say it was a nerve wracking event, even though we tied the head a good 150-200 yards from the carcass. He was even chewing on the head.
Fast forward to 2020, I arrowed a 350" bull. Got 2 arrows in him. They were a tad back but good hits. We give him an hour and a half to walk the quarter mile to get the horses and he bedded down after 200 yards. We came back the next day in broad daylight. Tracking him down the mountain, he's bleeding and stumbling, and all of a sudden there's grizz tracks...we find my bull 300 yards down the mountain after a sow with 2 small cubs buried my bull. Pack mules didn't wanna even come close to the bull it smelled so much of bears...it was a rodeo just getting them close...thank goodness there were three of us. My buddy was watching with the guides. 270...I'm holding the hind quarter while the guide was cutting it off...the bear comes charging down right at me/us, popping her jaws, hair on her shoulders all puffed up...stops 5 yards from us...a mule was tied up between us, spinning around the pine tree like crazy..as soon as it was out of the way, I fired 2 rounds at her face with my Glock. Not sure if I hit it, but she never came back...I'll obviously never forget that day...

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[Fever Buck]

I just got back from a guided thoroughfare elk hunt just outside YNP, probably in a similar area as the OP. 7 of 8 hunters in camp were successful. I believe 3 of the 7 bulls killed had GBears find them but i don't believe there was any meat lost to them. The bear that found my carcass started to dig a hole to burry it and then got sidetracked and took the antlers i put in a tree nearby and started skinning the skull for me. I personally saw 2 bears; 1 small one on the 1st day of hunting a few hundred yards from the park and 1 medium bear near camp on day 2 after we retrieved my elk. These are the good ole days boys and girls as it is just going to get worse if nothing changes.

View attachment 774410

Was this the September hunt or the early October?

 

[LFC911]

Was this the September hunt or the early October?

We packed in on the 10/29 and shot my bull on 10/30...there was a rifle camp before us, so technically we were the early Oct camp. 2 of us killed on the 30th, the rest were in Oct.

 

[Jason Snyder]

A buddy of mine just hunted NW WY. They killed three bulls, recovered all of them and nobody was eaten by a bear.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

A buddy of mine just hunted NW WY. They killed three bulls, recovered all of them and nobody was eaten by a bear.

Uh ya, because they are endangered and are on the brink of extinction.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Uh ya, because they are endangered and are on the brink of extinction.

They must have been in the “safe space” I guess.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

They must have been in the “safe space” I guess.

It's just a sad reminder of how few Grizzlies are on the landscape. If only everyone had an encounter with them while recreating....hopefully one day.

 

[BackCountryMulies]

I live near Cody and spend most of my time in the GYE. Im glad you got your elk and got it out. Ive lost elk and deer to bears it really sucks man. Ive hunted Kodiak and other areas of Ak as well and can confirm the bears in GYE are a different personality for sure. I have far more encounters during the spring than the fall somedays seeing 10-12 bears a day is not uncommon.

 

[CJ19]

I live near Cody and spend most of my time in the GYE. Im glad you got your elk and got it out. Ive lost elk and deer to bears it really sucks man. Ive hunted Kodiak and other areas of Ak as well and can confirm the bears in GYE are a different personality for sure. I have far more encounters during the spring than the fall somedays seeing 10-12 bears a day is not uncommon.

Dont you find it interesting that some people are from Washington and like to mock people for not enjoying being around large numbers of big bears all the time or when they are hunting? But when it comes time to discuss the re introduction of more grizzlies into the cascades in Washington by the Federal government, suddenly those very same people and all their hunttalk buddies are against such a thing.

 

[KHNC]

A buddy of mine just hunted NW WY. They killed three bulls, recovered all of them and nobody was eaten by a bear.

You think its been over stated about the bear population there and people are just paranoid?

 

[KHNC]

It's just a sad reminder of how few Grizzlies are on the landscape. If only everyone had an encounter with them while recreating....hopefully one day.

Such peaceful and beautiful creatures. Sorry, no time for this, im off to my hot yoga class.

 

[Jason Snyder]

You think it’s been over stated about the bear population there and people are just paranoid?

I didn’t say any of that. I merely offered a data point. People should hunt where they are comfortable with potential risks.

 

[Dos Perros]

I think population densities are hit and miss. I hunted two areas bordering the park this September and we saw zero bears and very little fresh sign in one and just one sow and cubs in the other, but they were down feeding in ag fields. I never felt nervous or in danger in any of those 11 days.

 

[KHNC]

I think population densities are hit and miss. I hunted two areas bordering the park this September and we saw zero bears and very little fresh sign in one and just one sow and cubs in the other, but they were down feeding in ag fields. I never felt nervous or in danger in any of those 11 days.

Yep, the first time we hunted one of those 60 areas we didnt find any sign and saw plenty of elk. The next year the griz were all over and we saw 7 and few elk.

 

[Dos Perros]

Yep, the first time we hunted one of those 60 areas we didnt find any sign and saw plenty of elk. The next year the griz were all over and we saw 7 and few elk.

Same dates? Ish?

 

[FAAFO]

I've hunted the Thorofare 4 times, so I have first hand knowledge of those bears. They have NO fear of humans. And I killed a bull in '17 with a rifle, so it was a 200 yard shot. Watched it drop in place. We get on the horses, ride down to the bull, and as we're quartering it, a big ass boar was sitting literally where I shot from. We poacher packed the meat out and came back for the head and horns the next day. We tied it to a tree. Obviously the boar was on the carcass and needless to say it was a nerve wracking event, even though we tied the head a good 150-200 yards from the carcass. He was even chewing on the head.
Fast forward to 2020, I arrowed a 350" bull. Got 2 arrows in him. They were a tad back but good hits. We give him an hour and a half to walk the quarter mile to get the horses and he bedded down after 200 yards. We came back the next day in broad daylight. Tracking him down the mountain, he's bleeding and stumbling, and all of a sudden there's grizz tracks...we find my bull 300 yards down the mountain after a sow with 2 small cubs buried my bull. Pack mules didn't wanna even come close to the bull it smelled so much of bears...it was a rodeo just getting them close...thank goodness there were three of us. My buddy was watching with the guides. 270...I'm holding the hind quarter while the guide was cutting it off...the bear comes charging down right at me/us, popping her jaws, hair on her shoulders all puffed up...stops 5 yards from us...a mule was tied up between us, spinning around the pine tree like crazy..as soon as it was out of the way, I fired 2 rounds at her face with my Glock. Not sure if I hit it, but she never came back...I'll obviously never forget that day...

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Damn who knew making two bad shots could have almost cost you your life. Glad nothing happened to you!

Be safe out there boys!

 

[KHNC]

Same dates? Ish?

Yes, september within one day on either end. More hunters the 2nd year as well. That could have been why we had less elk around too.

 

[fatlander]

I think population densities are hit and miss. I hunted two areas bordering the park this September and we saw zero bears and very little fresh sign in one and just one sow and cubs in the other, but they were down feeding in ag fields. I never felt nervous or in danger in any of those 11 days.

Agree with this. I think it’s food dependent. We’ve hunted areas year after year that the density definitely seems hit or miss on a given year. Some years there specific areas where you feel like you’re in Jurassic park waiting for the bushes to start shaking and other years you wouldn’t know there’s grizzlies around there without someone telling you.

The freshest bear sign we found this year was in a county road beside where we parked the truck. In the back country we found next to nothing.


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