Yet another grizzly attack in Montana

Beendare

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I wonder how many of these bear attacks we DON'T hear about?

Last itme I hunted that Yellowstone ecosystem area we were kicked out of an area because a bowhunter had wounded a Grizz.

I checked with F&G and forest service along with local news- no report, no info.
 

Cbum

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Oct 8, 2024
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I wonder how many of these bear attacks we DON'T hear about?

Last itme I hunted that Yellowstone ecosystem area we were kicked out of an area because a bowhunter had wounded a Grizz.

I checked with F&G and forest service along with local news- no report, no info.
I'm sure lots of encounters aren't released to th public, I'd be interested in seeing those metrics
 

Cbum

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Kind of like negative lion encounters. I learned last week for it to be considered a lion attack it has to do bodily harm to you. If it stalks you and you kill it before it tears you up, it doesn’t get recorded as such.
If that's the standard for recording I wouldn't trust any metric, very unfortunate to hear! How do you get the data on this?
 

Hoosker Doo

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I don't think it hurts his case that he only injured the bear and FWP were the ones who dispatched it.

I wonder how many of these bear attacks we DON'T hear about?

Last itme I hunted that Yellowstone ecosystem area we were kicked out of an area because a bowhunter had wounded a Grizz.

I checked with F&G and forest service along with local news- no report, no info.
I think a few, especially those that don't result in a dead bear at the end of the blood trail.

I just checked Wyoming G&F reports for the last few years and just the bears Game and Fish "removed" from the population due to livestock or human conflict were:
2021 - 30
2022 - 15
2023 -14

Add any other bears killed in self defense to those totals, and I think it shows there are plenty of Griz to go around in the GYE.

Edited: to clarify that these were grizzly removals, not bears in general per the WG&FD Grizzly Bear Management, Catures, Relocations, in Northwest Wyoming annual Report.
 

t_carlson

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They won't prosecute him for this. If there's any reasonable self-defense justification, the feds leave it alone. Not worth their time. You'll never get a conviction if a bear is acting even remotely aggressive with a local jury in the west.
 

Hnthrdr

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If that's the standard for recording I wouldn't trust any metric, very unfortunate to hear! How do you get the data on this?
Fantastic question I don’t have a clue, would be interested to see those numbers, I’d guess a few dozen every year
 

jhm2023

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Don't assume that. I spooked one that had climbed about 20' up into a white bark pine and he made a hasty, but not very graceful, leap to the ground.
I suppose I could have done a bit of research on it. I've always heard they can't, and I have witnessed firsthand adolescent grizz climbing trees, but I've never seen a mature grizz have more than just the front paws on a tree. I have seen mature grizz struggle to reach lures and attractants higher than what the can reach standing on the rear legs. Perhaps they're just being lazy.
 
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Know how you can tell the difference between a black bear and a grizzly?
As it's charging, you climb up a tree to escape.
If it climbs up after you and mauls you in the tree it's a black bear.
If it pushes the tree over and mauls you on the ground it's a grizzly.
 
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I suppose I could have done a bit of research on it. I've always heard they can't, and I have witnessed firsthand adolescent grizz climbing trees, but I've never seen a mature grizz have more than just the front paws on a tree. I have seen mature grizz struggle to reach lures and attractants higher than what the can reach standing on the rear legs. Perhaps they're just being lazy.
In fairness, I've heard the same my whole life. Growing up in MT that was the generally accepted *fact* of the matter.
 

WCB

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Jun 12, 2019
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GriZzLY BeArs cAn'T CLImB TrEEs! DRRRRRRRR...... Why DidN't hE BaCK ouT? DRRRRR.....

Same guys that think Antelope don't jump fences/obstacles and animals always walk into the wind.
 
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They don’t climb often but they can. I was part of a hair collection study where we hung baits between trees. Collected hair samples from barbed wire. They do and can climb if they want to bad enough.
 
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