School Me on Hunting In Grizz Country

[Dsnow9]

I drew a Wy general west tag and will be hunting in Grizz country. I grew up in Colorado and contrary to some social media personalities beliefs I’ve never hunted or camped in Grizz country. I am coming at this completely green. I will take any and all pointers and recommendations people have.

 

[Bigjay73]

If you consider the amount of hours humans spend hiking and camping in grizz country, it's really a non issue. That being said, the thought makes me uncomfortable as well, I doubt I'd have the cojones to backpack in and set up a spike camp all alone. I'm interested in the replies you get

 

[Nick87]

Following

 

[mxracer317]

I drew a Wy general west tag and will be hunting in Grizz country. I grew up in Colorado and contrary to some social media personalities beliefs I’ve never hunted or camped in Grizz country. I am coming at this completely green. I will take any and all pointers and recommendations people have.

Congrats on the tag! I hunted in griz country in Southern Alberta last year. Follow the same stuff you would for black bear, but be very cautious around field dressing.

I carry both a 10mm in archery season & bear spray.

Also, i prefer going in at first light & leaving before dark. Some guys don’t care about the dark in grizz country… but I have a wife & kids to get home to, so that’s my preference.

 

[TheTone]

They’re scary man eaters!

Honest truth now; I definitely hunted differently in grizz country than I do now outside of it. I liked areas where I could see further and definitely avoided some areas of really thick brush and timber. I also hunted a way higher percentage of mornings vs nights. For some reason my brain was okay hiking in in the dark but not out in the dark. I carried bear spray every day I hunted and kept it on the belt of my pack; if the pack came off I carried the spray in a coat or pants pocket. If I was doing it now I’d probably hunt with both spray and a pistol.

In 5 years of hunting grizz country I only bumped one once. Was hiking a closed atv trail and heard something small run off and then some woofing. I had the spray in my hand with the safety off as I backed away from it for a while. Tracks in the trail told me what it was.

I was working with them at the time as well which gave me a crazy huge respect for them and also kinda told me areas to avoid

Lots of people here with lots more grizz experience than I have and can give more advice and opinions

 

[SwaggyD]

I’m out. No longer the camp chef.

 

[FREAK]

Spent a decent number of nights in griz country. I almost always have had an electric fence. A few tent nights but usually don’t sleep great. Usually drop a camp early or bring one in with dirt bikes, horses, or lamas if my friends are going with me. Just helps us sleep better at night. Thankfully I haven’t had to see how well it actually works. Always hang our food and eat away from camp. If we kill an elk we try and hang the quarters 100ish yards away in a visible area so we can see it as we approach the next day. I always carry the big bear spray and a sidearm.

 

[rogerthat]

Keep a clean camp. Hang anything with scent away from your sleeping tent…even toothpaste. I prefer moving more in the open. Camping closer to my glassing spots in order to move less. Be more cautious about killing a big critter like an elk right before dark. And be more cautious moving through thick midday bedding timber or riparian areas. Also take someone slower with you as a sacrificial bear bait!

 

[rogerthat]

Spent a decent number of nights in griz country. I almost always have had an electric fence. A few tent nights but usually don’t sleep great. Usually drop a camp early or bring one in with dirt bikes, horses, or lamas if my friends are going with me. Just helps us sleep better at night. Thankfully I haven’t had to see how well it actually works. Always hang our food and eat away from camp. If we kill an elk we try and hang the quarters 100ish yards away in a visible area so we can see it as we approach the next day. I always carry the big bear spray and a sidearm. View attachment 326589View attachment 326590

I have always wondered about the bear fence. Do people have many altercations with bears while in their tent at night? I sleep like a baby now that I’m always wore out even in griz country.

 

[SwaggyD]

What’s better for protection? A sidearm or his rifle?

 

[SwaggyD]

Also take someone slower with you as a sacrificial bear bait!

Another reason I’m bailing.

 

[Dsnow9]

Keep a clean camp. Hang anything with scent away from your sleeping tent…even toothpaste. I prefer moving more in the open. Camping closer to my glassing spots in order to move less. Be more cautious about killing a big critter like an elk right before dark. And be more cautious moving through thick midday bedding timber or riparian areas. Also take someone slower with you as a sacrificial bear bait!

Invite @deletedmembermtnelk

 

[Dsnow9]

What’s better for protection? A sidearm or his rifle?

I am bringing a side arm, rifle, and bear spray. And going to look into a fence like @FREAK recommended. I believe @deletedmemberavidindoorsman is bringing one but coming a couple days after me

 

[LopeHunter]

Spent 10 or so days solo in grizzly country when they were active. Saw sign including steaming scat about 50 paces from my tent one morning as was hiking in the dark to up the ridge to glass at first light. I decided before the hunt that I did not want to carry the extra weight of a handgun as I had my 7mm-08 and bear spray.

I kept a very clean camp but there is scent and no idea why a bear that close did not decide to wander closer. Not sure being in a tent that gets pounced on by a grizzly would have allowed me much room to swing a rifle into a useful position. Especially if I was in a deep sleep which I was after long days in motion in the steep stuff.

Not that many people die in grizzly country though you will not be the alpha predator when there. They take what they want. If you shoot one then I have heard you will need to lawyer up as if you shot a hiker. Don't know but is something to figure out in case you need to use lethal force.

The electric fence can be good but I have heard can't always get the fence grounded and a sprinting bear will go through the fence like butter.

 

[FREAK]

The electric fence can be good but I have heard can't always get the fence grounded and a sprinting bear will go through the fence like butter.

I agree with that. I think of it more to prevent a curious bear from coming up and sniffing around the tent. I’ve had two buddies; one in the flathead and one in the Absarokas wake up to a bear sniffing around their tent. Hearing those stories was enough for me to spend the little extra effort to have it. But agree, it ain’t stopping a bear from charging in.

 

[mxracer317]

oh yeah, almost forgot. Watch the movies “The Edge” & “ The Reverent” a couple days before to brush up on bear fighting tactics.

 

[brocksw]

What’s better for protection? A sidearm or his rifle?

Scoped rifles can be almost useless at night when trying to get on a bear in my experience.

I had a griz at 40-50 yards in some regrowth on a steep mountain, with 2 headlamps in his direction. I would’ve been lucky to get one shot off if he came out of the regrowth at a good clip. Even at 3x power it was exceedingly difficult to have a good feel for what I was looking at in my scope, much less put the crosshair where I wanted it.

Ymmv

 

[SwaggyD]

Scoped rifles can be almost useless at night when trying to get on a bear in my experience.

I had a griz at 40-50 yards in some regrowth on a steep mountain, with 2 headlamps in his direction. I would’ve been lucky to get one shot off if he came out of the regrowth at a good clip. Even at 3x power it was exceedingly difficult to have a good feel for what I was looking at in my scope, much less put the crosshair where I wanted it.

Ymmv

It was sarcastic post based members going round and round last year in this topic. I don’t hunt where I can be the hunted.

 

[Dsnow9]

It was sarcastic post based members going round and round last year in this topic. I don’t hunt where I can be the hunted.

 

[brocksw]

I’ve spent some time backpacked into griz country solo. Never used a fence, but it’s been on my list to start considering.

Don’t over think it or freak yourself out. Use common sense. Keep a clean camp. Nothing in your tent that would attract a bear. All smelly stuff goes in a dry sac in a tree. If I can, Ill surround my tent with branches thinking I’ll get warning if something is trying to approach. But I usually sleep pretty good.

I usually carry a 10mm on my chest, and of course I didn’t have that in the example above. Go figure. I try not to go into thick stuff, or stuff I arbitrarily deem a “good spot for a bear to nap”, when avoidable. That’s pretty unscientific, as I have no idea what makes a good spot for a bear to nap.

Other than that, get after it and enjoy.