Hunting in or near grizzly country

[VikingsGuy]

I am curious what might be a better comparison

I doubt the statistics will ever be this granular, but theoretically the relevant comparison is probably between (a) injury/death rates for hunters in the western states per day hunted vs (b) non-grizz caused injury/death rates for hunters particularly in grizz areas per day hunted vs (c) grizz caused injury/death rates for hunters per day hunted.

And since the data will be spotty, folks just have to make their own anecdotal call on the risk/benefit to them.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I doubt the statistics will ever be this granular, but theoretically the relevant comparison is probably between (a) injury/death rates for hunters in the western states per day hunted vs (b) non-grizz caused injury/death rates for hunters particularly in grizz areas per day hunted vs (c) grizz caused injury/death rates for hunters per day hunted.

And since the data will be spotty, folks just have to make their own anecdotal call on the risk/benefit to them.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I know you, you’re the guy who sat in the front of the class....
My point when talking about bears was to keep things in perspective, a healthy level of fear, apprehension coupled with training and preparation can lead to good decisions, when things go sideways whereas paranoia leads to poor decisions.

 

[406dn]

Here's the way I see it.

Any wild country carries a multitude of risks that can kill you. It is not limited to Grizzly bears. You can take a fall in steep country and suffer a broken leg. Do that a couple miles in without help and you are in a heap of trouble. You can make a slip with a knife and cut yourself very severely. You can suffer a heart attack pulling a ridge that you've pulled for years.

This year I had a close call on one of my horses. I was using a trail that I had never been on before. It petered out in fairly open country and I decided to continue on up the incline. Well, that was a mistake. The ground turned very rocky and very slippery. My horse lost his footing and scrambled like hell to stay upright. I tried like hell to stay on him. We both succeeded at our task, but it could have easily gone the other way. This was TOTALLY my fault for taking that kind of risk.

Grizzly bears are just another risk to be managed. Every one will have their own comfort level. I routinely start off well before sunrise, even when alone. Largely, being on a horse makes this comfortable to me. I won't kill something when I'm alone if it is so late in the day that dressing the animal will be done in the dark. That has cost me an elk or two, but that's fine.

I enjoy seeing their sign. It is humbling to see the size of their tracks. A few years ago I took a solo horseback ride in Yellowstone. My horse took me on a twenty mile ride that afternoon/evening, all of it in prime bear habitat. While I did not see a bear that day, their sign was everywhere. That ride is one of my favorite outdoor memories. When I think of Smokey, that memory comes as well. Smokey has been gone a couple of years. That is him and me in the avatar.

 

[kwyeewyk]

I doubt the statistics will ever be this granular, but theoretically the relevant comparison is probably between (a) injury/death rates for hunters in the western states per day hunted vs (b) non-grizz caused injury/death rates for hunters particularly in grizz areas per day hunted vs (c) grizz caused injury/death rates for hunters per day hunted.

And since the data will be spotty, folks just have to make their own anecdotal call on the risk/benefit to them.

I was thinking about this last night, I think the cleanest comparison would be to just look at occupied grizzly areas and ranking of causes of injury/death during hunts. I suspect driving would still be much riskier on average, but obviously if you are in a bear thick area packing meat at night, your relative risk goes way up for that incident.

I wish the game departments would include information on incidences of bears claiming carcasses from hunters in their capture and relocation reports they provide to USFWS. Maybe the info is available somewhere, but I think it'd be interesting to know just how many people are losing game to bears each season.

 

[daltrix99]

Your point is well taken and explains why I struggled with statistics in college. I Appreciate the manner in which you offer the correction. I am curious what might be an even better comparison, Heart attack while hunting for example. Perhaps it is simply an assumed risk that can be mitigated to some extent by reasonable precautions and the comparative statistics don’t really matter that much. Certainly an awful lot of us hunt Montana every year and never or rarely see a bear.

You'd be better off comparing the car crash rate among race car drivers, than some stat like lightning that applies to everyone.

Yeah the numbers are low, but they go way up when you only include people creeping through thick habitat, in the dark, quietly, with camo on, looking for the same animals that Grizzlies eat, often alone, with scent covered up...

I am saying that just for context, I still favor hunting in their country! Just be smart.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I know you, you’re the guy who sat in the front of the class....
My point when talking about bears was to keep things in perspective, a healthy level of fear, apprehension coupled with training and preparation can lead to good decisions, when things go sideways whereas paranoia leads to poor decisions.

Skipped half the classes and when present in the back, but did have a lot of stats classes.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Obviously you paid attention. I proudly passed the one requisite with a C and that only because I had a drift boat and took the TA steelhead fishing.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Speaking of statistics I read an interesting article recently regarding the effectiveness of bear spray. I believe it is commonly said that bear spray is over 90% effective. The point was made that there is a big difference between a “bear encounter” and a pissed off charging bear, and testing was done on the encounter variety and there is a large drop off in effectiveness when it is used in a charging situation. Made sense to me at the time. Couldn’t locate the article.

 

[thusby]

I just hunt with the primary goal of having a bear encounter and a secondary goal of killing a big mule deer. That way I am never disappointed.

 

[rjthehunter]

Everything can kill you in one way or another now days. Find something fun. If you find elk and want to hunt grizz country, then do it!

 

[Zootownelk]

Cook and store food and other attractants, like toiletries, away from your tent (100yards +). Preferably downwind from your tent and where you can see it from a distance. Carry bear spray or firearm (most are better off with spray) that is immediately accessible, and know how to use it. You'll likely never have to use it. When you shoot an animal- stay alert while cleaning and keep spray/gun accessible. If you have to leave meat, move it away from the gut pile. You can put clothes on meat and piss around area (spreading human scent as much as possible). Hang meat where you can see from a distance. When you go back for it, look at meat/ gut pile area from a distance with binos and look for any disturbance. Approach carefully. Enjoy!

 

[VikingsGuy]

Cook and store food and other attractants, like toiletries, away from your tent (100yards +). Preferably downwind from your tent and where you can see it from a distance. Carry bear spray or firearm (most are better off with spray) that is immediately accessible, and know how to use it. You'll likely never have to use it. When you shoot an animal- stay alert while cleaning and keep spray/gun accessible. If you have to leave meat, move it away from the gut pile. You can put clothes on meat and piss around area (spreading human scent as much as possible). Hang meat where you can see from a distance. When you go back for it, look at meat/ gut pile area from a distance with binos and look for any disturbance. Approach carefully. Enjoy!

Lots of good advice, but “putting human clothing on elk meat” seems like going the wrong direction if we want bears to fear us instead of consider us food.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Nice grizzly track near one of our spike camps. Amazingly, I never felt worried. Too worn out actually.