Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Are you changing plans because of Grizzly Bears?

Who is really scared of the Griz and changing their plans for next year? Or, changing all of their plans....ie. the way you hunt and fish etc.?

I'm never getting off the couch again.....

Lol!

Exactly, so many people make a big deal out of the bear. I never thought that it would be such a big deal. Carry on as usual.

I fish in griz country all the time, only change in plans is to be sure I have someone along who runs slower than I do�.

Ah, the classic solution! Though how many people run slower than you do? It's harder to find slower fishing and hunting partners as we get older.

You are a candidate, so be nice! All I gotta do is shoot you in one leg to make you slower�.

I'd be more worried about the drive to the place you are hunting

Exactly. Well played Sir.

The odds are indeed far higher of being injured or dying in a vehicle accident than even seeing a grizzly. On the other hand, there are a LOT more pickups and semis and passenger cars than grizzlies, and they're far more concentrated.

But I've spent a LOT of time in grizzly country and been around plenty of bears, both where they can and can't be hunted. Had them in camp many times from Montana to British Columbia to Alaska, had my Labrador chased by one while pheasant hunting, and been bluff-charged twice.

Was rear-ended by a 20-year-old girl who was lighting a cigarette two years ago in town here, and almost ran into a 20-something guy who made a left turn through a red light while talking on his cell phone. Will gladly take my chances with grizzlies instead. While not entirely predictable, they're not as stupid.

no

On the black bear hunt this spring south of Livingston in SW Montana, my buddy and I were privileged to watch a foraging grizzly while glassing from a ridge top. It was a treat and a real "trophy" of sorts; it's nice to know they are there.

Conversely, I made a bad judgement here yesterday and ventured out in a ground blizzard where I came to a complete stop several times, literally not seeing the front edge of my hood. I was in far greater danger of injury or death than on that mountain top; I.e., there was a 22 vehicle pile-up on I-90 west of a Sioux Falls, SD.

that's my stomping gounds, GDV3. I enjoy having them around. kinda keeps you on your toes.

I hope it keeps everyone home on the couch = less people on the rivers I'm fishing this fall.

As far as the logic of having a slower companion along.... my sons are friends of the guide who's hunter was chewed on outside of Jellystone this fall. The bear passed up the stationary guide to get the runaway hunter. The boys said the guide is tough as nails and their logic is that bears are smart and recognize the pudgy tender ones!

Or set the hook and tighten the drag.....

Very beautiful, and bountiful country if the game we came upon was any indication. And, yes, knowing the big guys are there certainly adds a little spice.

The farther people live from grizzly country the more they worry about them. People in Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta and the northern Rockies in the US work around them daily and don't worry about them.
The most grizzly infested country I have ever seen is Coastal British Columbia around Bella Coola and the people there go about their business as usual. People up there who have lived there all their lives can remember just two grizzly incidents, both involving people surprising bears, one by riding a bike down a logging road.
Phil Shoemaker has lived and raised his family in the middle of grizzly country, and I believe at least some of his kids have survived. Further, if I remember correctly, in one of his articles he said that in all his time in Alaska as an outfitter, they had to kill a grand total of ONE grizzly bear in defense of life and property, and that was a bear two of his guides bumped in the dark on the way back to camp. That does not include bears that he had to shoot that were previously hit by clients, I am sure.
I don't know much about hunting and fishing,or bears, or much else, but I do know enough to go to people that DO know something when I want information, and the best info that I can get, from people that live and work in grizzly country is that if you practice good behavior in bear country, it is very very unlikely that you will ever see a bear, much less be attacked by one. Secondly, the people that live and operate in bear country have found that bear spray has been much more effective in stopping bears than guns. This is not conjecture, this is from analyzing hundreds of bear encounters.

On my one AK foray, for caribou and black bear, in the upper reaches of the Kuskokwim river, I was amazed at the number of grizzlys we saw--every day. No trees except for alders in the creek bottoms, just tundra, with two little nylon tents for my buddy and me and the guide.

He kept bacon, eggs, pancake mix, and steaks all in his tent, the proximity to ours bothered me, but he was adamant in reassuring me, "we've never had a problem". Ok, but isn't there a first time for everything? I thought.

We were watching a small herd of caribou work across our position from right to left at about two hundred yards one day. A hundred fifty yards to our left was a copse of alders maybe half an acre in size. I picked out a suitable bull and at the shot we heard a crack and caught motion at the alders. Apparently startled at the shot and quickly departing was a beautiful toklat griz. He almost glowed yellow like a big, old bull elk on a timbered slope but had those beautiful dark chocolate legs.

Sleeping or planning a caribou ambush, I don't know, but it was an interesting scene.

About sums it up.

Cougars worry me more than Grizz, sneaky bastards!