I'm looking at WY elk GMU 81/82. I've been talking with the USFS and Game/Fish in those units. A recurring theme is "pretty good Grizzly bear population". One bio I spoke with stated she won't let her boyfriend hunt over there alone.

I've never seen a grizzly in the wild. I have dealt with black bears my whole life but know nothing about grizzly's. My B-I-L hunts WY for mule deer and they've had issues with grizzly's in some of the units east and southeast of Yellowstone. They had to shoot in front of a bear several years ago to finish up an elk kill. It left after a couple shots into the dirt in front of it.

My concern is that I'll likely be hunting by myself for a few days maybe even most of a week. I don't really want to mess with grizzly's. If its the occasional sighting, fresh tracks, etc - I'm cool with that. If I need to worry about bears when I go back to an elk kill, not so much.

For guys familiar with those GMU's what has been your experience with the bears?

I haven't hunted those Wyoming units but I live and hunt in N.W. Montana and for the last 8 years in a row I run into atleast one.Don't hunt alone anymore for that specific reason call it being a wuss or whatever. The return to a kill in G-Bear country is risky that you may have one on it. We hunt with a pack on our backs at all times so if at all possible don't have to leave an animal in the woods all night. 4 years ago here 2 guys were returning to a kill that was left all night and a G-bear attacked them got one on the ground and his buddy shot it, later he said he probably would have been dead if he wasn;t there to shoot it. Not trying to scare you it's just things to consider when hunting in G-Bear country.

Grizzly country is grizzly country.

Be careful and carry spray and a gun.



Travis

They just want their picture taken, don't be scared....

Area 82 is a wilderness I believe, so you would have to be with a guide being a non-resident. Area 81 is big and would keep you busy. Its been a while since I lived in that area, but yes there are plenty of bears there. Blackrock creek and the head of Spread crk particularly should hold bears, but also elk. Play by the rules and go hunting.

I meant to say 81 and 83. 82 is all wilderness.

Your horse is certainly paying attention!

I have no worries in that setting. Its the whole downed animal issue that causes me to pause. My normal MO is to quarter an elk when I kill it - daylight or dark. I've quartered them several times after dark. I'd hate to quarter an elk by myself and try to keep an eye out for bears in the dark. Might be pretty interesting..............

You're right to be concerned about grizzly's in those areas, because there are plenty of them in there. Keep a clean camp, keep your head on a swivel, and carry bear spray and you should be alright. If I had to leave an elk and come back for it I'd try and suspend it high between two trees, well away from the gut pile. A griz might still be in the area but at least he couldn't "claim" the elk.

I have hunted NW Wyoming multiple times, but have yet to see a grizzly bear. I know they are around, however, and the advice above is spot on. Use basic precautions and be alert.

bwinters,

Yes there are plenty of griz in 81 and 83 and 68, too for that matter. Togwotee Pass has frequent griz sightings right off the highway at times, both sides. The advice given so far is right on. I have hunted all these areas. In 81 - Spread Creek drainage - it is not uncommon to find bear scat in the road, particularly as you get toward Grizzly Creek. In that area, in snow one afternoon during elk season, partner and I went separate directions for an hour of exploration and concluded upon rejoining that we had identified no less than 5 different bears within a single small drainage, less than a square mile. We found similar density near the end of Lava Mountain one day and backed out of the area due to the freshness of the tracks of many sizes, including small.

In 83 that is where a guy was mauled several years ago and his buddy killed the griz when it ran into him in thick cover after leaving the injured hunter. In this case it was pretty clear the bear had more than one gutpile it was probably guarding. That is an added hazard beyond your own kill. After a few days there will be gutpiles you don't know the location of. Birds will be your friend in these cases, but you can't always count on birds to warn you. If you identify the location of a carcass or gutpile, avoid it like death. Some of the cover in there is very thick. There was a fire through Moccasin Basin in area 83 a few years ago that opened a lot of the area. Still has standing dead trees. That changed a chunk of that area.

Also the Togwotee Pass/Union Pass area has plenty of wolves, and that has changed the elk herd dynamic from large groups to sometimes as few as 3-5 elk that are very spooky if the wolves have passed through recently.

We do our best to get the meat out same day - that may mean not going in too far. We try to get the meat staged a good distance from the carcass and gutpile. The boned out meat is in garbage bags, located in a spot we can see from a distance if at all possible. We make a lot of noise on approach coming back. Horses make the whole thing easier and safer, but we don't have any.

Most experts say 3 or more people together is safer in a bear encounter. One person is a lot more vulnerable. If alone you really have to be alert. Many of the encounters I know of - with or without injury have involved a person walking into a bear that was probably in a daybed or near a meat cache. The surprised bedded bear is more likely to just take a swipe on the way by, but a bear on meat will defend it. Mama bears are another story, but by fall the cubs are at least older and Mama may be less aggressive. On the other hand, yearlings or 2-year olds may be more inclined to look for trouble.

True, it is a very uncomfortable feeling gutting an elk solo in some of these areas these days, especially in or near cover. That is why I have my rifle ready, and move it to keep it close, have my .44 mag on my belt, and keep bear spray immediately at hand with the safety off in such conditions. I am way happier and quicker at getting the job done when my partner is watching my back.

I have had no nose to nose encounters ... yet ... but tracks have said I just missed bears by minutes. Maybe they avoided me. Maybe I was lucky. Maybe if I had an animal down they would not have avoided me. When I find tracks that fresh, I quit hunting and leave that area. No way I am shooting something under those circumstances. I like snow - it tells me what is around. Dry ground, you never know what was near. In a lot of areas today, we hunt close to each other so we can cover each other if needed. Rather be solo, but things are different now.

Bottom line, be really alert and cautious. Take, and keep close at hand, a good sized canister of bear spray (not in your pack or under a jacket). Practice getting the safety off before you need to do so. If you encounter a bear, back off as smoothly as you can. If a bear is on what was your kill, it is HIS. If camping keep a clean camp and keep food unavailable and away from where you are sleeping if tenting or not in a hard shell camper.

Good luck.

Great post and spot-on info.

I've hunted elk in Wyoming twice, both times N.W. of Dubois, up in the Pinnacles country, just S.E. of Yellowstone Park. There were quite a few grizzlys in that area and we saw one. We saw plenty of tracks, however.

One day a Wy. Game Warden and a Wy. Game biologist came into camp. They said they had done a flyover a week before searching for grizzlys and they had counted 23 in the area. Naturally they advised us to be very watchful and keep the camp clean. Also said if we killed an elk to stay away from the gut pile and get our meat back to camp and hanging high in the trees.

We did so and we had no problem with grizzlys... which suited us right down to the ground.

L.W.

I live hunt and guide in NW Wyoming. I haven't hunted the units you are thinking of, but the same things apply.

If I leave a kill out overnight I expect to find a bear on it or that one has been there.



This bear is on a elk that I had to leave overnight. Moving the meat away is good, but I've had bears pack the meat, and actually the horns once too, back to the carcass and bury everything. Move if you can to a place you can see from a ways off.

Once a bear is on a kill they are reluctant to leave. Several people and horses helps, but even then they don't move far. A lone hunter going back to a kill could get exciting.

We usually see several bears every fall that aren't on kills. And tracks are common.

Coming nose to nose with a bear will get your blood pumping.

If you are camping there is a whole set of rules you'll legally need to follow.

I hunt the Bob Marshall alone a lot, and there are lots of bears. Two things to consider. Bear spray works well, but if you are down wind,you will incapacitate yourself as well as the bear. I have practiced spraying it, and knocked myself down in a swirling wind. Not a good condition to be in with a bear. Secondly,don't shoot at ones feet to try and scare em. If you are going to shoot, don't play around, get the job done. Bears are too fast to play around with. They may run at you not away, and their you are trying to put another round in the chamber.

Scary stuff. I don't think I would enjoy that.

After talking to several bios and G&F folks in the area, I've decided 81 is not for me. I was surprised how many of the local bios/G&F folks told me they don't hunt in 81 because of the bears.

I'm looking in areas south of Jackson and also in Medicine Bow NF.

One of the biggest benefits of grizzly bears for environmental extremists, and anti hunters is that the bears keeps a lot of people out of country that they would normally go. Great places for fishing on the front of Montana never see a fisherman. If I fished those areas, I would have to tie a fishing line on the barrel of my benelli shotgun. Its unfortunate, but that is the reality.

I saw more Grizzlies near Dubois WY this summer and fall than the previous 5. More wolves too. I saw a pack of 21 in the Dunoir drainage and 22 in the East Fork.

Great advice, Been wanting to go west for an elk hunt,and bears could make things "interesting"

All my backpacking and hunting is in grizzly country... I don't let bears dictate my recreation decisions.

+1

Be prepared for the worst. Hopefully nothing happens.
When it does, make that bear regret it.

Rodger that, safety and be careful.... My spray and rifle are combined

More worried about wolves getting on a kill anymore around here, but I'm prepared both ways

People backpack in Yellowstone all the time without problems. However, bears have learned that a gunshot means food. It draws them so hunting can be more dangerous than just hiking.
I read about a case in MT where 2 hunters were dragging a deer by the antlers. They were moving along talking when the deer hung up on something. They turned to see what the problem was and found a bear on the other end.

Having Griz around just adds to the experience --- up to a point.

One night two Griz ran off our horses (8) in the Bob Marshall. We spent most of a moonlit night collecting them. Plumb exciting.

I am in g bears up to my neck in there every fall too. I prefer to pass on the experience, myself.

In the fall the grizz are looking to put on weight for the coming winter. They are hungry, pissed off, territorial and confrontational. DO NOT hunt alone!!! They will chew on you just to let you know that you are in their territory. Carry enough gun to get one off of you. That means your fav 270 or 30-06 is not going to work. My elk hunting days w/ a 6.5-06 are over, now I use a 358 Norma. Carrying a big sidearm is a plus as you can get separated from your rifle easily. Ti/Scandium 44 with 320gr cast is the way to go. I would avoid shooting at the dirt in front of them - waste of ammo that you might need to save your life - doesn't always deter them.

I have not hunted in the areas that you point out. I generally hunt in my backyard on the east side of Yellowstone. I don't go into "my woods" alone, during any part of the year. During the spring and fall I don't go out of my house unarmed.

The problem bears (IMO All of them) in my area are trapped and sent over to the hunt areas you are looking at. Problem bears from Jackson and the Tetons and sent over to my area. Some how this is suppose to solve a problem . The only solution to the problem is to shoot them. However if you get caught shooting one w/o having flesh, muscle and blood removed from you - expect a $10,000 fine, possible jail time and a lengthy court battle.

Medicine Bow and the Big Horn mtns do not have griz yet. If you can get a tag there, you will be safer.

Do any states besides Alaska allow grizzly hunting?

No. All the populations in the lower 48 are still classified as "endangered", although the interagency recovery team is working to get some populations reclassified as "recovered".

Don't think we will see Grizz hunting in Montana as long as Malloy is still judge.

Now that would be a pretty interesting deer hunt...

Hunted mule deer near Cody a couple of years. Second year, very few mulies were down low. Went up higher, closer to Yellowstone, with my buddy. We had gone with typical open country deer rifles. I had a .25-06 and he had a .270 Win.

We came across grizzly sow and cub tracks on the ONLY trail into that canyon. Got two mulies out of there. Far enough back in that we de-boned them and packed them out on our backs. One buck we had to leave overnight after gutting it and skinning it... Going back in to retrieve it was an interesting experience.

We did NOT run into mama grizz, or any other grizzly, but we were certainly concerned. I decided to never hunt in grizzly country without a buddy, and with nothing less than a .30-06 and 180 grain Partitions.

Guy

From our local paper. Our county sent 12 griz to Teton county.

http://powelltribune.com/news/item/14491-trading-bears

So what happens if you shoot a grizzly in self defense?

Not much if it is truly self defense. You have to report it. There will be an investigation.

Can you keep any of the bear? I could see someone killing an elk and using the carcass as bait to get a grizzly as a bonus animal.

No you can't keep any of the bear. But there's a chance the bear will keep you!

I pack in and hunt with 2 buddies on the Jackson side of Togwotee PASS. We are always seeing Grizzlies. We hunt alone. Each going their own way after we set up camp. They hunt on foot and cover the country. I usually ride my mule up to the top and walk from there. I have stood on top of the ridges and watched them go through the timber and watched grizzlies move out the other side of the trees. One was warned not to come any closer to a sow and two cubs. Their was a male grizz trying to get close to her. Not a good situation to be in. My buddy walked across the meadow to get a lot of distance from her. We have not had a grizz on any carcass or come to any kill site, yet. Lots of stories of them trying to beat you to the animal after they hear the shot. I have been packing in and had fresh tracks in the snow right ahead of me. The sound of the mules hooves hitting the ground has moved them off the trail. I have cane out of my tent and had a sow and two cubs about 50 ft from me, coming right toward me. I had my gun up and the sow took across the creek by the tent, went about 70 yards and stopped to see if the cubs were by her. She then stood up and looked at us over a little tree. She stood there for a while weaving back and forth. I shouted at her to get her a$$ moving and she just stood up taller to see what the hollering was about. Then she lowered and went on up the trail. I know we had seen their tracks around our food tree the night before. One of the cubs had tried to climb the tree and get to our Horse feed. Could not reach it. It does make you pay attention when hunting and around camp.

This is my neighbor, he lives about 2 miles from me and was attacked about 3 miles from my house. With the exception of the scars he has made a near full recovery. Had he not had police training for 20+ yrs, he may not be among the living. I know that I couldn't deliver 5 out of 6 shots from a 41 mag into a fist sized group. All while losing blood and having your lower jaw swing and only held on by some skin.
I think the cubs went to zoos in Memphis, TN and Columbus or Cleveland, OH.
Yes, there was an investigation and he was cleared of any wrong doing. However, for the 6-8 months of investigation I'm sure he didn't sleep well!!

http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...1bfd2c6-78b7-11de-aaaf-001cc4c002e0.html

Postoak,

Even when it is very clear what happened, the investigation can drag out for a long time and you can remain in limbo with a pending federal charge for an uncomfortable period. Penalties are very stiff with jail time and fines if you are found guilty of anything except self defense. A friend had a very clear-cut case of an incoming bear, shot at something like 25 feet - with a very lucky shot I might add. There were clear tracks in the snow of exactly what happened. He waited 2 years to learn his fate. They did find him justified. 2 years is a long time to wait. Once it goes to the Federal Prosecutor, it is just in the system until it comes out the other side.

As far as keeping any bear parts as souvenir, that will certainly get you arrested if you try it. There was a self defense killing one year that involved a mother and cubs. The killing was reported as required, but the carcass was left in place unchaperoned until investigators got to it. When they arrived the claws were missing. The investigators were hot on finding out who took the claws. I never heard if they found who had them, but there was going to be a serious federal charge on that action. No one gets to keep any grizzly bear parts outside of those taken in AK and Canada.

We all hope we will never face the need to shoot, and really don't want to have a federal investigation because we did. With grizzlies still listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, it is just not worth getting involved with them if it can be avoided.

Jaguar,
Can you provide a reference for the last time someone received jail time out of a reported self defense killing of a grizzly bear in Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming?

I didn't see where Jaguar said anyone had been prosecuted for a self defense shooting.

I haven't seen any reports of someone being convicted for shooting a grizzly in a flat out poaching case. I'm sure they are out there. If anyone has a link to some I'd be interested.

I know the game and fish was looking into the killing of grizzly I think last fall up by Pahaska, but I never heard if they charged someone.

My brothers have hunted northwestern Wyoming for years. Keep a clean camp, and keep your food hung high.

When you get an elk down, Quarter it and bag and hang the quarters away from the gut pile. They've actually started going gutless method and pack out the loins and backstraps on the first trip, then come back for quarters that they hang away from the kill site.

They've come back a couple of times to a disturbed kill site, but no issues with their meat because that carcass gets all the attention.

When you start packing, strap on a big caliber sidearm.

Weather the Feds charge you, with a crime for killing the grizz, or not it costs big bucks in Atty fees to defend your claim. The people, I have heard about, being charged by a grizz and living to tel the tale, have had to Lawyer up right quick, to keep from being charged. Long investigations, interviews of all people involved.

I found this case:

http://missoulian.com/news/state-an...8a8f17c-6d3a-11df-92ae-001cc4c002e0.html

Guy claimed self defense but the jury didn't buy it.

I'd like to hear some first hand accounts from guys who have had to shoot in self defense. I don't know, but I have a feeling that the stories of having to "lawyer up" in real self defense cases may be a bit overblown.

Maybe not.