Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Guide and hunter mauled, guide missing

A few years ago while bow hunting Island Park not too far from Yellowstone we were seeing big bear tracks everywhere. I killed my elk early in the season but continued to go up and call for my friend that called mine in for me. I carried my call, my 45/70 guide gun loaded with 350 grain hornady flat noses at almost 2100 fps and my 329 pd full of 300 grain xtps.

I was sitting in the truck waiting for my friend to squat in the woods when a warden pulled up to check me. He asked what I was doing with the rifle and I told him I had already tagged out but was carrying it while I called for my friend because we had seen so much bear sign. He said they had caught 13 different Grizzlies in a live trap that summer just a mile or so up the road towards the store. I asked where they were relocated too and he said they weren't relocated just tagged or collared and released again. He said they are all likely still in the area and a hunter just up the road had just saw 3 together at the same time.

He the proceeded to tell me I shouldn't carry the guns I should just get bear spray. I told him I was more comfortable with the guns. He said you'll think that until you use them and the Feds come down on you and ruin your life. He said even if it is self defense you better have some serious injuries if you shoot a griz because the Feds will investigate it like crazy and do everything they can to ruin your life. He said you can try to fight it in court but they'll bankrupt you in the process and likely let a murderer out of jail to make room for you. He said they bring in teams in helicopters and do intense forensic and crime scene investigation whenever a hunter injures a griz. He was cool about which idaho fish and game cops aren't always. He said he was just letting me know how bad it can get if you defend yourself against a bear with a gun. That was under the Obama regime a few years ago so maybe it's less intense now.

Bb