Grizzly Country

[Digit]

Hey guys I am just curious of the tips and ideas for keeping safe in grizzly country. I have hunted it for years and have a few tip but am wondering what precautions you guys take.

One of the things we always do is of course not cook in the tent we sleep in and we spray our tents down with a mixture of bleach and water after cooking. never had a problem with any bears so it must work.

What do you do

[Fireball]

Put Moth balls around camp.

[Indian Summer]

Cook outside. Burn everything I can and keep the rest of the garbage sealed up. Hang food and garbage when not in camp. I've been to places where the chance of encountering a griz, although possible very highly unlikely. If I was in an area where they were common I'd string up a little two or three stand electric fence from a portable horse corral around the perimeter of camp.

[ElkNut1]

I've not hunted grizzly country as of yet but do appreciate the tips offered! I'd also make sure any elk down & quartered were not hanging right in camp or in coolers next to camp. I'd also be sleeping with a .44mag min! (grin)

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

I'd also be sleeping with a .44mag min! (grin)

ElkNut1

Amen to that! The whole purpose of an electric fence and a loaded gun at your side is to be able to sleep! The idea of using it is kind is a 2nd thought in my own optimistic mind. I'd be hanging quarters an unusually long distance from camp!!! Getting them to the truck asap too.

I know that there is some really good hunting in Wyoming in griz country. Leftover tags there at times too and I've always assumed it showed how many people will pass on hunting in griz areas. But at the same time I think... hmm, sounds like a good place to hunt. I think about that all the time because I know a guy who hunts there and does good.

Hey Swede, how much money do you want to sit in a tree stand all night with a shotgun and keep an eye on things?

[Digit]

We have always had good luck in griz country I agree I think its because of the danger. We have had them and wolves come into camp but because of the practice of keeping it clean and the meat being hung a quarter mile from camp we have never had any trouble (knock on wood) I like the fence idea. I also have had good luck bringing my dogs to camp with me they will let you know something is there way before you figure it out on your own.

[pointysticks]

as a true city boy..i'll admit;

a grizzly is scary to me. very scary. i was in idaho and heard wolves howl (okay, could have been someone's dog) and my skin goosebumped and i walked closer to my armed brother. a bear? egads..not so sure how much sleep i would get.

i would love like a jack russell terrier that loved me..and wanted me to live. i just need an early warning system. i watched an elk hunt where the guy build a briar fence around his tent. i'd freak. i am too slow a runner to enjoy griz country. i wouldnt leave chapstick in my tent.

[Digit]

I agree it can be scary but I have learned that if you respect the bear and his tendencies you will have no problem. leave them be and stay out of their path and away from their cubs. biggest thing is keep a clean camp don't give them a reason to come in and look at what you have. keep meat, coolers, etc. away from camp a short walk to get the eggs sure beats fighting a hungry bear. I have started to wait to bow hunt in griz country until wolf season opens and then I have a guy carry a rifle for security especially after you have an animal on the ground

[Munkh]

as a true city boy..i'll admit;

a grizzly is scary to me. very scary. i was in idaho and heard wolves howl (okay, could have been someone's dog) and my skin goosebumped and i walked closer to my armed brother. a bear? egads..not so sure how much sleep i would get.

i would love like a jack russell terrier that loved me..and wanted me to live. i just need an early warning system. i watched an elk hunt where the guy build a briar fence around his tent. i'd freak. i am too slow a runner to enjoy griz country. i wouldnt leave chapstick in my tent.

You make the PERFECT hunting\fishing partner for Grizzly country

Keep a clean camp and a sharp eye out and a partner you can trust with a handgun

[Digit]

Ha Ha just remember you don't have to outrun the bear you just gotta outrun the guy you are with

[Laramie]

I worked for an outfitter in the Shoshone National Forest in NE Wyoming. Every night we went through a bear checklist. IT was basically keep camp clean (used a lot of bleach water) and food in a bear box or cache. This includes animal food.

His thought was that we can't keep them out of camp, but we can't reward them for visiting. We always carried bear spray. The stuff does work when the wind is in the right direction.

[BrentLaBere]

With the bleach water are you guys packing in bleach and mixing accordingly at camp?....spray bottle of some sort is what I am picturing. Just to get rid of scent?
Hunted on the fringe area of grizz country and always hung food away from camp, but it was only 150 yards or so. We always ate where we hung the food and didn't bring wrappers or food into our camp area. Cooking with different clothes on can be difficult when you only have a couple pair to choose from. We built a dead fall perimeter around camping hoping it would serve as a door bell if a bear came along knocking.....its what we hoped.

[Digit]

I just pack a windex bottle and a bottle of bleach. it doesn't take much just enough to get rid of the food smell. I hang my meat and food quite a ways away, maybe a little further than necessary but better safe than sorry. basically a clean camp is the biggest thing no food scraps, or dog food, grain, etc available for the bear. I agree don't reward him for coming in.

[Drawnandpinned]

I carry a 380 so I can shoot myself in the head lol I hunt where there are known to be grizzly just hope I never have to stare one down and my hunting partner carrys a 44 mag which if I was calling for him like last year I would carry both pistols as he might be distracted

[quarbles]

bear spray, respect, hang food/garbage in drybag away from sleeping grounds, respect, eat food away from hanging grounds, respect....... never had any issues. my hunting food is primarilly dehydrated and i'm very anal about not spilling/ clean eat area... with the fam we cook, and are adamant that everything is clean including any 'splatter'.
be super savy when entering willow jungles.

[jmez]

Guys pretty much covered it. Keeping a clean camp is paramount and the most important part of bear safety. If there is one in the area it will visit your camp. Don't give them reason to stay or come back. Always carry pepper spray, have it handy and know how to deploy and use it.

Hang anything with an odor, chap stick, deodorant even unscented, toothpaste, soap of any kind, etc. If you have killed an animal all of your clothes used in dressing and packing the animal get hung or locked in the truck at the trail head. If you packed meat in your pack it gets hung as well. Not a good idea to burn any food or food wrappers in the fire. That is no different than leaving food out.

Put some thought into where you hang your food and where your kitchen is located. You want them both downwind of your tent. Make sure the bear smells you as well as the food. You also want them in a fairly open area with good visibility. In the am you will be wandering in there in the dark, try to set it up so you can view the area with a headlamp from a ways back before walking in. It should be a minimum of 100 yards from where you are sleeping.

If you are in a group in a single large tent. There is one can of bear spray and one hand gun in the tent. Both assigned to an individual. The last thing you need is five guys in a tent, a bear pokes his head in and five guys shooting pistols and touching off the pepper spray. You are likely going to end up with the bear leaving unharmed, everyone in the tent being pepper sprayed and someone being shot. Sit down, have a discussion and make a plan. I think this is pretty important and often over looked.

If you knock a critter down at last light you need to take some precautions. If able post a guard and cut up and get it out. If you are going to leave it over night drag the gutpile away from the carcass. A couple hundred yards if possible. Do not approach the kill site until it is fully light and you can see clearly. Always approach the kill site from upwind. If a bear claimed it he'll be sleeping close by, you want them to smell you coming. They will either leave or let you know they are there. If you can see that a bear has been on the site then it is best to leave. Don't go check it out. Go report the incident to the Game and Fish.

Hunting in Grizzly country is a PITA. The bigger PITA you make it the less likely you are to have a bad encounter.