Hike Interrupted, What to Do?

[WapitiTalk1]

Well, that was unexpected. Hiking into your elk spot on a Montana USFS trail, you come around a sharp bend in the trail, hear some scuffling/rustling off and up to your left, and see these two youngsters scurring up a tree and looking down/across the trail which is to your right.

What do you think is going on here and what's the smart move on your part to avoid a potentially nasty interruption to your day?

[Elkduds]

Grizzly cubs, mom nearby, time to be elsewhere!

[BrentLaBere]

Dont panic, grab bear spray, and start backing up the trail you entered and constantly scanning in that direction for an oncoming locomotive.
Find a new trail head to get to your hunt area. Be happy the wind was in your favor.

[one_elk]

Bear Spray in hand I would be reversing my direction scanning in all directions, and don’t forget to look behind you because you could have walked right past mom who was momentarily pre occupied….

[Wyo67]

Grizzly cubs, mom nearby, time to be elsewhere!

I'm not sure what's going on, and I don't want to stick around and find out. I'm with Elkduds...

[luvelkhunt]

time to outrun your hunting buddy!!

[nippip]

Phantom16 what do you pack/carry in griz country?

Well for me and after I soiled myself I would not go down the trail to my right but back out of there keeping 360° awareness with my bear spray drawn and not making much noise.

[WapitiTalk1]

I carry a Taurus Ultra Lite .44 MAG with HSM 305 GR Bear Loads. Just want something to make yogi remember me as he/she is dragging me into the alder by my gnawed off leg for an evening snack

[twinkieman]

I back out and take a different route into where I want to go. I give those cubs as much room as possible, avoiding a conflict with Momma.

[Lefty]

Grizzlies scare me,..
A few weeks back when I could smell one I headed for the ATV and 7mm

A change in underwear may be necessary

Post by luvelkhunt » 06 16, 2014
time to outrun your hunting buddy!!

A year ago I ran into some hound hunters. They had a bad experience. The guy with the dogs on leash rounded a corner to a sow and cubs,. He turned and ran,.. right past his running partners. The bear went after the guy with the dogs, the others climbed a tree. The sow gnawed on the hounds-man ( thankfully mostly a backpack) . The guys in the tree mentioned that the bear when she passed them in the tree just looked at them and headed off with her cubs

[luvelkhunt]

yeah, running is probably the worst thing you can do other than go further towards the cubs to snap a few picks... I had a situation similar to this but only with black bear sow and three cubs one year while spring gobbler hunting. I found myself about 20 yrds from the cubs. I stopped when I saw them and scanned the area for mom. I saw her before she me ( she was about 60 yards away and at my 2 o clock). the cubs where clueless of my presence as well and still meandering towards me. I figured I better start backing out, as soon as I started moving mom caught me, she closed the distance to about 10 yrds in about 3 bounds, stood up and started popping her jaws. I had my 870 with 3" #5s shouldered and pointed at the ground in front of her, the last thing I wanted to do was pull the trigger on her, but she sure as heck wasn't going to get a taste of me either . luckily the cubs didn't tree but got back behind mom and put some ground between us. when she knew that her cubs where safe, she turned and joined them and off they went. it was one of the coolest moments I have had in the woods. I know that griz are a different beast, but I would handle it the same way, except I wouldn't hesitate with the warning shot or the bear spray if she was heading my way.

[jmez]

Get the spray out and take off the safety. Slowly start backing down the trail and pay attention to where the cubs are looking. More than likely you are going to have an encounter here and she's gonna be pissed.

If there is a good sized tree close I can get up I'm climbing in a hurry.

[Fullabull]

Grizzly cubs up a tree? It might that a male grizzly is close by and they are getting out reach because they can as cubs. My heart would be in my throat and spray in hand as I back out. I try not to hunt in grizzly country cause when I hunt in black bear country, I have had to many close encounters.

[wawhitey]

Look out they're coming right for us!

[pointysticks]

i think the strong odor coming from my shorts would ward off any attack..

i'd pass out in fear. grizzlies love eating us chinese guys..except they are hungry again in 30 minutes.. (sorry i had to)

[Indian Summer]

Kick Phantom in the knee... or somewhere else, and run like hell!

I've been around my share of grizzlies including cubs but never when the cubs actually fled up a tree. I'm thinking that's the beginning of a bad scene.

[gman82001]

Stop drop and roll

[Fridaythe13th]

grab my AK-57 uzzie radar lasar triple barrel double scoped heat-seakin shotgun. The turdy tooth grizzly.

[Olydog09]

i think the strong odor coming from my shorts would ward off any attack..

i'd pass out in fear. grizzlies love eating us chinese guys..except they are hungry again in 30 minutes.. (sorry i had to)

Excellent!

[TheBuzz]

I like these scenarios,
Let me clarify....I like reading the responses....and learn from them.

[8seconds]

yeah, running is probably the worst thing you can do other than go further towards the cubs to snap a few picks... I had a situation similar to this but only with black bear sow and three cubs one year while spring gobbler hunting. I found myself about 20 yrds from the cubs. I stopped when I saw them and scanned the area for mom. I saw her before she me ( she was about 60 yards away and at my 2 o clock). the cubs where clueless of my presence as well and still meandering towards me. I figured I better start backing out, as soon as I started moving mom caught me, she closed the distance to about 10 yrds in about 3 bounds, stood up and started popping her jaws. I had my 870 with 3" #5s shouldered and pointed at the ground in front of her, the last thing I wanted to do was pull the trigger on her, but she sure as heck wasn't going to get a taste of me either . luckily the cubs didn't tree but got back behind mom and put some ground between us. when she knew that her cubs where safe, she turned and joined them and off they went. it was one of the coolest moments I have had in the woods. I know that griz are a different beast, but I would handle it the same way, except I wouldn't hesitate with the warning shot or the bear spray if she was heading my way.

WHile steelhead fishing the Situk River in Alaska in 2008 i had a similar experience with a cow moose and her calf which couldn't have been much over 24 hours old - they came up behind me in the stream running from something up stream, so i dropped my fly rig and started backing up into the alders along the stream and taking pictures. The cow looked behind her and i knew shit was about to happen - sure enough, around the bend comes this long legged calf at which time the cow marched then ran right straight for me - i had a 357 and had to discharge two rounds in the air when she got to within 20 yds of me (I even have a picture of her last loop at me which was very brutal looking - reminded me of my ex wife) - she stopped, summoned the calf and went on past my fly rod to an embankment and up onto the forest floor - the calf was exhausted and having an issue with the embankment but with mom talking to it things worked out. Many years ago, i was charged by a bull moose hunting BC and had to shoot my 7mm without the benefit of open sights because the bull was so close i couldn't use the scope. the guide saw what was going on turned and fired too. I've been lucky with moose confrontations. i just hope it continues.

[NoWiser]

They look so cute! I think I'd have to try to give one of them a big hug!

[ishy]

I think I would take one home, my shorthair gets lonely in september and I think one of these would solve all of his boredome.

[Csrbowhunter]

I had that happen to me in trout creek in Montana. I had hunted the area the day before and got into some elk so another guy came with me to see if we could get into them again. I had a bull coming in fast so I dropped my pack and went up the mtn as fast as I could to cut him off. When I got to the spot I thought the elk would be this black bear cub popped up out of the grass five yds from me. Before I could decide what to do another bear ten yards from me popped up. Now with no bear spray or gun both with my pack the elk came out into the open. Even know I hated to do it, I backed back down to my pack. I never did see momma because the cubs were old enough to be on their own but at the time I didn't want to take that chance she was there

[Texasdan]

My hunting partner stopped in one of our possible areas in MT while on vacation.

A few elk sign and a whole bunch bear sign.

[Drawnandpinned]

Pistol time forget the spray back out slow and if needed shoot for vitals they have a thick skull so the infamous head shot is worthless