Grizz

[Wiz]

Well today marks my second close encounter with a grizz.

Was out on a solo bow hunt in 304. After reaching the high ground shortly after sunrise, I decided to creep down the backside of a hill to get to a dugout. Plan was to creep up downwind of the dugout and hangout for a few hours to see what came by for a drink. I found a very old quad trail (hasn’t been used in a long time) that Took me through some thick mixed forest. As I was slowly walking down the steep ~70% grade, I stopped to have a listen and check my bearings. Well good thing I did, because not 30m to my 11 o’clock (just off the trail) I hear a loud thump/grunt. as I’m looking to see what made the sound a grizz stands up in the bush on its hind legs to have a look around - it’s back to me!! Big sucker... and I’m pretty sure it had Cubs with it, but I didn’t stay around to check. I quickly grabbed my bear banger (which was ready to go on my bino case) and let it fly right above me. I didn’t even look to see what the effect was as I hauled ass up that friggen 70% hill so fast I could barely breath. I Got up a little higher and shot another banger off (I always keep extra rounds in my pocket), and waited with my bear spray in case it decided to follow me.

After about 20 secs I figured I was good, so I hauled ass outta there.

Last encounter I had a buddy with me. This one was solo and about 5km in the Bush. After looking back, I figured it was a successful close encounter. I had my bear bangers ready to go screwed on and ready and I had my bear spray ready to go. I choose to leave my 19th century tech Rossi ranch hand at home today.... but sure wish our silly laws made it legal to carry a pistol while hunting for bear Defence (as a last last resort).

Did I over react? Would simply backing off, turning around and walking out been better?

I’m just happy i didn’t get closer.

Stay safe out there. Sure does seem to be a lot of grizz moving further east. At least south of Calgary anyways. Always pack bangers and spray.

[Smoky buck]

Everyone should stop hunting in grizzly country it’s too dangerous. This will also make hunting public land less crowded for me

Yes you overreacted you will be much safer if you stay calm and back out slowly talking. At 30yards I would not risk a bear banger with a grizzly I startled but is not showing aggression. Don’t want to risk changing the grizzly into a defensive position if it takes a bear banger as a sign of aggression. Running can also be a bad idea acting like prey. But you can only guess how a grizzly will react to your response

Grizzly should be respected but attacks are very uncommon so relax and breathe next time

[shooter12]

Yes , they are living in 304 .
I'll do my mule deer hunt this year in 305 and I know they are there too.

S12

[Wiz]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Everyone should stop hunting in grizzly country it’s too dangerous. This will also make hunting public land less crowded for me

Yes you overreacted you will be much safer if you stay calm and back out slowly talking. At 30yards I would not risk a bear banger with a grizzly I startled but is not showing aggression. Don’t want to risk changing the grizzly into a defensive position if it takes a bear banger as a sign of aggression. Running can also be a bad idea acting like prey. But you can only guess how a grizzly will react to your response

Grizzly should be respected but attacks are very uncommon so relax and breathe next time

Good points. Yes I’m sure had I just backed away and walked up the hill it would have been ok... but who knows It was a big bear and it was right ****ed that someone/thing startled it. I’ve never seen a bear jump up like that before. This was my second “close” encounter...Have had a more further out with both grizz and black bear.

Made for an interesting morning nonetheless...

[35 whelen]

Everyone says you should do this and that nobody knows what you're going to do until it happens, long as you're prepared and know what to do you have a good chance of getting away unscathed. We've had a few Griz around our camp the last few years moving East keeps you on your toes that's for sure. Always carry a pepper spray and a big buck knife on my belt now

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[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Everyone says you should do this and that nobody knows what you're going to do until it happens, long as you're prepared and know what to do you have a good chance of getting away unscathed. We've had a few Griz around our camp the last few years moving East keeps you on your toes that's for sure. Always carry a pepper spray and a big buck knife on my belt now

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Experience is the only way to know how you will react and same goes for being able to predict what a grizzly you encounter might do. From experience I do know many overreact when it comes to grizzly encounters because of the hype that comes with grizzlies.

Staying calm definitely helps when it comes to reacting if you encounter a grizzly and lowers the odds of provoking a situation beyond just crossing paths with a bear.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Experience is the only way to know how you will react and same goes for being able to predict what a grizzly you encounter might do. From experience I do know many overreact when it comes to grizzly encounters because of the hype that comes with grizzlies.



Staying calm definitely helps when it comes to reacting if you encounter a grizzly and lowers the odds of provoking a situation beyond just crossing paths with a bear.

You're right staying calm in most situations definitely helps

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[freeride]

I have bumped a few grizz before, I always figure if I stay calm they stay calm, I escalate the situation they escalate.

Every encounter is a little different and hindsight is 20/20 especially behind a keyboard when you weren’t there. With that said since you asked…

Personally I wouldn’t have done the bear banger if it wasn’t reacting to you. Its kind of like your sitting in your house and a buddy comes over and yells right behind you when you didn’t know he came over, sometimes you will just jump and go into flight mode, sometimes you will turn swinging. Don’t want the bear to do the later.

Also with a bear banger that close if they don’t know where it came from they can run towards you as well thinking it came from the other direction.
Turning and running away up a hill, if you didn’t look where the bear went, it could have caught you in a few of your strides, they are scary fast when they want to be.

Better to keep your eyes on the bear, slowly back away, if it turns then talk in a calm as can be voice. Have the bear banger/spray in each hand ready to go if needed. That has always worked for me in the past, and some of my encounters have been much much closer then 30 meters.

But like I said easy to nit pick when behind a keyboard in my house…

[Wiz]

Good tips every one. Lots of experience on this board.

[bucksman]

You're alive, you did the right thing