Grizzly near Whitecourt

YegFishing · #1 06-06-2019, 12:26 AM

Went to shoot a black bear with my little cousin the past weekend and we were walking a cutline and saw a huge "boulder" and as we started to walk closer, we noticed it was a huge male grizzly. I am not good at sizing up bears but it looked to be AT LEAST 180kg. Huge hump on him so I know for a fact it could not have been a brown phase black bear. The scary part was that they run so fast. All the fur was running away from us at the speed of a horse. I guess it got scared of us, which is odd, but he took off the other way as soon as we started freaking out and wanted to take a video of him.

We did see some elk which is nice, a lot of black bears but they were either too skittish right now or momma bears with cubs. Hope to stick a camera there so I can see what all these moose tracks actually are for size and if it is a few of them roaming around or a fair amount. A lot of wolf tracks and they were HUGE! The bear tracks of the black bears that we did find on some old muddy trails were the size of my size 11 foot which I would have to guess if a nice sized black bear.

Season is still on so be careful and watch your 6!

I used to be upset you cannot bait near Whitecourt, but now I fully understand why!

Jjolg123 · #2 06-06-2019, 08:29 AM

Nothing odd about him running off, that's normal bear behavior when they get wind of humans.

Sooner · #3 06-06-2019, 09:53 AM

Be glad he went the other way. Had a young grizz charge my uncle and I years back in 429. It is much more interesting when they come towards you at full tilt

Bigwoodsman · #4 06-06-2019, 12:21 PM

A while back there was video clip on AO of a grizzly boar digging a black bear and her cubs out of their den. IIRC it was near Whitecourt as well. Grizzly Bears are everywhere.

BW

Stinky Buffalo · #5 06-06-2019, 01:01 PM

Was out hunting in that area last weekend - there were some spots that were taped off with "area closed to public - dangerous bear in area" warning. Guessing they were not talking about a black bear...

CBintheNorth · #6 06-06-2019, 01:13 PM

Just one of the 21,239 Grizzlies in this province.
(Hey, if SRD can just pick a random number, so can I

)

GMX · #7 06-06-2019, 02:08 PM

I’ve had more than my fair share of close encounters with grizz up in that area. I’d say there are more than one thinks and one should take it seriously when you down an animal nowadays especially if you hunt alone. Here’s a picture from around whitecourt a few weeks back oddly enough there not very scared of humans.

Howard Hutchinson · #8 06-06-2019, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMX

I’ve had more than my fair share of close encounters with grizz up in that area. I’d say there are more than one thinks and one should take it seriously when you down an animal nowadays especially if you hunt alone. Here’s a picture from around whitecourt a few weeks back oddly enough there not very scared of humans.

>>
That's pretty crazy to see I bet. Triplets to boot!

Drewski Canuck · #9 06-06-2019, 02:16 PM

There have always been Griz north of Whitecourt, and all over the Swan Hills area.

Many years ago on the Martin Hills gasplant road, near Goose Tower, a bud was hunting moose, and came across a partially buried cow moose. Tracks all over the cut block edge from a griz.

They backed out very very slowly.

The big bear hide that hangs in the Swan Hills Town Council Chambers was from that area, and many more than that have been taken from the area.

Drewski

Bigwoodsman · #10 06-06-2019, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

There have always been Griz north of Whitecourt, and all over the Swan Hills area.

Many years ago on the Martin Hills gasplant road, near Goose Tower, a bud was hunting moose, and came across a partially buried cow moose. Tracks all over the cut block edge from a griz.

They backed out very very slowly.

The big bear hide that hangs in the Swan Hills Town Council Chambers was from that area, and many more than that have been taken from the area.

Drewski

I spent some time last summer fly fishing the Freeman west and north of where it crosses Hwy 32. Enough sign and tracks to keep a guy looking over his shoulder.

BW

Sooner · #11 06-06-2019, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

There have always been Griz north of Whitecourt, and all over the Swan Hills area.

Many years ago on the Martin Hills gasplant road, near Goose Tower, a bud was hunting moose, and came across a partially buried cow moose. Tracks all over the cut block edge from a griz.

They backed out very very slowly.

The big bear hide that hangs in the Swan Hills Town Council Chambers was from that area, and many more than that have been taken from the area.

Drewski

In the 80's I was a young hunter following dad and we always seen big Grizz tracks in the fall between Whitecourt and Fox Creek. I still sled that area and every now and then on a late spring ride we come across grizz tracks on old sled trails.

CBintheNorth · #12 06-06-2019, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMX

I’ve had more than my fair share of close encounters with grizz up in that area. I’d say there are more than one thinks and one should take it seriously when you down an animal nowadays especially if you hunt alone. Here’s a picture from around whitecourt a few weeks back oddly enough there not very scared of humans.

Was that trucker grabbing another gear?

Hunter4ever12 · #13 06-06-2019, 11:40 PM

Hunting this spring south of swan I had a couple of well operators give me the heads up about miserable grizzly sows. But I assure you there’s only about two or three grizzly mommas up there

Big Grey Wolf · #14 06-07-2019, 09:01 AM

Half dozen grizz on my trapline west of Whitecourt, I provided a map with about 12-15 grizz sightings to CFO when applied to get my ATC carry for my 357 magnum handgun.

SageValleyOutdoors · #15 06-07-2019, 10:48 AM

We were up there a couple weeks ago for our annual black bear hunt. We saw the mama and triplet cubs on the highway south of swan hills. Got a pretty cute video of two of the cubs play fighting while mama and the other cub napped in the ditch. Not a care in the world - i think it’s gotta be a pretty cushy life being a grizzly bear in Alberta these days.
We talked to the Barrhead fish and wildlife officer (can’t remember his name, but he was the northern Alberta predator expert, apparently) and he was saying they’ve been petitioning the ministers for the past 5 years to reinstate the grizzly hunt, but for political reasons, it won’t happen.
A little kid camping with his/her family needs to be attacked, or some other tragedy needs to occur before the politicians will act.

JDK71 · #16 06-07-2019, 11:03 AM

just last night seen a sow and to cubs 3km east of Caroline they were heading east

MountainTi · #17 06-07-2019, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDK71

just last night seen a sow and to cubs 3km east of Caroline they were heading east

Hmmm.....hope they didn't walk thru my yard last night

Wouldn't be the first time I guess

JDK71 · #18 06-07-2019, 11:22 AM

maybe they did they were on the south side of 54

JDK71 · #19 06-07-2019, 11:46 AM

I had one that was hanging around my place last year for a few weeks or so I am sure it is still around hopefully those three don't come for a visit

Grizzly303 · #20 06-11-2019, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

Was out hunting in that area last weekend - there were some spots that were taped off with "area closed to public - dangerous bear in area" warning. Guessing they were not talking about a black bear...

Saw the same sign about 10k into virginia hills road from 43. Poked our head in for a gander The Alberta logo seems to be about 8 years old, figured they forgot to take it down, but the caution tape was definitely new.