Smaller Calibers in Grizzly Country

Ardent said:
To be fair I’d wager Dogleg has fair odds of having taken more Grizzlies Chuck. But who knows maybe you’ve hunted a half dozen. Though he’s certainly taken more than just about anyone commenting.
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Ardent, there is a far flung difference between hunting the bloody things and living with the bloody things that can’t be touched. I’ll be out Saturday for a hike with my two young sons. Odds are very high that we will bump into a Grizzly odds are a lot lower that it will even rain. Heck, my father hunted down and killed a Grizzly (at the request of the RCMP) that mauled someone right where we will be.

Oh, and he did it with a 270.
 
conor_90 said:
Sounds like you emptied your can too soon, I bet if you read your can the range of that spray is around where you shot the bear.

I wasn't there or anything but its not made to spray at a bear 30m away.

One brand that comes in red can has some wild as claim that theirs will shoot that far but I can't verify it.

Any claims that hunting is especially dangerous because of the meat etc may be valid, but these situations represent a small amount of actual hunting and your average hunter spends considerably less time in the woods than a forester. Then again you are always hearing about foresters getting chewed on by bears...

My concern while hunting has always been that I am actively trying to be quiet when the opposite is true while at work...
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Yes it’s a little different scenario when hunting than hiking your not making a whole lot of noise when your hunting or wearing a bear bell LOL and chatting up a storm with a partner or yourself . Not sure do solo hunters talk to themselves LOL
Leavenworth
 
Anyway my bear bear defence camp gun shotgun has finally arrived . I know some of you fellas are not in favour of a shotgun for that purpose but you know I hope I never need to use it ! But that’s on another thread don’t want to derail my own thread HaHa
Leavenworth
 
Dogleg said:
There are about 50 lightning fatalities per year in NA. The States are good for 40-50 and Canada for around 9-10. Long term average is 2 bear fatalities, evenly split between browns and blacks.
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This is the nuts and bolts of the situation. Think of all the fishermen filleting fish and cooking them up besides their campsites. Steaks barbecued, bacon & eggs and grease dumped into the campfire. There have been numerous studies of the movements of collared grizzlies and black bears. It shows them doing allot of movement to avoid contact with people. Canoeists, backpackers, fishermen are all over the backcountry like politicians at the feed-trough.
 
chuck nelson said:
Thank goodness it’s not as scary as your urban jungle.
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The urban jungle is dangerous compared to the nice safe bush. I'm more comfortable in my trapping shack with the bears ripping off the screens and trying to solve the door-knob equation. They are still weeks away from cracking that mystery. I've got to decide today whether I'll guide this spring or run my spring bear trap-line. The second is more fun.
 
chuck nelson said:
Ardent, there is a far flung difference between hunting the bloody things and living with the bloody things that can’t be touched. I’ll be out Saturday for a hike with my two young sons. Odds are very high that we will bump into a Grizzly odds are a lot lower that it will even rain. Heck, my father hunted down and killed a Grizzly (at the request of the RCMP) that mauled someone right where we will be.

Oh, and he did it with a 270.
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I’m of the opposite thinking, hunting them having been my living until the government changed that eighteen months ago. Hunting them is when you’re exposed to all the problems, follow ups, wounded bears, purposefully looking to put yourself close and then cause them harm. In normal recreation I never “worry” about Grizzlies, only remain mindful, hunting mountain game as you know better than just about any here they’re a consideration, but not one that stops you going. The horse in your neck of the woods is a bigger risk by far, and the river and ocean the bigger risk in mine.

Fish and hike with the kids regularly in the grizz, and it’s just normal life, ours can no longer be touched as well and you can see twenty a day in the thick of it. Without trying to kill them, they’re just bears. Problems can happen, but so can fatal slips and falls. Stay mindful not fearful, enjoy the day. I’m with you on Grizzly cartridges I took my first with a 7x57 at modest range.
 
I've carried various 30/06's , 7mm's and my old , but trusty , 303 in Grizzly country for over 40 years . I've never felt that I was inadequately armed to deal with a Grizzly if necessary , truth be told , I've never been worried about grizzlies , I enjoy seeing them . I've found being aware of my surroundings and good camp practice more important than what caliber I was carrying . To be honest , I'm more concerned with the drive to and from my hunting areas than potential run ins with bears . If you want something to be concerned about , look at the stats for impaired and distracted driving deaths in Alberta alone , that's scary . Just saying .
 
My partner had a close encounter with four grizzlies last fall while scouting the next cut over from me wile moose hunting. He said the three cubs were the size of regular adult black bears and mom approached to within 17 metres of him. After we went back together for his pack he'd abandoned when leaving, he showed me where he was standing and where she had approached to and measured the gap with his range finder.

He said even with his pump 308 with 5 cartridges in it, he figured if she charged, there was no way he could have defended himself if the cubs followed. "I'd have been a rag doll," he said.

But she just checked him out and retreated with her family. He was a little shook up when he joined me at my spot nearby.
 
A good point was mentioned above.
In a problem bear situation, the first shot should be taken to hit the bear in big bone, stopping the bear. Do not worry about hitting the vitals (heart/lungs) first. A killing shot in the vitals can be used as follow up. This is what is taught in courses on Bear Watch or Wildlife Monitoring.The shock and damage to their skeletal structure should break them down and take their focus off of the charge or attack on you.
In whatever situation you are in and whatever shot presentation is presented to you, that first shot should be taken with the intent of hitting large bone, such as skull, shoulder, or spine.
This will, if hit properly, stop the charge or attack, by dropping or stopping the animal, and hopefully breaking that heavy, large bone. If they are still moving well, hit them in big bone again. You can then move around and take a little more time to ensure the follow up shot(s) will hit the vitals, to finish the animal off.
As always recommended by the old grizzly/brown bear guides (and even African PH's), if you think it is dead, you give it one more insurance shot. It is the "dead" ones that can kill you.
 
I live in an area that gets spill over from Montana. Particularly problem bears from Montana. We know this because of the jewelry they wear. These bears are adding to the already growing bear populations and things aren’t as they once where. There are still cow killers (two last fall) and there are far too many of these bruins getting shot in the face at point blank range that law enforcement knows about and know one else does. Family members are now hunting grouse with slung 22’s while having a center fire rifle in hand (my uncle was bluff charged by a big boar a couple of falls ago while packing only a rim fire). These are guys that have lived with them for their entire lives.

No, they are not something to lose sleep over, but it ain’t like it used to be.
 
I was outside splitting firewood one spring morning, with the chickens meandering around the yard, enjoying the freedom after being cooped up all winter. Dogs were doing their morning rounds of the property, down the hill at the creek where they like to sniff the game trail for predator scents.

I hear a little chicken commotion so looked up the hill a bit where they were and there was a decent sized bear putting a stalk on them. I yelled at the bear to f@ck off, which normally the bears comply with. But instead, this one eyeballed me and started coming towards me in full predator mode, ears laid back, close to the ground. I briefly thought of the irony that I was about to go toe to toe with a charging bear with an axe while there was a bloody arsenal in my shop just a few steps away, but at least I was using a Magnum Axe. (Fiskers splitting axe)

The dogs showed up just in time and chased the bear off, saving me the embarrassment of explaining why the local "gun guy" got chewed by a bear while holding an axe. Laugh2

The point of the story? Most of the time you have nothing to worry about with bears, but every now and then you run into one that is an @$$hole.
 
Not sure where you are chuck but I’m not far from the mt boarder also
There are more of these bears showing up in the bald as praries now
So I when we are out stalking mule deer with the stick and string it’s a good
Possiblity to run into one is very high
Quiet a few yrs a go my oldest son and I back packed into a hidden bowel to spend the night and spot some sheep
It wasn’t a long hike 3 1/2 hrs threw the bush up to a knife ridge
As we are coming to the top of the ridge I could hear something not sure what it was
I ran to the top and walked ahead looking could not see anything thing
We get to the box canyon my son starts cutting some spruce boys for a comfy bed
I look to the right and here is a big silver tip less then 100 yards away I call my son down I pick up the 338 and yell at the bear he turns looks right at us and starts running full bore for us
I tell my son start packing up we are leaving there was a little gully 25 yds in front of us I said if the bear come that close he sin trouble
He never did show up and it took us 2 hrs to get of the ridge and back to the vehicle so I don’t yell a them any more lol
I’ll never forget that head and silver rippling mussel chartering towards us , with the evening sun shining on that beautiful monster of a bear , my son young at the time says “that was pretty cool hey dad”lol
Sure was
 
You may laugh, but bear spray is a more effective deterrent against a bear in a close encounter than any hunting caliber you use- because shot placement is absolutely critical in order to stop a charging bear. Just try and make that shot while a bear is charging at you running 35 mph.
 
Blackjack21 said:
You may laugh, but bear spray is a more effective deterrent against a bear in a close encounter than any hunting caliber you use- because shot placement is absolutely critical in order to stop a charging bear. Just try and make that shot while a bear is charging at you running 35 mph.
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we called them bear seasoning here ... they are not that good to work ... they may or may not work are you taking the gamble. every bear encounter is different and behavior can be so different depending on a lot of conditions ... food cubs mating disturbance distance etc ...
 
Gatehouse said:
I was outside splitting firewood one spring morning, with the chickens meandering around the yard, enjoying the freedom after being cooped up all winter. Dogs were doing their morning rounds of the property, down the hill at the creek where they like to sniff the game trail for predator scents.

I hear a little chicken commotion so looked up the hill a bit where they were and there was a decent sized bear putting a stalk on them. I yelled at the bear to f@ck off, which normally the bears comply with. But instead, this one eyeballed me and started coming towards me in full predator mode, ears laid back, close to the ground. I briefly thought of the irony that I was about to go toe to toe with a charging bear with an axe while there was a bloody arsenal in my shop just a few steps away, but at least I was using a Magnum Axe. (Fiskers splitting axe)

The dogs showed up just in time and chased the bear off, saving me the embarrassment of explaining why the local "gun guy" got chewed by a bear while holding an axe. Laugh2

The point of the story? Most of the time you have nothing to worry about with bears, but every now and then you run into one that is an @$$hole.
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375rugerless is never a good idea. more seriously this is one of the best combo for us living with some different kind of bears ...
 
Blackjack21 said:
You may laugh, but bear spray is a more effective deterrent against a bear in a close encounter than any hunting caliber you use- because shot placement is absolutely critical in order to stop a charging bear. Just try and make that shot while a bear is charging at you running 35 mph.
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Yeah, when it works, it’s pretty good. When it doesn’t, it’s not so good. :)
 
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