Big Game hunting in Grizzly country
- Thread starter Spruster
- Start date
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True. - dan
carried a 270 win or wsm for most of my sheep stuff, killed my last one with a 6.5 Grendel, the rifle choice for me has nothing to do with bears, rifle won't be ready quick enough most of the time, maybe once in the hand on a stalk or kifaru gun bearer but pack in and outs rifle is often in pieces in my pack, or where we live with all the sanctuaries/parks we have to go through we have to be encased and unloaded all the time anyway, so you have bearspray on the shoulder harness always at the ready and you sing to yourself while hiking in the dark or on the move through some sketch country, my singing is awful enough I didn't have to deal with any surprises, well, I smelled something once about the same time I got the huffs and was able to back out without incident but everything else had plenty of time seeing them from a distance, don't be a stealth bomber out there if you're a solo artist, sing, tell stories, etc.
and earplugs and Benadryl to get to sleep at night in your little bear sandwich, you'll never feel more alive than that lol
and earplugs and Benadryl to get to sleep at night in your little bear sandwich, you'll never feel more alive than that lol
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no, Rick Cross might agree, we both went in the same night, different mountains, same area, he did not come out, he goes in quiet, rifle over the shoulder or pack frame corner, and no bear spray, old school...we both go in early to be above tree line at daybreak, he came across a sow/cubs fresh muley kill just off trail and that was it, rip Sir, glad to have met you and your nephew that day on that fine ram a couple years previous, pretty sure we saw each other the evening before as we looked for our place to park and sleep on across the front seats of our trucks for the opener, I may have some of the details slightly off but no, in griz country do not walk softly...and carry bear spray...I was not going into my spot quietly at all, and maybe I too would not have come out despite my singing and bear spray at the ready on my shoulder strap, but repeatedly she came back to him and finished eventually, I don't think it was a pretty scene and spanned a couple hundred yards (between final resting place and where rifle and debris started), didn't hear about it until a few days later after I got out, solo sheep hunters are half nuts
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
My Dad and brother were avid sheep hunters and Dad ALWAYS carried his .45LC in a shoulder holster (he did NOT have a permit to do so). The reason being that on more than one occasion they had a grizzly stand up in the buck brush at VERY close range and if the horses had spooked, odds are that the ensuing, unscheduled rodeo would end with him on the ground and the horse long gone with his rifle. He always said the the .45 was not exactly the best bear defence but beat the hell out of trying to find a rock to throw. Personally, I have only hunted in grizzly country 4 times. One sheep hunt with my Dad and brother on horses, one sheep with my neighbour on quads one shell hunt with a buddy with his river boat and one sheep hunt by myself on foot. On the hunt with my dad and brother, we did take three rams from a band late in the day and only had time to get one (Dads) off the mountain before dark. That night around the fire, I don't remember what we were discussing exactly but my brother asked if I tagged my ram and I replied "yes". He said "you shouldn't have done that yet because there may not be anything left in the morning if a grizzly finds it tonight". Where his fell the ground was tore up by a bear. I said that if that was a possibility I would not have left it there for the night. He said he has no intention of dressing a sheep in the dark and if a bear wants it he/she can have it. Rookie move on my part. Ax for calibre, My brother shoots a .300 win, dad a .375 HH and I a .338 but these had nothin g to do with being in grizzly country, these were just our chosen hunting calibre. Interesting story about that hunt (my first sheep hunt). When I had my chance to shoot, I was prone on the side of the hill with a <100 yard shot, took my time, picked the biggest ram and squeezed the trigger....click...WTF??? I did not know if I somehow forgot to put a cartridge in of was a dud or a hang fire or what but shooting a ruler No1 I had no follow up and the only way to rectify the issue was to open the action. If it was a hang fire that could be......not good. I waited what SEEMED like a lifetime, then open the action n and a cartridge popped out, rolled onto my side to retrieve another from my ammo pouch on my belt, stuck it in, closed the action and got ready to shoot only to find all the rams on the run. They ran through a draw and when coming out the other side turned to go uphill giving me a broad side but now over 150yards. Found the ram I wanted and shot it. In all my years and thousands of rounds shooting and hunting with that rifle that was the only misfire I ever had and it happened on a sheep. I Brough the Rond home and pulled the bullet and the powder was there the primer just failed. These were handloads BTW. When I went sheep hunting solo on foot, I had gone to the RCMP office to get an ATC stating that I was going hunting in grizzly country for several days and would be sleeping under a plastic sheet and needed to carry a handgun for protection at night. I was denied so I took down the officers name and told told him that if anything happen to me that I (or my wife if I was dead) would be suing the department and him personally for denying me my LEGAL right to carry for personal protection. All he said was that "I hope you join;t get mauled but I am not issuing you a permit to carry".
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Alberta, not yellowstone. It was all reported to F&W and recorded for posterity.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
My thoughts on this is the Omineca/Peace hunting region of North East BC. Water flows to the Peace; therefore, no salmon runs. In the fall, bears are very predatory. Respond to the sound of shots, to eat gut piles or steal the whole animal. Had a Yukon/Alaska bull taken once.
Minimum for there IMO would be 30-06/7mag class, would feel 300wm is perfect, feel even better with larger magnums.
Losing the moose was the inspiration for buying my 375 rum.
Minimum for there IMO would be 30-06/7mag class, would feel 300wm is perfect, feel even better with larger magnums.
Losing the moose was the inspiration for buying my 375 rum.
This gentleman sounds like someone who knows whereof he speaks. On a backpack sheep hunt up the Muskwa, while having morning oatmeal by our tent (about 15yds from the horse trail we were hiking on ... a grizzly sow and cub ran by on the trail. They were moving so fast my buddy wasn't sure what the 2 brown blurs were.So pack a big caliber rifle , keep it at hand, and be very comfortable with operating it quickly.
View Profile for Spruster
Join Date: 09-13-2020
Last Activity: 07-02-2023 01:44 AM
...........
He (Spruster) posted this on 06-27-2023, 08:04 PM .... and he managed to not post for 5 days .... lol
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2385144-Spruster-is-Gone-nice-rifle
And then he started this thread yesterday ... 07-01-2023, 10:40 PM
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2386008-Barrel-length-Does-it-matter
He is not really a man of his word .... or is he?
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westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
Common sense is your friend. Most of my hunting life has been in grizzly country. What I have experienced is that grizzlies will do their flat best to avoid you EXCEPT when you are near their kill, they have cubs, or you surprise them.
Having said that packing an elk or moose quarter off the hill - I carry a loaded 338wm.
the grizzly or any bear can have as well a predatory mood that is not related to their kill, have cubs or surprise them never forgot that situation especially in the fall when they need to put fat on before winter.
westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
Yes sir, you are absolutely right, which is why despite what I know I still carry a rifle.
Bears are like people in that they are all different.
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