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Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
This story starts as a Bighorn hunt, Rattler and I decided to backpack in to an area I'd been once before. We get all our gear and prepare for cold weather hunting rams.
Monday October 12th we set out and drive to the trailhead. We then Don our packs and start the trek in.
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We decide to set up the tent half way up the valley so we can be more central to multiple glassing spots and relatively close to a small water source.
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The first evening resulted in a single yew spotted.
We then have dinner and go to bed, prepared for the cold, it had been brutally cold the past few days and Rattlers sleeping bag was only good till -1. He wore many clothes to bed and was toasty warm.
My bag was a -18 bag and I only slept in my long undies.
Second day We woke up to a beautiful day, we split up to glass for the morning. Rattler spotted 9 yews and a small 1/2 curl ram.
From my vantage I spotted two 1/2 curl rams.
Rattler joined me at lunch and we decided to do a water run up the valley and get a better vantage on the area I had been glasssing.
At the dim remainder of daylight hours I finally spotted what we were looking for, looked like a ram that was worth a closer look. It was a long difficult spot, he was bedded and only parts of him were showing, Although there was no daylight to get closer and size him up we made plans to go up early the next morning and do exactly that.
The third day we woke up to a snow storm and fog down to the valley bottoms. It was a tent day and we were a little peeved being cramped in a two man tent in October reading books, thank god we brought books incase of this. The weather sort of broke for the evening so we hiked in but never seen the ram.
We made mountain house dinners again and hoped for good glassing weather the next day.
NOW THE PART THAT I WILL REMEMBER FOREVER
That evening at 9:50 pm Rattler turns off his headlight and puts it away with his book and goes to sleep. Louis L'amour had me enthrawled in a tale so I kept reading, about 30 minutes later I hear something.
The beat of heavy footprints.
Thu..Thump, Thu...thump, Thu... Thump, Thu.. Thump
And the Sound of huffing
Hufffff Huf, Huffff Huf, Hufff Huf, Huffff Huf as the footsteps fell
Believe me, a sound that makes my hands shake while I write this.
I SPRANG to the sitting postition and woke Rattler, I grabbed my gun but I had to jack a shell in the chamber cause I didn't want to risk the rifle going off with one in the tube accidentally in a really small tent, or roll over on it in the middle of the night and it go off. I will now sleep with one in the tube.
The sounds got louder and you could feel them in the ground and pit of your stomach.
Its gonna come through the tent, only mear seconds have past, it happened sooooo quickly. We both yell HEY HEY HEY GIT OUT OF HERE, in an attemp to let the bear know what we were, it didn't matter it only came in faster. I couldn't get the shell in the gun before the Attack. It hit the tent and flattened both me and Rattler, the bear was more on top of Rattler and now he's fighting.
Remember we are wrapped up in a tent, Rattler is in the Dark and I can only see a furry of blue tent thrashing, biting and clawing. Rattler is fighting for his life, swinging and kicking and yelling I Grab the bear with my left arm and push it up and off of Rattler at the same time with my Right hand I close the bolt on the rifle and jam the rifle barrel into the bear. The bear didn't like being shoved around and spun and bit me in the left forearm, I could feel its teeth bight down, sink in and I thought to myself, That didn't feel too bad, is that all you got. I had to repostition the rifle because it nocked loose when it spun and bit. I pull the trigger and NOTHING HAPPENS. In the panic I hadn't pulled the bolt back far enough to grab a shell out of the magazine. My heart sank and thought that this was going to be the end of things, I had no idea how bad Rattler was hurt.
Then it all stopped, I frantically found the door to the tent and tore through it like a madman while chambering a round for certain this time, Having no idea where it went I Scanned the area, it had retreated. I could feel the blood free flowing from my arm. I unzipped Rattler from the tent and we were completely shocked. We surveyed the injuries and there was nothing too bad considering we just got piniata'd by a grizzly bear.
We calmed down and Rattler stood guard with a loaded rifle while I got a bonfire lit. After about an hour we packed up camp and then we waited for another hour before we hiked back out to the truck.
That truck was a welcome site. We drove to the hospital, got there at about 3am.
Luckily Rattler was wearing multiple jackets to bed, so his bites were only punctures and some real good bruizing, his forearm has to be Xray'd because it might be fractured. Mucho Sore. He also got bit or clawed in the thigh.
My arm is nearly painless, considering the holes she tore in my forearm I am astonished.
Here is the tent, all flattended. Every pole broke, all tore to shreds. She even managed to bite my alarm clock and break it....bitch.
Yes thats right, it was a sow and a cub. Not sure if they both partook in the beatin or not.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Now for the Squeemish, these are some slightly graphic pictures
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
I consider us two VERY VERY lucky fella's, I'm just happy we can come home to our families.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Amazing!! Glad you guys both made it home safe. I guess beers will be on me at the WSSOBC while you retell the story.
BHB
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
On a side note, how did the pack work for you??
Once again glad you are safe.
BHB
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Holy sh*t! Glad to hear you guys made it out ok!
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
****!!!!! That's the reason I sleep with one in the tube. Man, glad to hear you're ok. Shit man, wow.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
WOW HOLY $HIT WTF!
Man glad you were abel to tell us a storie
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bighornbob
On a side note, how did the pack work for you??
Once again glad you are safe.
BHB
Pack has worked out really well, packed out two bull elk this year and a mule deer last year. Handles the weight well, the elk antlers kinda threw the balance off and it was a little painfull with them pulling the pack down and away, but I could have readjusted the rack, just chose not to.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Whoa! What a story. I'm glad you made it out (relatively) OK.
Any idea what brought the bears on? In the "after" picture of the tent, it looks like your cooking gear, pots, etc., are stashed right beside the entrance?
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Wow that's quite a story Brambles, glad you guys are OK.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
when we are all out in the woods, this is the game we play!
scary story there, and glad you guys survived to tell us about!
I had a simular situation goat hunting when I woke up to hear a grizzly coming towards the tent. Luckily for me I was about to get outside the tent and scare him off before things escalated to anything.
hope the wounds heel soon for you guys!
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Holy shatballs!!! Quite the event!!
Scars to prove it!! Awesome! That's a story you will be telling for years to come!
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Wow! Glad you guys are alive and otherwise not too seriously hurt. Any thoughts on what brought the attack on?
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Wow, that is some scary stuff! Think I'll be sleeping in the canopy of the truck more now...
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
:shock: You two are freakin lucky to be here still.Glad you guys made it out and are not hurt worse.Hope you guys heal up soon and get back in the saddle.
Cheers,Steve.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
That my friends is quite a story. Glad you've got all your bits....Yup, sleep with one in the tube from now on.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Something nobody ever wants to happen to them... Jesus... Glad you're alright.
Carl
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Quote:
Originally Posted by
seanps
Whoa! What a story. I'm glad you made it out (relatively) OK.
Any idea what brought the bears on? In the "after" picture of the tent, it looks like your cooking gear, pots, etc., are stashed right beside the entrance?
No when we lit the fire we noticed there was an inversion, the wind was actually going up the valley, the bears couldn't smell camp, which we think added to the situation, if she had smelled camp earlier then she probably woud have steered clear. We could see in the snow where she actually was surprised to see the camp because she slipped in the snow. She probably seen my headlight on in the tent and it freaked her out.
The pot you see was for boiling water and thats it, we had dehydrated meals. We are confident it wasn't a food induced attack.
We backtracked down the trail and she and her cub had walked almost the entire length, they were just on the move to higher country and got startled by the tent I think.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
:eek::eek::eek::eek: Holy Sh*t !! Happy to hear you both came out of it OK. It could have been so much worse. I bet tenting will never be quite the same......
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
wow, Glad to see you're around to post this incredible story. It got my blood pumping just reading it!
I know I'll be sleeping with one in the chamber if I'm tenting it again.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Wow....glad to hear you are okay!!!
That is one heck of a wild trip.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
That gives the bone a tingling feeling just reading it, glad you a Ken are ok
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Quote:
The bear didn't like being shoved around and spun and bit me in the left forearm, I could feel its teeth bight down, sink in and I thought to myself, That didn't feel too bad, is that all you got.
That's good shit right there... save this so you can show your kids one day... :) You've documented a lot of your "outdoor" life here on the site, are you sure you didn't plan this? joking aside... Glad you're both ok.
Carl
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Glad you made it man , wow unreal man , wow .
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
I have only tented it once in bear country, but I slept with my 45-70 close by with a round in the chamber. In case of emergency all you have to do is pull the hammer back and you are good to go. Amazing story, just glad you guys were not injured more seriously and were able to walk out under your own power. This just convinces me more of need to carry a satellite phone when you are in the middle of no where.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Glad to hear you made it out more or less in one piece. We had a grizz rummaging around our camp up in the Shulaps,scared the horses ,broke the night lines It makes for poor sleeps in a little tiny tent. THe bear did show up a couple of times around camp in the daylight but caused no trouble so he got no trouble.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
VERY glad things turned out so relatively well for you. It would seem that you bucked the odds in this encounter. It could of so much more easily been a post from someone else about 'missing hunters'.
You've lived everone's nightmare while tenting in Grizzly country.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
wheres pictures of the sheep?
Glad to hear you guys are alright. Nightmare come true right there.
Kirby
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
geeze, reading this made me shake and shiver, I am so very glad you both escaped the attack
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
wow. You guys are very lucky. Good to see you panned out okay. i bet yous had to change your shorts after that
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Unreal, Very glad that you guys made it through that ok.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
quite a story, glad to hear you are both OK and that you had the calm resolve to get thru the attack.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
holy crap man!!!! you guys are very lucky. I'm glad ya made it out alive. what a terrifying ordeal. wow!!!!
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Wow glad you guys are ok. While out Moose hunting this year I noticed my buddy was sleeping with a large hunting knife uder his pillow. Might not be a bad Idea. I always just had my gun handy, but things might change.:?
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Although one can never predict things like this there are certain things I do when backpacking alone.
1) I always sleep with a loaded rifle. I chamber a round then I open the bolt just a bit. This way (I shoot a remington) the bullet is held by the bolt as you have already closed the chamber and then opened it. Your round is now 98% loaded, all you have to do push the bolt down and she is ready to go. No worries of it going off accidently as you still have to close the bolt and pull the trigger.
2) I avoid putting my tent next to trails, creeks etc as animals use these too. I try to find a spot off the trail about 25m or so if you can. this way it gives the animal two escapes routes, one the way it came and one in the direction it was going.
3) I also try and put one part of the tent up against a bush or a tree and cut some branches to make a sort of obstruction. I always put my head against that end of the tent. If a bear is going to come in it will most likely come in from the open end. I also point my rifle to the open end.
You try and do your best but s**t still happens, like in this case.
Once again glad you made out of there pretty well intact.
BHB
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Wow that is one crazy story. Glad you guys made it out.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
Those backpackable electric fences are a good investment , glad things turned out ok for you guys.
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Re: Brambles and Rattler GRIZZLY ATTACK sheep adventure
WOW :shock::shock::shock:, unreal story!!! Glad to hear you guys are ok!