Why hunt Grizz?

[Xenomorph]

Shooting them for the thrill, because it makes you, "the master predator", seems to me to be kind of a waste. Pretty expensive thrill in many ways. My opinion anyways. I enjoy reading old stories of pioneers tracking a bear for days in the pristine high country before making a close, one shot kill. Shooting bears along salmon streams and on the beaches not so much.

So as long I'm not on a salmon stream or the beach I'm golden?!? Phew! I'm going for a mountain one and I hope he'll taste as good or better than a blackie.

[adriaticum]

Shooting them for the thrill, because it makes you, "the master predator", seems to me to be kind of a waste. Pretty expensive thrill in many ways. My opinion anyways. I enjoy reading old stories of pioneers tracking a bear for days in the pristine high country before making a close, one shot kill. Shooting bears along salmon streams and on the beaches not so much.

It's not for the thrill, or to be the master predator, it's for survival.
When humans met bears first, bears were eating them.
Then humans figured out how to kill them and hunt them and instilled fear of humans into them.
Bears don't have instinctive fear of humans, it's a learned behaviour.
Bears have the capacity to learn and have culture.
So they learned over millennia to steer clear of humans.
If we don't hunt them, they will start hunting humans.
Or we could just stay out of "their territory"

[.264winmag]

If you've ever been into good interior grizz country and are a hunter and still don't get the allure, you're not truly a hunter imo. That's not to say I don't understand ones reasoning not to harvest said animal, as they are the most magnificent creatures in our country to watch. Been on trips where there were more grizz than most other critters, nothing to see a dozen on a week trip in northern bc, just as many grizz as Rams, goats and mulies IME. The coyote of the mountains one could say HA. I have had a couple grizz tags I've not punched, but mainly because I'd rather pack sheep meat out over hide. The harvest of any game in such country is equally enjoyable, personally...

[Wagonmaster]

Valerius Geist is a respected bear researcher and apparently thinks that simply hunting bears makes them wary and/or fearful. Maybe he is right, but it is likely bears don't have an instinctive fear of humans and that fear is a learned behavior. If you shoot and kill a grizzly bear, it isn't going to pass on a fear of humans to other bears. If you wound it, and it survives, but didn't see where the bullet came from, it still isn't going to pass on fear. Perhaps if it was looking at the hunter, got shot, wounded and survived, then it might associate a two legged being with the pain inflicted. Maybe it would pass that on to another bear, maybe not. I don't think many grizzlies wander around in constant fear of a two legged threat in the neighborhood. Could be wrong, but seems logical to me. On the other hand, 90% of the time I run into a black bear, it turns and runs away. Maybe blacks don't have that ultimate predator mindset? Who knows??

[Fisher-Dude]

Valerius Geist is a respected bear researcher and apparently thinks that simply hunting bears makes them wary and/or fearful. Maybe he is right, but it is likely bears don't have an instinctive fear of humans and that fear is a learned behavior. If you shoot and kill a grizzly bear, it isn't going to pass on a fear of humans to other bears. If you wound it, and it survives, but didn't see where the bullet came from, it still isn't going to pass on fear. Perhaps if it was looking at the hunter, got shot, wounded and survived, then it might associate a two legged being with the pain inflicted. Maybe it would pass that on to another bear, maybe not. I don't think many grizzlies wander around in constant fear of a two legged threat in the neighborhood. Could be wrong, but seems logical to me. On the other hand, 90% of the time I run into a black bear, it turns and runs away. Maybe blacks don't have that ultimate predator mindset? Who knows??

You should refer back to my posts.

Big difference between shooting and hunting a bear. I don't think you've separated the two.

If a bear is pursued, his instinct to avoid his pursuer is kept intact. Pursuit does not equal getting shot at.

There's a very, very low percentage of shots versus hunts. BC has some thousands of grizzly draws, and only 250 get shot. Many of the huge unshot number get educated.

[MichelD]

I have to agree with this:

If you shoot and kill a grizzly bear, it isn't going to pass on a fear of humans to other bears.

Valerius Geist is a respected bear researcher and apparently thinks that simply hunting bears makes them wary and/or fearful. Maybe he is right, but it is likely bears don't have an instinctive fear of humans and that fear is a learned behavior. If you shoot and kill a grizzly bear, it isn't going to pass on a fear of humans to other bears. If you wound it, and it survives, but didn't see where the bullet came from, it still isn't going to pass on fear. Perhaps if it was looking at the hunter, got shot, wounded and survived, then it might associate a two legged being with the pain inflicted. Maybe it would pass that on to another bear, maybe not. I don't think many grizzlies wander around in constant fear of a two legged threat in the neighborhood. Could be wrong, but seems logical to me. On the other hand, 90% of the time I run into a black bear, it turns and runs away. Maybe blacks don't have that ultimate predator mindset? Who knows??

[Wagonmaster]

But Fisher-Dude, how does a bear know it's being "hunted" just because there is a two legged creature milling about in it's environment? And why should a bear be afraid of said creature when it is four times the size and weight of said creature?

[Fisher-Dude]

But Fisher-Dude, how does a bear know it's being "hunted" just because there is a two legged creature milling about in it's environment? And why should a bear be afraid of said creature when it is four times the size and weight of said creature?

I think you've been watching too much Disney.

A deer would kill you or seriously injure you very quickly if you had hand-to-hoof combat. So, why does a deer instinctively run away from you? Deer don't know what a 30/06 is.

[Salty]

But Fisher-Dude, how does a bear know it's being "hunted" just because there is a two legged creature milling about in it's environment? And why should a bear be afraid of said creature when it is four times the size and weight of said creature?

How does a wild buck know to run from humans in the wild and a town buck keeps browsing? How does a dog know your moods? Animals perceive things that we don't and visa versa. If a grizzly's life experience involves a few two legged creatures showing no fear of it and approaching it unless it has food or young to protect it will get out of Dodge. It doesn't know you have a rifle but it knows you are confident and approaching. If that same bear's experience is two legged creatures always retreating when he sees them said two legged creatures are now on the short list for potential prey. Geist is worthy of some detailed reading.

[SPEYMAN]

You either do or you don't, why, because it is an enjoyable experience.