Hunting tips in grizzly country

[wideopenthrottle]

come from up wind (so he smells you) or from downwind (so he is unaware of your approach) what is your opinions on approach/returning to the kill

[stoneramhunter]

come from up wind (so he smells you) or from downwind (so he is unaware of your approach) what is your opinions on approach/returning to the kill

Anything you can do to be cautious but know that a grizzly will defend its kill that it has now claimed. even if they smell you thats not a guarantee they will abandon the kill.

[ghost]

good thread on an important subject

[Moose63]

I heard that leaving an empty cartridge shell in the opened up carcass will keep grizz & wolves away, just from the smell.

Can't verify if it works, but it makes some sense and is not difficult to do.

[weatherbyjunkie]

I have several tips when hunting in grizzly country whether it was hunting sheep moose elk caribou deer.
I wont include them all at once here but spread them over a course of time.

My first tip has saved me trouble with grizzlies on several occasions over the 50 years ive been hunting in the back country where the kill was not readily visible from a distance.

After the kill and if its necessary to go back and get my pack horses or come back for another load of meat back packing . I would always cut a tall branch 8 ft plus the higher the better or I use one of my walking sticks put a ribbon or plastic bag on it on it and stick it in the meat . When I return im cautious and look for the pole if its moving or down which you can see from a distance be aware its very likely a bear is on the kill. I have come back on kills that had a grizzly on the meat. it saved me from a unnecessary encounter. One of my hunting partners 20 years ago could of used that advice .He had shot a moose at kluchesi lake , while dressing it out he heard a elk bugle went after it no luck when he returned to his moose he surprised a grizzly on it . He managed to get a shot into the charging bear hitting it. The bear stumbled but carried on with the attack. He unfortunately didn't pull the bolt all the way back and loaded the empty shell back in the chamber. He waited the bear circled him and charged again . When the bear was a few feet away and he pulled the trigger click nothing. The bear severely mauled him and he lost consciousness . when he awoke the bear was dead on top of him bled out from the first shot. His buddy found him shortly thereafter and packed him back to Kluchesis lake and fortunate for Him a doctor was at the lake about to go out on a guided hunt. he basically saved his life he had lost a lot of blood. They transported him to the hospital by helicopter.
So back to my Tip. what happened to friend happened in seconds if he had a pole and ribbon in the moose he would of seen it swaying or down and he could of avoided being mauled. so if you have limited visibility to your kill this tip might help. . Ill post another one shortly and if you Have a tip throw it in.

Amazing tip!! We have used that exact tip- it was first given to me by an old timer who’s hunted the Muskwa/Prophet/Besa for many decades. We use my partners blaze orange toque on top and 1 or 2 ribbons on stick. We’ll try and get glasses or a spotter on it if we can first. If possible we try and get the ponies as close as we can to a kill as well,they’ll snort and blow if there’s a bear, and usually if there is a Gbear the noise of the rigging and pack boxes scare it slightly off. Cheers stay safe

[MDR]

I have the good fortune of hunting in grizzly country wherever I go. Will definitely be using the pole tip if I ever down an animal in thick enough brush. The only hunt where I had to come back to the killsite was in open tundra so no problems with visibility there.

[dakoda62]

Not all can do it , but a good horse will likely wind or hear him before you.

[mpotzold]

If I/we have to return the next day to retrieve the animal, the immediate area where we leave it is circled with orange/red flagging at about a 1 to 2 ft. height.

When approaching the area the next day we listen/look carefully for birds & rodents & have our rifles ready for immediate action if needed.

In 55 years of big game hunting never had a problem.

My 375 H&H Win is CRF action & when bringing my 45-70 it is loaded with 540 gr.

While one does the field dressing the other one stands on guard & ready.

Remember the 2 hunters ,Shane Fumerton and William Caspell, that killed an elk in 1995 near Radium Hot Springs & were attacked by a grizz & killed while field dressing the elk.
According to Gary Shelton, Caspell’s rifle was push feed & failed him when charged.

[waserwolf]

I read in the Book Gone Huntin that the Author Pat Ferguson would hang a smelly item of clothing on the Carcass. I bet my 5 day old Boxers would keep anything away, maybe attract an eager ole Cow Moose tho ��

[Ron.C]

Great tip

Its a daunting feeling returning to a kill, especially when you hunt alone and /or in the dark. I dressed/packed an elk during bow season several years back well into the night with no firearm and there was an agressive bear in the area. I said Id never do that again.

Well, I sort of did. Killed a Rosie bull on a local LEH. Was dressing him out, heard a snap and there was a young black bear right behind me. Once again, no gun, no spray. Yelling and screaming spooked him but he stayed withing 50 yards until I was done.

Like some others, I now carry a pack alarm in my bag. Takes about 5 minutes to snap up a 50'x50' perimeter so you can concentrate on dressing your kill. Was scary how close he got, and I still cringe to think how bad it would of been in the dark.


Used this last year on an early season solo elk hunt when I shot my bull in the last hour of legal light 4km from my truck. Once my bull was dressed, I took down the alarm, ferried the bagged meat100m from the gut pile and set up the alarm on them.

Another thing I now do, especially if alone or in the dark is talk to myself or sing a song. I want any predator to know there is more there then just a gutpile.