East Kootenay bears

[dodge456]

Well spent last week in the Kootenay River area, been hunting there on and off since 1991, absolutely love it there. However for the first time ever we lost our deer off the meat pole to a grizzly ( or grizzlies ). Another camp up Settlers Road suffered the same fate earlier in the week as well. We had seen a momma bear and two cubs eyeing up a herd of open range cattle the first evening we were there but probably 20km from our camp. Definitely seems to be an overpopulation in that area...when we got home I had a look at the LEH numbers and found only 1 tag available in that unit and its a spring hunt. After being warned by family members who have also spent considerable time out there as well about the growing numbers and having this experience it leads me to wonder if this area, and probably others, are being seriously mismanaged when it comes to the predator population. Now I get the fact that its our responsibility to keep our meat away from the bears before anyone starts preaching but I have never seen it this bad out there. Anyway just thought I'd share my experience with the board and just a reminder to be aware of what's going on around you, in all areas of course but particularily in that area.

[Seeadler]

Yup, the G-Bears are essentially unhunted and are becoming bolder. Whether they are increasing (cars, trains, and farmers take their share) is another question.

[wideopenthrottle]

we lost a deer to a g-bear last year up bull river...we set up a trail cam where it cashed the uneaten part of the deer near our camp and it kept coming back every night skulking around our camp...the trail cam vids all started with the bear coming into screen and then the dog barking then my buddy yelling at his dog to shut up then a blast or two from the shotgun with the bear running away at the end of the vid...6 days in a row

[monasheemountainman]

Yep tonnes of grizz in the kootenays.

[rocksteady]

I ain't no biologist, but having lived in the EK for 25 years now, I have seen an increase in g-Bear conflicts, not necessarily maulings etc, but like stuff said up above, when they ended the fall grizz hunts and changed it to spring only...

Maybe a coincidence?? Or did the bears learn that being around people in hunting season is not a good thing??

Just tossing out a casual thought...

I am sure some of the biologist types will be able to send links to studies that say I am on crack, but just tossing it out hypothetically..

[dodge456]

Yup, the G-Bears are essentially unhunted and are becoming bolder. Whether they are increasing (cars, trains, and farmers take their share) is another question.

Maybe its the "bolder" part that worries me and perhaps that's why we're seeing more. We were camped right beside the Kootenay River FSR in a high traffic area with a travel trailer and pickup sitting there, not like it was some remote backwoods, hike in-sleeping on the ground kind of thing. They've obviously learned that those camp deer don't run away, and instinct I'm sure tells them to expend as little energy as possible to get their food. We're a hunting family, my wife and 7 and 3 old kids come on these trips so it's a tad unnerving to say the least that they'd come right into camp and help themselves. But anyway lesson learned, no more deer hanging in camp.

[dodge456]

I ain't no biologist, but having lived in the EK for 25 years now, I have seen an increase in g-Bear conflicts, not necessarily maulings etc, but like stuff said up above, when they ended the fall grizz hunts and changed it to spring only...

Maybe a coincidence?? Or did the bears learn that being around people in hunting season is not a good thing??

Just tossing out a casual thought...


I am sure some of the biologist types will be able to send links to studies that say I am on crack, but just tossing it out hypothetically..

I'd agree with that. As Seeadler up there said there obviously is some loss to vehicle collisions, and farmers, and most likely poaching. But all that stuff was going on before as well. If there's no one hunting them it only makes sense to me that the numbers would increase and the conflicts along with it. The food sources out there obviously are plentiful. We used to hunt the Lussier drainage when I was younger, and I'd spend a lot more time with boots on the ground than I do now and while I know the bears were there, I can only remember actually seeing one in all the times I was there. So I'd probably go with a combination of less fear of man and an increase in numbers...

[Bugle M In]

I was up that way.
Saw different G-bears.
Right in the high corners of some fairly low level clear cuts.
They are bold, and more abundant than ever before.
You had to work at it to find one 30 + years ago.
Now, I expect ( and I have proved myself right) to see G-bear every time I am up there, and at times, see them
more than the game I am chasing.
The g-bears got to much attention ( and still are ) in the protection category.
Meanwhile, elk and deer seem to be declining.
Get used to it, and stay prepared.
One cut block I hunt, I am always prepared (best possibly) to run into a sow with cubs.
As for years now, that is what I see in it every year.

[Chillybilly]

http://s388.photobucket.com/user/Chillybilly_photos/media/SUNP0081.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10
Did he look like this? This 2104 same place..

[dodge456]

That's a determined bear...we didn't actually see the one that took ours, I don't know if it would have been the same bears as we seen early in the trip. I'll have to set up a photo bucket account to share the pics we got of the cattle stalkers tho. The momma was colored that way, and one of the cubs was. The other bear that I also assumed to be a cub was an intense blond color, really cool looking bear. Well at the time it was cool...

[Bugle M In]

http://s388.photobucket.com/user/Chillybilly_photos/media/SUNP0081.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10
Did he look like this? This 2104 same place..

That is a determined bear.
Now, if that was my tree, my game.....I can't say what would of happened on here.
But....I think ya know.....
Let's just say...I am more determined.

[Chillybilly]

He ate 1 of 3 deer hanging 20' in the air. After a few sleepless nights and firing a slug between his front feet at 30 feet we left the place , have not returned since. We have been going there since the 80's never seen that before. He also went to 3 other camps did the same thing. Stopped at a game check at Golden on the way home, CO says we did the right thing by leaving.. not sure the next hunters camping there would agree . They need fall tags there for sure and thats what I told them also.

[Seeadler]

There'll be no season before there is a fall season.

[Mikey Rafiki]

Snuck up on a grizz sow and 2 cubs this weekend at 50 feet. Luckily they were walking away from me on a road closure and I could sneak away. Then the wolves started howling all around me.

Made for a very exciting hunt!

[adriaticum]

we lost a deer to a g-bear last year up bull river...we set up a trail cam where it cashed the uneaten part of the deer near our camp and it kept coming back every night skulking around our camp...the trail cam vids all started with the bear coming into screen and then the dog barking then my buddy yelling at his dog to shut up then a blast or two from the shotgun with the bear running away at the end of the vid...6 days in a row

and you didn't choot it?

[Bugle M In]

Exactly why there should be a fall leh IMO.
To remove problem/habituated G Bears.

[wideopenthrottle]

and you didn't choot it?

to be honest I never even got out of bed...buddy was a little more ......ahhh concerned....heheheh