Shooting rogue grizzlies-is it legal???

[wapiti]

Just wondering if any-one out there has been in a situation where you had to shoot and kill a grizzly that came into your camp or came in on a big game kill while you were cleaning the animal.
What "criteria" is there for shooting such a bear? Can you kill it to keep it from taking your meat? Or can you only kill it if it is chewing on your leg already? Once you do kill it, what do you do-do you notify the Conservation Officers of the kill?:confused:

[ape]

shoot shovel shut-up

[Gateholio]

It is only legal to protect yourself, not meat. If it claims the carcass, it's not legal to shoot it off of it. I htink it outlines this rigth in the Hunitng Synopsis.

[Hank Hunter]

Gate is correct and even protecting yourself you better have a bullet proof case.

[JAYDEE]

Ape has it right. keep quiet.
What they don't know won't hurt them

[daycort]

ape said it right you are probably better off to use the three s rule. This gets done wayyy more then you think is my guess.

I would never suggest this way though you do not want to do anything to ruin your hunting career. like H/H said this site is monitored.

[Hank Hunter]

Guys, you all know these sites are monitored.

[Walksalot]

If I shot an animal in self defense I would inform the authorities because you never know who is near by. If they don't see the way the scenario played out I suspect they would inform the conservation people and then it could be a mess. However, I don't think the conservation people would be very understanding if it was shot in the ass.

[Gateholio]

If you don't inform the CO's you are taking a big risk. If you were truly in danger, it is 100% legal to shoot.

It is 100% illegal to not report this shooting.

[mark]

if you do shoot one and report it, make sure you drag his claws across yer face first!

[wapiti]

Hmmm...looks like you are only justified in shooting if the critter is just about on top of you. The thing is, that may be OK if you are in the open and you see it coming and you have time to fire one off in the air to scare it off somehow, but I reckon that if I'm surprised by one, for example kneeling down, dressing out a moose or an elk and I turn around and there is this griz behind me, drooling over the carcass, I'd shoot it rather than try to back off and have it jump me at close range.

[dana]

There is no grey here. If you practice shoot, shovel and shutup, you are a POACHER!!!! Sorry, but that is the truth. The CO's are not bad guys out to get ya if you 1: Screw Up or 2: Protect yourself. There are members of this site that have had to kill grizz and they reported it and never had any issues. But if you are the kind that leaves the animal and do not report it, if you are caught, you will feel the full extent of the law. It is no different that the guy that shoots a 3 point muley by accident in the 4 point or better season. If you are a spineless ******* and walk away, you are a POACHER!!!!

[338 winmag]

out of curiousity whos monitoring these forums ?keep hearing this but who are these people.

[tangozulu]

I work in the bush and live in remote camps for most of the year. I see plenty of guys coming into camp that are terrirfied of bears. If these guys were able to kill "rouge" bears, there wouyldn't be any left in the wild.
Ditto for many fisherman on the salmon rivers. Armed ppls in the bush who are terrified of bears are terrifyng to be around, and are a far bigger hazard to anyone just moving through the area.

[bayou]

Well was gona respond to another thread awhile back about hunter numbers being down but this thread says it as well, Hunter numbers may be down but there is lots of idiots out there with licenses to pack guns.
It hurts but have to admit this is also the first thing Ive seen dana write that I agree with and he dosent even mention MnT( go figure)

[Pete]

An old time Conservation Officer ( Alan Frisby ) once said to me that "it is not a Bear attack unless there are powder burns on the fur or scratch marks on your body" I do think that is a bit close :-) However if you do shoot a bear in self defence by law you have to report it to the CO Service.

[SHAKER]

I wouldn't answer a questions like that on a public forum.... sounds like someones fishing for info! This thread smells!

[ratherbefishin]

the question,of course,is what constitutes ''danger''?If you waited until the bear had you ,it would be legal to shoot-but you would be dead or mauled.On the other hand-shooting each and any bear in the vicinity is hardly classified as ''danger''.Rarely [thankgoodness] a bear IS predatory towards humans,but most get well out of the way-and avoiding surprises is one obvious practice-and avoiding creating a food source[keeping food in a tent]Removing an animal from the killsite and gutpile ASAP is probably the best course of action,where bears are around -as is making plenty of noise when re approaching a kill site,if the meat has not all been removed/

[wapiti]

I wouldn't answer a questions like that on a public forum.... sounds like someones fishing for info! This thread smells!

Actually, Shaker I am not after any specifics here. I am not asking who did what where...I think you are being a bit overcautious. I am merely asking what other members views and knowledge are on this topic.
I am certainly not afraid to say that my life is worth more than a grizzly's, and if it comes down to being a bear's lunch or shooting it, I'm gonna shoot the bear and worry about the consequences later.
Sounds to me that there are a lot of members who agree with that philosophy.
Last time I checked, it was a free country. We should not be afraid to voice our opinions in public.

[Gus]

An old time Conservation Officer ( Alan Frisby ) once said to me that "it is not a Bear attack unless there are powder burns on the fur or scratch marks on your body" I do think that is a bit close :-) However if you do shoot a bear in self defence by law you have to report it to the CO Service.

So what if the bear is charging down on a partner and you knock it down. the bullet hole wont be in the front of the bear, probably to far for powder burns and hopefully your partner wont be hurt for evidence? Just curious because I've heard that before too and always wondered what a CO would say in that senerio.

[Walksalot]

I have to laugh at the powder burns on the hair one. Have many people seen how fast a bear can move?:eek:
I had a sow with three cubs explode from the bush at about 20 yards. She got within 10 feet and stopped. I was unarmed but it didn't matter, there was no time to do anything except almost load my bloomers.

[Jelvis]

I remember reading in the regs years ago the Ministry guys were saying if a grizzly charges toward you don't shoot it because thats what Grizzlies do to scare you off, they charge then stand. then go down on all fours snapping teeth so they say don't shoot, it is just bluffing. One thing tho bring extra toilet paper along in case it happens. When I was hunting Red Pass in the 60's I saw grizz tracks the size of dinner plates in the rivers sand bar, I couldn't even dent the surface with my boots.Whoa

[wsm]

most co's are not bad guys and will do their best to see it your way. if a griz comes at you the co's will know if you are bsing or not. if you shoot one at 60 or 100 yrds im sure you can guess what comes next. any closer than that and they will be able to smell the truth.

[lip_ripper00]

you will get more time for shooting a grizzly up north than you would get for murder in Vancouver! They don't sneek up running bush to bush, they will make their presents known.I have seen cops and CO's flown in to an area because a G bear has harrassed someones killsite/camp and been poped and been found by someone else. Remined me of the beach seen from "Apocolyps Now". I have had cut trips short to get out of a bears area because they had claimed what I had hanging on the game pole. Rogue grizzlies, I thank not, top of the food chain you bet!!!

[GoatGuy]

When all else fails apply common sense.

Everybody's comfort zone is different - so long as you posses common sense and report it you'll be fine. Missing one or both and you're in for some trouble.

[kutenay]

Regarding the monitoring of this site and others concerned with guns/hunting, I recently had an experience that demonstrates what is going on here.

Two or three weeks ago, there was a thread here concerning the confiscation by police of private firearms, which SHOULD be constitutionally impossible in Canada. At about 05:00 one morning, I carefully typed and posted a precise description of what was done to me by the V.P.D. last January when I HAD to humanely shoot one of my Rottweilers in my basement and the VPD learned about this via the Vancouver Animal Control personnel that my wife contacted for removal of the carcass.

I decided about an hour later that I did not desire to keep this post on the forum and thus deleted it; I HAD mentioned in it that ALL of the VPD members who attended my home were polite EXCEPT the ERT "leader"who was very confrontational, verbally abusive to me and acted in an unacceptable fashion. This was the opinion of a senior retired RCMP officer who was my wife's supervisor until she replaced him when he retired and mine as well, there is NO reason for ANY LEO to be less than respectful and polite to ANY citizen, period!

So, I had recovered my guns about ten days after they were seized and the damage to my very valuable and rare collection, while in VPD "care" was roughly $1500.00, mostly finish gouges and deep scratches from piling them into a couple of old steel shopping carts at the "Evidence Room". The officers who attended were fine in how they treated them as they took them, although this was NOT necessary and my rights WERE violated, IMO.

All of this is an example of what is happening in that I did not hear one word from the VPD AFTER I retrieved the guns; THEN, on the very day that I posted details of this incident here, for a single hour, a constable was in my side yard, in civilian clothes, until I came outside to see what was going on; my yard has a high fence and gates, yet, he did NOT ring the doorbell. He stated that they just wanted to see if I had got my guns back and that's fine, he is a nice guy as a lot of cops actually are and I appreciated his concern.

HOWEVER, WHY did he, after FOUR months, choose THAT day to come to see about my guns? COULD it be that the VPD monitors this site very closely and perhaps other police forces as well??????? Geez, I wonder?!

We all know that freedom in Canada is an illusion and WE gunowners are the easy target of the forces of totalitarianism that threaten our nation; socialists, feminists, multiculturalists, police who think that they should have greater power and corporate media that cry out for "gun control" every time some whacko shoots someone....except where Ian Bush and Kevin St. Arnand are concerned. So, I think that sites like this are both our best hope to create and sustain an effective opposition to the evil of state control AND to advocate for a lawful, decent means of dealing with rogue Grizzlies, etc.

I WOULD shoot a Grizzly IF I thought I was in danger and I WOULD report it without exception. I would ALSO TRY to use this as an example of why we need to change our gun laws concerning handguns in Canada as I have dealt with quite a few Grizzlies up close and feel that I have the birthright to that option. SSS is NOT an option, to me, I believe in obeying the law....but, NOT, in excessive, rude and threatening police behaviour.

[Deaddog]

If you truly believe your life is in danger, shoot, then report it and explain your actions. I and my hunting partner did have to shoot a sow grizz several years back, we reported it, the co's were proffessional and reasonable, took our statements, thanked us for reporting it and life went on... that said if your life is "always" in danger the questioning might take a different twist!

[Walksalot]

I guess a defenition of what a "rogue grizzly" consists of might be in order. To my knowledge I have never seen a grizzly in the wild but I have had lots of blacks snapping, popping and huffing at me so I left them alone. Were they rogues, I think not.

[lapadat]

I have met a LOT of the current Conservation Officers in British Columbia - some I know very well. I have NEVER met a CO that was not also an avid hunter or angler. They simply must have experience in the backwoods to get the job in the first place. Having said that, most have a considerable amount of experience with black and grizzly bear behaviour and will need to investigate the offence to discover what actually happened. This is not to make you feel like a criminal - it is just to get the facts. If you are clear of any wrong doing then good for you, if you have killed a bear for no justifieable reason - be a man and take your punishment.

My rule in the field is: If i can safely leave the vicinity of the bear quickly and safely I will. In 2005, my hunting partner and I had a Grizz come in for some fresh Moose tenderloins and we got up, rifles at the ready and walked a way. It sucks but thats the way it goes.

From the BC Wildlife Act.
Accidental killing of wildlife

75 (1) A person who kills or wounds wildlife, other than prescribed wildlife, either by accident or for the protection of life or property, must promptly report to an officer
(a) the killing or wounding, and
(b) the location of the wildlife.
(2) A person who fails to report as required under subsection (1) commits an offence.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Like GG said everyone's comfort zone is different.
When it comes down to the legality of the situation, your are legally allowed to defend yourself "if you feel threatened". But who really wants to hire a lawyer if you get charged. Closer is always better. Just because you are charged with a violation doesn't mean you are guilty. Lots of variables.

Just make sure you report it unless you would like to lose your hunting priviledges.

Don't report it and you may get yourself in a heap of hotwater.

SSS

[troutseeker]

If you are truly in danger, shoot it and report it.

[blaker_99]

Very interesting topic. here is what iknow from my experience. my grandpa, two brother, dad and i were out hunting mulies a few years back and my grandpa and oldest brother were faced with a life or death decision. they had accidently come between a sow and her two cubs. The sow charged at them from approx. 50 yards and my grandpa made the decision to shoot the sow when it was only 15-20 yards away severly wounding it and it died near by. The two cubs were in tehre adolescent years and have been photographed and observed several times the week after by concerned conservation officers. When interviewed by the first on scene conservation officer it was very clear that it was a life or death and after a few statements and scene pictures the CO was relieved to see they escaped without injury or death. I guess it all comes down to weathe ror not you can prove to the CO's that you were in great danger and were faced with a very tough and dreadful decision. Maybe showing the CO's the large dung pile in your undershorts isn't enough, but don't expect to be keeping any part(s) of the bear once you've shot it as the CO's are not forgiving what so ever when it comes to this type of thing. Lets just hope none of us get stuck in this type of situation and if so i hope everything is goes well. take care

[brotherjack]

There was a hunting party going back to an elk kill down south of Cranbrook a couple years ago that got charged by a momma grizz and a couple of cubs. 3 dead bears and some clean britches later, they reported it to the C.O. (as they should). No charges were laid (or that's what they reported in the paper anyway).

[hunter1947]

I shot at a boar at about 70 feet from me years back ,i was calling for elk one the evening and this boar appeared from behind so trees ,it was about 100 feet from me ,i stood up and yelled at it ,it then came at me at a full charge ,i shot above it with my mag when he was about 70 feet from me ,it the turned and run side ways then stood up ,i then fired another shot above it's body ,it then turned and run away ,i was quiet shaken up with this ordeal. I have had about 4 bad experience with grizzly bears over my career with the last one being last year wit a sow and two cubs ,you really got to be on the alert when you are using an elk call. I have been lucky so far i have not had to put down a grizzlyhttp://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon9.gif.

[hunter1947]

My old friend Dallas Hills from cranbrook did shot a big grizzly up gold creek main line about 10 years ago ,he was cow calling elk one evening and a big boar came to his call ,it was getting late in the evening ,it was almost past shooting light ,when he heard the bushes moving behind him ,he said he got up and and started looking around ,then this boar come out of the bushes and a full charge at him ,all he had time for was a hip shot ,he was lucky the bear droped near his feet. he called the CO they came in and took the bear ,he never did get the bear ,they keep it.

[boxhitch]

Hunters seem surprised , when they shoot a round into the air over a bears head, and the bear doesn't respond. They don't go to school about firearms safety, and have no instinct about fearing a buzz around the ears or a distant bang. Its a waste of a good bullet (by the way, just where did it go ??) and the time could be better spent doing something besides reloading another round into the chamber. IMO

[Frango]

Hunters seem surprised , when they shoot a round into the air over a bears head, and the bear doesn't respond. They don't go to school about firearms safety, and have no instinct about fearing a buzz around the ears or a distant bang. Its a waste of a good bullet (by the way, just where did it go ??) and the time could be better spent doing something besides reloading another round into the chamber. IMO
I've had a couple of close calls with bears over the years. I've never had to shoot one but I wonder what should one be doing other than reloading?As far as gun shot noise, I quess bear bangers were invented for smart bears? Boxhitch?? What would you suggest as a course of action with a charging bear?

[ruger#1]

Up north its any bear you have to watch out for, Griz , black. The guide that we hunted with always said. You don't shoot to scare a charging bear , You shoot to kill or be killed. I had a Griz come down the fence line when i was in fort Steele last year, He was less then 100yrds away , I stood my ground in case of a charge, my underarm deodorant must of stopped working, He got a whiff of me and must of torn a lot of hair on his hide when he went through the fence in the opposite way. And no i didn't shit myself.

[Tuffcity]

Conservation Officer ( Alan Frisby )

Good God! He was a CO shortly after the glaciers receded! How old are you to have remembered him! LOL I think his "advice" has to tempered against the fact that he was a product of the 60's & early '70's, probably even back into the '50's, and the "book" was a little different back then.

Oh, just so you know, I vaguely remember his name as a young child in (I think) the late 60's? :)

RC

[Pete]

HI there Tuff City
I was one of the ones that were truly blessed. Alan Frisby was my mentor back in the early 70's until his passing away. In 1978 Alan hired me to Trap Beaver on nusiance complaints in the Vernon Area. during that time he was suffering for prostrate cancer and passed away not too long after that. He was a very likable but crusty individual and I had a great time with him and his partner Dick French.
Alan and Dick ran a trapline just north of mine up in the Churchill lake country. Though Alan is gone I still see Dick every now and then on his morning walks.
Cheers
Pete

[Pete]

PS Tuffcity
Thanks for bringing back the memories:-D
Pete

[Tuffcity]

Pete,

Never met the man but his lastname always stuck with me and I remember people talking about him (good, bad or indifferent I couldn't say).

We may have met. Did you used to live around 45 Ave & 20th St? (I might have the address slightly off), somewhere around '85 or '87?

RC

[boxhitch]

Frango-


I've had a couple of close calls with bears over the years. I've never had to shoot one but I wonder what should one be doing other than reloading?

Don't fire the warning shot to begin with. How far do you think a charging bear will travel in the time it takes to rechamber and get on target again ?


As far as gun shot noise, I quess bear bangers were invented for smart bears?

Bangers are intended to be launched toward the bear, exploding in close proximity, not at 100 yds.


What would you suggest as a course of action with a charging bear?

Stand your ground facing the charge, until you are confident it is a real charge, then make him leak. Several holes otta do it. Reload mag with a live one in the chamber.
Thats my plan, yours may vary.

[Pete]

Pete,

Never met the man but his lastname always stuck with me and I remember people talking about him (good, bad or indifferent I couldn't say).

We may have met. Did you used to live around 45 Ave & 20th St? (I might have the address slightly off), somewhere around '85 or '87?

RC
Good Morning Tuffcity. Good memory:-D I still live on the same corner and going strong, 42 ave and 20th street.

Cheers
Pete

[Ioneth]

Carry a can of bear spray with you when you are in bear country? never know maybe your kill will taste better after being covered in a pepper fog :P

[CanuckShooter]

Having said that, most have a considerable amount of experience with black and grizzly bear behaviour and will need to investigate the offence to discover what actually happened. This is not to make you feel like a criminal - it is just to get the facts. If you are clear of any wrong doing then good for you, if you have killed a bear for no justifieable reason - be a man and take your punishment.


When you make your report...they have the facts. There is nothing to 'investigate'...unless they are purposely looking to see if they can press a charge against you. You'd have to be some big dumb-ass to unjustifiably shoot a bear and then turn yourself in !!


Rule #1>> Don't shoot to kill...just wing 'em !!

[Mik]

Many G-bears have come into our camp and the dogs usually keep them away from the meat. I have blasted a shot close to a bear to scare it away ....and it worked for about 1 1/2 hrs. till it decided to come back. (Here's a little story)..I looked out the camper at the time and it was across the river (full moon) & figured I had lotsa time so I put my boots on grabbed the defender and walked out the door, half asleep as I nearly tripped over the dogs, which were now barking like mad about 3 feet from the door, I get past them and to my SUPRISE i'm face to face with a GRIZZ :oand managed to jump back just in time and let the shot off into the air and jump back into the camper. I dont know who was scared more- me or the Grizz:confused:. I sure can tell ya though them bears are quick swimmers. I can truly laugh about it now but let me tell ya- I never wanna be in that position again!! We stayed another 4 days after that and nuthin' came around, and yes we had a good look around for signs of blood & there was none around the camper or the direction that it fled.

I spoke to a CO about the situation for clarification and in the end the reply was you better have a darn good reason to shoot a Grizz.

[RiverOtter]

My personal take on grizzlies is we could stand to harvest a few more under GOS.

Letting a grizzly claim a fresh hunter killed carcass is a stupid idea, IMO. Obviously from a legal stand point it is the thing to do, but it totally goes against common sense and creates a more dangerous bear for the next hunter(s) that come into the area.

I have to concur with the NO warning shots method of defence and stand your ground until you feel your life is in grave danger. Whether your "go line" is 5, 10, or 20 yards, only you, the individual in the situation can decide. No animals life is worth more than a humans, period.

RO

[Jelvis]

My buddy was hunting the Herrick, they gotta moose. had it hung by camper, they recall hearing something when they were half asleep, and when they went out side in the early morning, a Grizz took the whole moose across the road over logs back into the bush. A whole moose, can you imagine the strength of the bear to do that! Whoa!

[wapiti]

Letting a grizzly claim a fresh hunter killed carcass is a stupid idea, IMO. Obviously from a legal stand point it is the thing to do, but it totally goes against common sense and creates a more dangerous bear for the next hunter(s) that come into the area.


RO

I totally agree with you, River Otter-letting bears get habituated to taking game off hunters is a very bad idea. They are intelligent animals, and learn quickly how to get a free meal. It just leads to more confrontations, and inevitably more injured hunters and dead bears.
I remember, it was a few years ago-those two hunters who were elk hunting here in BC, and they had shot an elk and were dressing it out when a grizzly surprised them and killed them both to get at the kill. It was so fast that even though they had guns with them, they were not able to get off a shot. I wonder if this was such an animal-heard the gunshot and came running to the kill...

[Wild 1]

Hunting synopsis reads that you can only shoot a bear in self defense. Things get pretty picky if you shoot during the day, If however it has tracked you and you shoot it after dark that's OK. If you do end up walking up on one in the middle of the day you better make sure it draws blood, or your cheque book is well stocked. As for who to inform, contact the nearest CO or RCMP detachment.

Hope this helps

Better yet, hopefully you never have to go through it.

[daycort]

I've been charged and chased off by quite a few bears. You kind of get a feel for if they are bluffing or not. Usually if they break that 30 ft mark without slowing, you're in for a rough time.8) Most of the time they are bluffing.

I won't shoot a bear unless it's absolutely necessary. The way I see it is that I'm on their turf and it's my job to avoid any trouble (it always seems to find me though):wink:


Okay, I am sure this is just about everybodies thought. But what do you do when the rifle shot is the dinner bell? What would you do when there is three mature grizz breathing down your back when you are elbow deep in the elk and you know there are bears coming to the dinner bell. What happens is your buddy is standing guard and he is more then likely scared because he knows the situation, anything he sees that shows up and is brown is having led pitched at him outside your 30 ft mark. Thoughs who just go out into the bush just during hunting season is definetly unaware of are bear problem in the north country. If you see one in two weeks you are lucky. Try living over half of the year looking over your shoulder trying to work and there is people out there that pack rifles and don't hunt and just shoot for there protection that do not report it. I honestly think they save there own life and are just scared because they don't want to report the killin because they don't want the inheritted rifle from there grandpa to get taken away. Honestly take a gut check and think what you would do in this situation. Still doesn't change that it is poaching and I would report it myself all I am saying is lots happens in the bush that we as hunters don't know about.

[Walksalot]

Letting a grizzly claim a fresh hunter killed carcass is a stupid idea, IMO. Obviously from a legal stand point it is the thing to do, but it totally goes against common sense and creates a more dangerous bear for the next hunter(s) that come into the area.RO

There is no way to prevent this. I is a conditioned response to a noise stimulation. They get conditioned to associate the sound of a rifle shot with a free meal and in reality they are just doing their job. They are omnivorous, opportunistic, predators and scavengers which preform an important roll in the grand scheme of things. Remember, we are going into their back yard, we are the intruders.

[elkguide]

this is one of The touchest subjects for an ethical hunter, Why most people think the Conservation Officers frown on self Defense is beyond me. In the years I have spent in the bush guiding, we have had to shoot in self-defense 4 times. ( once a 3 year old tried comin in our front door window at 3 in the mornin....but thats another subject entirely). The conservation office has not hassled or ever called again....one bear we shot at our main lodge had busted into the lodge in the spring when no-one was there and trashed the place and decided in the fall to come back for seconds......we phone the C/O's office and they asked us to skin it for them and they would fly in to obtain the hide and observe the carcass.....when we said they should come do it as we had cleints in camp they decided it wasn't all that high of a priority. If you have to protect yourself then you have to......no-one is gonna throw the spanish inquisition at you. There are C/o's out there that have had do the same.....They most times understand. The threee H rule is part of why non hunters look at us a barbaric and such.....At a time when hunters and the sport of hunting is on a decline we need to start changing the way we do things.

[Fisher-Dude]

The best advice I got from a CO was "Every situation is different. Just don't shoot it in the ass."

I've never had to shoot a grizzly, despite being tracked by a predatory sow and cub who came in to within 30 feet of us when we were calling elk. The cub almost knocked us over running past us. The sow turned and hit the bush. Close, and scarey. We stood our ground and she backed off.

My hunting partner sailed a bullet over a large boar at 15 feet one time. It wasn't charging, but was coming in to see what he was. The bear then ran right past me in the thick stuff, getting away from that big bang.

I have a grizzly encounter (or 2 or 3) most years when I'm elk hunting. I accept it as part of the hunt, as there is a large population of grizzlies where I hunt elk. Stay aware, and pack bear spray in case you are in a "fist fight" with the bear, at which point your rifle will likely be useless. Gary Shelton has written that bear spray is the most effective deterrent at close ranges. Be cautious when dressing an animal, keep your guns loaded with one in the tube, and your bear spray ready. If a partner can watch the perimeter, even better. If possible, drag your game into an opening before you start to clean it (moose and elk...oh well...use the quad? ;) ) so that you have better vision for approaching bears.

If you ever do have to shoot a bear, report it. As Dana said, if you shoot shovel shut-up, you are a poacher.

ps - I remember Alan Frisby checking us fishing on Oyama Lake. Damn I'm old!

[kgriz]

I just joined yesterday and the first comment I read is something I have a lot of experience in.
I have shot 2 grizzlies and a couple of black bears in the past 15 years as a forester in self defense and the main thing that I have noticed is that it makes a BIG difference of what region you are in for how you are dealt with. I reported a griz in Ft.St. John that was a problem in camp and we shot and the CO's there were mostly concerned with our safety because the bear ran off ( soon to be dead I'm sure ) and were wondering if we wanted them to come in a helicopter and find it for our peace of mind. In Prince George however, I had to shoot a sow that was chasing my partner. This bear also ran into the bush and we didn't go double check on its condition because my partner was very traumatised and I took him to the truck. The regs were clear back then that you only had to report the incident if you KILLED the bear. Since we weren't sure if I killed it I didn't bother to report it as it would just be a big hassle right in the middle of our work shift and cost us a lot of time and money. As it turns out, a person I told the story got drunk at a party and shot off his big mouth about multiple dead bears etc. and it wasn't long before my partner got a call about it. The story didn't even have the shooter right! We both went in and they questionned us both for about 3-4 hrs each. They kept calling me a liar and that our stories were too close. As it had turned out I wanted to meet my friend before the meeting to talk about our statements and he thought I was being silly and we didn't, we were just telling the truth about what happenned and so it was the same story. This CO went on with the bright lights, good cop bad cop crap like he was Grisham from CSI until I finally told him that I had told my story and was leaving unless he charged me and walked out. Coincidentally, the next year the regs stated that you must report one that you kill or wound.
Two very different stories. Oh and as a side note the PG CO's have also put out a bunch of articles in the local paper about trying the fine people under the new wildlife act regs pertaining to attracting bears with your garbage etc; obviously somebody has a personal agenda in that office.
The next year I phoned in a black bear shooting and they didn't even return my call so who knows.

The moral of the story is DO NOT shoot, shovel and shutup as I have yet to know a person who can truly shutup about a good story ( hence this website exists!) and you will inadvertantly tell your wife or girlfriend who will subsequently tell their friend etc. and sooner or later it will come back to haunt you; simply phone it into the CO office, I would just recommend not the PG office. If it happens near PG ask for Doug specifically in Vanderhoof as he is a very reasonable person.

[hotload]

Read the regs. Or in layman terms IF IT WANTS YER MEAT IT GETS YER MEAT. It aint that hard to tell the intentions of a GRIZZLY. Some are just nosy, some are protecting young by keeping you just back and some will just bluff charge you. Time in the bush tells you the difference. If it was a real rogue grizzily, haha, you'll know the difference.