Todays Grizzly "HELP"

[srupp]

Well one never knows what each and every day will bring...lol recieved a "excited " phone call from 2 of the lucky LEH hunters who have a tag for Cariboo Mts..

Seems the guys managed to see some bears last evening...and even managed to throw some lead "in the direction of the beast"...

Well so far all is well...except said bear DID make it into the THICK STUFFFFFFFFFF....and thats where they stopped..and went back to the tent to sleep..and early this AM a ph call to me for advice...now what???lol

I will repeat...throwing lead at grizzly bears at last legal light, at stretched out distances...yes I think 250 yards is way to far..IMHO...and being sure they are hit ....taking out the shoulder..not just "hitting the animal"...somewhere....at least they were using solidly constructed premium bullets from a suitable cailber..300 win mag...

I understand buck fever and bear fever..just a friendly reminder..:-D

I have already loaned out my revovery aid..aka infrared heat detector..however with no "heat signature" it wouldnt work..unless said bear is still alive and producing heat..

Lets be careful out there....

cheers
Steven

[guest]

Next up ...... Global News at 6.

2 Grizzly Bear Hunters have been found 1/2 devoured by BIG G Bear.

Rather humorous that they are calling for advice after doing a stupid thing and shooting just before dark. Maybe those type shouldn't be doing what there doing to start with if they need to call ....... "NOW WHAT DO WE DO ? "

Duh ??

Kind of late now.

CT

[srupp]

I did that "post" tongue firmly planted in cheek...I always give solid?? advice on shoot tips when discussing bear areas..I have always maintained that ANCHORING a bear in the open is the only way to go..on this there is no confusion..the guys were understandably anxious and not wanting to add to their "days planned events "

So 101 on tracking and finding wounded bears was done..

Curly Top ...they and I did laugh a couple times but yes they were very hmmmmm TENSE...only so much you can do..

I remember being WITH a guy who shot when I said HOLD IT..ie dont shoot..and then I crawled through HELL water to my chest, under roots and blow downs through thickets clenching the defender ready for war....I believe it was almost 8 full hours..no bear...

Later i asked him just what the HELL he was shooting....now we are talking coastal grizzly..he was shooting ..ready .270 with 150 grains...sheesh he had said before the hunt 300 wm.....bear could have died in Sask. ..

$HIT happens..hope it goes well...

steven

[835]

so ya got'er?

[Caribou_lou]

I agree, 250 yards on a big bear is not the best choice. Try to close the distance, make a solid shot and the tracking job shouldn't be too hard. If there is one.

Hope they find him.

[elkdom]

Next up ...... Global News at 6.

2 Grizzly Bear Hunters have been found 1/2 devoured by BIG G Bear.

Rather humorous that they are calling for advice after doing a stupid thing and shooting just before dark. Maybe those type shouldn't be doing what there doing to start with if they need to call ....... "NOW WHAT DO WE DO ? "

Duh ??

Kind of late now.

CT
with any "luck" they have a lap-top computer ,,,,so when the PISSED off Grizzly gets finnished chewing on their sorry A$$ESS,,,:?

they can immediately place the MAULING on U-TUBE for my enjoyment! :wink:

[BearStump]

Rather humorous that they are calling for advice after doing a stupid thing and shooting just before dark. Maybe those type shouldn't be doing what there doing to start with if they need to call ....... "NOW WHAT DO WE DO ? "

Duh ??

Kind of late now.

CT

Oh boy! we have mr. perfection here. I suppose you learned everything there was to know about hunting Bears, Deer, Moose, Elk, etc. etc. before you set foot in the woods eh!
I know that this is how I learned my lesson about anchoring a bear with the first shot in the open.
I shot one in the typical "heart lung" target, then I was burdened with the 20 minute, scary as hell, blood tracking in the thick stuff. when you're not sure weather its safer to creep along with the safety on, or off.

Hope those boys find thier bear. I'm sure they're on edge, and hope they're safe.

[guest]

Bear Stump,

Think about it, obviously their first G bear, late evening shot, 250 yards, now what do we do.

Sounds like you should have been with them. Your well seasoned by the sounds of things now.

SRupp helps a ton of people, these guys consulted in him ...... that said I can guarantee you he advised stay away from last light shots, long shots etc.

That said rather humorous "now what do we do " what do you think .......
you shot it, now finish it, their the one's who took on a G bear........ get er done .... yes rather humorous.

Get over it Bear Stump, wah !

I am no expert but am smart enough to not try to hammer one before last light and not make sure it's been hit well, near cover. Rather humorous.
Now what do we do ???



CT

[srupp]

Posted so we could all learn..not fight..I in fact have shot bears in the evening..not many grizzlies as most my G bears are morning events..

However one of the TOP grizzlies ever shot in this province was in fact shot in the afternoon...and yes I agreed with the shot..mostly because I felt we had enough experience to get er done safetly...the bear was a mere 12 feet from the thick wet coast forest I mean deep dark black thick...you know...

We got close enough..really close.., we were in fact well equipped with firepower..and the bears front leg was cleanly taken out..bear never did make it that 12 feet..however he did try..

I do add to all those I "help" about distances, where and when and how..the shooting..

The last thing I want or need is to try and help someone and have them get hurt, injured or killed....not into any of that...02c....last light shots @ questionable distances are to be avoided completely... and that includes 250 yard shots...my "guidance" has always been more than 80 yards..and less than 150 yards....I cant be there..though I would like to...and can only do so much...

I agree I hope it works out well..and ends well SAFETLY..3 more sets of hunters out this coming week..and 3 sets coming home this weekend...busy time of year...

Steven

[sawmill]

I have followed up 3 that were well hit but they are tough *******s and can go a long way before they die.One was like Srupps,bailed over a steep bank into a shit hole of blow down,I was walking on a tangle of crap 6 to 8 feet off the ground to find him.Another one ran into a rats nest of Hazelnut bushes and Devils Club,he fishooked back and died 4 feet from where I just walked past him(waited 30 minutes before I went in Thank God)The 3`rd grizz jumped up 15 feet in front of us after a 30 minute wait and a 30 minute blood track.He headed down hill instead of up at us and I dropped him with a spine shot.All 3 were hit through the boiler room and were dead on their feet but just didn`t know it.

[BlacktailStalker]

Well one never knows what each and every day will bring...lol recieved a "excited " phone call from 2 of the lucky LEH hunters who have a tag for Cariboo Mts..

Seems the guys managed to see some bears last evening...and even managed to throw some lead "in the direction of the beast"...

Well so far all is well...except said bear DID make it into the THICK STUFFFFFFFFFF....and thats where they stopped..and went back to the tent to sleep..and early this AM a ph call to me for advice...now what???lol

I will repeat...throwing lead at grizzly bears at last legal light, at stretched out distances...yes I think 250 yards is way to far..IMHO...and being sure they are hit ....taking out the shoulder..not just "hitting the animal"...somewhere....at least they were using solidly constructed premium bullets from a suitable cailber..300 win mag...

I understand buck fever and bear fever..just a friendly reminder..:-D

I have already loaned out my revovery aid..aka infrared heat detector..however with no "heat signature" it wouldnt work..unless said bear is still alive and producing heat..

Lets be careful out there....

cheers
Steven

People that need to phone to ask what to do the next day after putting holes in an animal 12 hours earlier shouldnt be hunting.
Obviously these people took the CORE and in that CORE they learned that every possible attempt to retrieve/finish a wounded or downed animal is the law, so really, there is no defense as to why they needed to ask what to do.
I'm not picking on anybody here but come on guys :roll:

[BromBones]

Obviously the guys took a gamble, though the odds aren't in their favour.

They did the right thing though, by waiting until the following morning light. Had they trailed it in the dark, srupp may have been posting a different outcome. Hopefully the bear is down somewhere, and they can find it before the hair starts to slip.

Definitely a good reminder to wait for a good shot opportunity. We've passed up shots on some big bears in the past, and though it's not a nice sight seeing an 8 ft grizzly walk away, that's just the way it goes sometimes.

[4 point]

270 @ 250 YARDS AT LAST LIGHT JUST PLAIN STUPID. Hope they find him but they probably will not even if they hit him.

[Nimrod]

270 @ 250 YARDS AT LAST LIGHT JUST PLAIN STUPID. Hope they find him but they probably will not even if they hit him.

And the story morphs.

[Jagermeister]

People that need to phone to ask what to do the next day after putting holes in an animal 12 hours earlier shouldnt be hunting.
Obviously these people took the CORE and in that CORE they learned that every possible attempt to retrieve/finish a wounded or downed animal is the law, so really, there is no defense as to why they needed to ask what to do.
I'm not picking on anybody here but come on guys :roll:I totally agree with the first statement. Incompetent psuedo hunters.:evil:

[mark]

270 @ 250 YARDS AT LAST LIGHT JUST PLAIN STUPID. Hope they find him but they probably will not even if they hit him.

Where the heck did you get .270 from???? Did you even read the first post??? :confused:

If they have to ask what to do, im guessing they're rookies, my money says they dont find it! :icon_frow

[boxhitch]

Sounds like these guys got what they deserved that night.
Hope the retrieval goes well and all is good.

[boxhitch]

I totally agree with the first statement. Incompetent psuedo hunters.:evil:Sometimes things just can't be learned without first hand experience. And then it can also take more than one experience. It takes all kinds.
Better get off it if you guys think anyone has to match up to someone elses standards to become real.
They are out there hunting, thats all that counts.

[BlacktailStalker]

There are no requirements of certain standards to be met here, just stating the obvious.
All thats required to hunt is a CORE, PAL, common sense and hopefully a bit of respect for your quarry.
Last light is prime time for hunting obviously, that has nothing to do with the fact they didnt know what to do after they shot a game animal.
Hopefully they find the bear.

[srupp]

We all have done things hunting we would liken to reverse..me more than anyone..I still make mistakes hopefully less today then 30 years ago when I took up this sport..

The .270 was NOT these guys but a previous hunt years ago in Kwatna..

these guys are using 300 WIN MAGS..good bullets..and YES rookies..we all had to shoot our first deer ...moose... G bear..a lot dont have the intestinal fortitude or desire to do this type of hunt..

They did say they tried..and wanted some more options, ideas...trailing G bears is a bit different than deer..both react differently...and as has been noted beaars do play a crazy Ivan and hook back onto their trails...I have a special way of going in after bears...to make it the safest way possible..

I AGREE with not going in at dusk with complete darkness coming on..let the bear feel the effects of shock due to tissue destruction , blood loss and resulting respitory distress...will slow anything down..in time..all depends where it was hit....

Also new light in am makes subtle signs and blood easier to spot and drag marks, prints....last will and testement scratched in a tree...and the light only gets better for many hours not worse fast in evening..

We must not be too hard..no one is feeling it more than those that make the mistake...and those that never have..your up NEXT to comment...in a negative manner.....


srr

[Ambush]

Eager, excited people can make foolish desicions. Hunters included. Anybody that claims they haven't is either a saint or a liar.

I don't know the guys, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they have a happy conclusion.

They'll be smarter next time.

[Big Lew]

We all have done things hunting we would liken to reverse..me more than anyone..I still make mistakes hopefully less today then 30 years ago when I took up this sport..

The .270 was NOT these guys but a previous hunt years ago in Kwatna..

these guys are using 300 WIN MAGS..good bullets..and YES rookies..we all had to shoot our first deer ...moose... G bear..a lot dont have the intestinal fortitude or desire to do this type of hunt..

They did say they tried..and wanted some more options, ideas...trailing G bears is a bit different than deer..both react differently...and as has been noted beaars do play a crazy Ivan and hook back onto their trails...I have a special way of going in after bears...to make it the safest way possible..

I AGREE with not going in at dusk with complete darkness coming on..let the bear feel the effects of shock due to tissue destruction , blood loss and resulting respitory distress...will slow anything down..in time..all depends where it was hit....

Also new light in am makes subtle signs and blood easier to spot and drag marks, prints....last will and testement scratched in a tree...and the light only gets better for many hours not worse fast in evening..

We must not be too hard..no one is feeling it more than those that make the mistake...and those that never have..your up NEXT to comment...in a negative manner.....


srr
It's very obvious that you, "srupp" have gained a tremendous wealth of knowledge over your 30 years of hunting/guiding, but I'll bet your "good common sense" has always been there. I especially agree with your last sentence.....somewhat like, "walk a mile in my shoes" Hope you never give up offering help and advice.

[Bear Chaser]

We all have done things hunting we would liken to reverse..me more than anyone..I still make mistakes hopefully less today then 30 years ago when I took up this sport..

The .270 was NOT these guys but a previous hunt years ago in Kwatna..

these guys are using 300 WIN MAGS..good bullets..and YES rookies..we all had to shoot our first deer ...moose... G bear..a lot dont have the intestinal fortitude or desire to do this type of hunt..

They did say they tried..and wanted some more options, ideas...trailing G bears is a bit different than deer..both react differently...and as has been noted beaars do play a crazy Ivan and hook back onto their trails...I have a special way of going in after bears...to make it the safest way possible..

I AGREE with not going in at dusk with complete darkness coming on..let the bear feel the effects of shock due to tissue destruction , blood loss and resulting respitory distress...will slow anything down..in time..all depends where it was hit....

Also new light in am makes subtle signs and blood easier to spot and drag marks, prints....last will and testement scratched in a tree...and the light only gets better for many hours not worse fast in evening..

We must not be too hard..no one is feeling it more than those that make the mistake...and those that never have..your up NEXT to comment...in a negative manner.....


srr

Good post.
We all have made & continue to make mistakes. It's pretty easy to sit at home and point fingers and accuse others of being bad hunters, disrespectful, etc. The fact is anybody who hasn't lost an animal is either lying or hasn't got the experience in the field to have the odds catch up with him.
Fortunately for most of us a wounded bear isn't something we have to deal with regularly. I do not envy these guys and the position they are in. Hopefully it will lead to better choices in the future.

[ryanb]

If you're not willing to follow up on a wounded Grizzly bear, you shouldn't be hunting them. Sure it's safer to say screw it, I'm going home, but if that's what you're going to do, you shouldn't be there in the first place.

[.330 Dakota]

You can never just say "screw it" and go home. What if some unsuspecting hunter gets ambushed by a wounded griz...hardly fair

[BigBanger]

Eager, excited people can make foolish desicions. Hunters included. Anybody that claims they haven't is either a saint or a liar.

I don't know the guys, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they have a happy conclusion.

They'll be smarter next time.


Amen Brotha!

[hunter1947]

I would think that they should let the CO know about this wounded Grizz maybe they could help or know someone that might help out tracking this bear with some hounds ??? and who knows maybe this bear is dead by now ??? ,it would be nice to know what the out come is ???...

A hunter hunting a grizz should never shoot at a bear just before dark and at this distence ,never..

[BiG Boar]

It saddens me to think of a lost dead bear. However until you have hunted your first bears some hunters dont realize that they are going in over thier heads. I know a guy who shot at a black bear last week who was too afraid to go in to the woods after it ran off and check for blood. This does happen, some people are just more afraid than others. People like this shouldnt be hunting bears. But at least they did the right thing by calling and asking for advice rather than just leaving it for dead. I comend them for being man enough to ask for help. Hopefully they find it.

[Kudu]

We all have done things hunting we would liken to reverse..me more than anyone..I still make mistakes hopefully less today then 30 years ago when I took up this sport..



these guys are using 300 WIN MAGS..good bullets..and YES rookies..

We must not be too hard..no one is feeling it more than those that make the mistake...and those that never have..

your up NEXT to comment...in a negative manner.....


srr


Hmmmm.

They are not the first, and certainly will not be the last expecting the mighty 300 win mag to drop anything out at distance - you see, its the Magnum thing!

One of the biggest mistakes most hunters make, (be it that they are rookies or not) is take that long shot at last light, hoping like hell - that the magic Magnum will knock everything down in its path.

Bow hunting has made me a better hunter, as far as I'm concerned anything out over 250 yards is no longer hunting, it's snipping.

These guy's would have learned possibly the most valuable lesson in their hunting careers, never squeeze the shot off, unless you are 100% sure that you have taken every eventuality into consideration, especially when hunting things that will eat you - if you screw up!

..

[Gateholio]

A 300 Winchester with a 180grain bullet at 250 yards is about the same as a .308 with a 180gr bullet at 150 yards.

Just in case anyone was wondering...

[srupp]

good info Gate..I didnt know that..eye opening..others in the general area are aware..as is the guide...

srr

[Trapper]

I think some of you guys are being a little hard on this hunters.Yes they are rookies and made a bad choice,but what they did do right was wait until morn to search for the bear and phoned a expert (srupp) and asked him what the next best step to take.Who knows maybe they recovered the bear.

[GoatGuy]

Think this is being blown out of proportion.

Unless they had a rangefinder my guess is the bear was closer to 100 yards than 200 or even 250. Most hunters are terrible judges of distance. If you're a good shot 250 yards is not 'out there' (I'm not :mrgreen:). Seen .270s kill g bears at 200 yards, there's plenty of energy when you consider even a pea shooter like a 30-30 will kill a grizzly bar.:wink: Never mind a .300.

Also, there's nothing smart about going in to the bush after a g bar or any bear with failing light. Plenty of times bears have been dropped before last light. Start tracking and if they aren't hit hard you wait 'em out and come back first thing the next morning - that is the smart and safe thing to do. There's no sense in pushing a bear that isn't hit well only to run out of light. There are far fewer nightmares when you find the bear dead in the morning as opposed to having it chase you around while reenacting a gunfight at the OK corral on the side of a mountain.

If it didn't rain and it was a good hit the bear will be dead and all will be well.

Calling srupp for help was SMART.


Remember folks, hunting is learned.

[boxhitch]

A 300 Winchester with a 180grain bullet at 250 yards is about the same as a .308 with a 180gr bullet at 150 yards.
Showing it is adequate for the shot, when all things fall correctly.

[proguide66]

A 300 Winchester with a 180grain bullet at 250 yards is about the same as a .308 with a 180gr bullet at 150 yards.

Just in case anyone was wondering...


first grizzly I killed for me ( after guiding a good handfull) was an 8'8" monster with a 24 1/2" skull. I was alone with my horse was last light and he was digging at 250 plus....shot him with a ruger#1 in 300 WM with 180's. first one went through the goods and smacked the dirt bank on the other side of him...he looked at where the dirt blew up and didnt show a sign of being hit...second one was maybe 4" from the first shot and hit some rib , he went nuts started running downhill to my right...held on his nose,broke the right shoulder..he rolled and kept running...4th shot held on nose and broke his neck...didnt even walk up to him...'everything' was 'puckered up tight' on me and I had an hrs ride in the drk alone...came back at first light and finnished up.....so...he did go close to 200 yrds with two holes through his lungs...but he died!! ( my next one was at 50 yrds with the same gun..one shot)...
Hope they had the nuts to go in after him....the gun woulda done it's job.

[srupp]

Hmmm I have seen bears do everything and anything but surprise me...and like I said I have done some incredibly dumb things...

Grizzlies are must haves at any cost for some ..and the first one..well shit happens..they did do some things right.....whole idea of posting was to be careful out there...

I did have a long long chat with the "lady" herself, the longest registered guide in BC..that includes grizzlies in this area Ghost Lake....yes sireee Bob..quite the chat..

srr

[Gateholio]

Showing it is adequate for the shot, when all things fall correctly.

Yup, but people do tend to think of the 2 cartridges as vastly different, when they are really only different by 100 yards.:wink:

[Muledeerjohn]

Very informative. And hopefully the guys get that bear brought in!

[Springer]

Wow , what adrenaline rush hey !! First even having the opportunity to Hunt a Grizzly , BC people are blessed. Living in AB its not something I will ever be able to do, unless i hire an Outfitter and come to hunt in BC.

Sure hoping to see some photos out of this though. Steve has always told me on our many talks about His past Bear kills is " Take out the front Shoulder's" If the front end doesn't work he is not going anywhere. As a rookie to it I would have thought Heart/lungs first shot.

Steve has helped many a Bear hunter and , man i hope the guys heed the advice , because if someone got some Bear scratches & Bites I am sure it would be tough for him to continue.

Play safe Bear hunters , looking forward to more Bear stories on HBC.

Cheers

[J_T]

I would agree with Goat Guy here. (amazing eh?) Srupp posted this as good information. And it is. But let's not jump to to many assumptions here. A couple of guys, out having a soul cleansing experience. That describes why I hunt and many of us on here hunt. Things don't always go as planned. We make decisions along the way and hopefully it leads to a successful conclusion.

For those who admonish the inability to drop it in its tracks, perhaps you want to try bowhunting for any bear. Almost always in bowhunting, there is movement after the shot and tracking is required.

[srupp]

I have been along on several large bear kills..black bear with bow and arrow..

And even offered to go along when a guy wanted to use his sliver slinging ability on his G bear..he watched a Cabelas video..and used a .338 win mag///I wasnt needed...:mrgreen:

srr

[guest]

Never did hear the out come, must not be good I would guess or we would have heard.
Crappy for these guys, lessons learned.
Still shocked though by the "what do we do now" comment though. Thank goodness they did wait till the next morning. But puzzled by their reaction.
The G bear aint nothin to mess with if you don't take all precautions and steps to be sure you do it right. Shooting late and a fare distance like that .......hum??
Not some thing to do on your first G bear.
Hope they are all OK and G Man Boo Boo too.

CT

[demlake]

Thanks for the thread, and the information.

As a new hunter, I'm not contemplating going after a grizzly any time soon, but this thread will stick with me.

I've made plenty of (non-hunting) mistakes. And often as not compounded them by not admitting I was in over my head and looking for help after the first screw-up.

I hope this worked out for those guys.

[elkdom]

Thanks for the thread, and the information.

As a new hunter, I'm not contemplating going after a grizzly any time soon, but this thread will stick with me.

I've made plenty of (non-hunting) mistakes. And often as not compounded them by not admitting I was in over my head and looking for help after the first screw-up.

I hope this worked out for those guys.



actually I hope it "worked out" for the Grizzly !:wink:,,,

,with any luck ?, the Grizz is healthy and not laying wounded or rotting undiscovered ,,,,

[srupp]

One of the last groups of guys are headed in on Monday..."to a very very very GREAT area"..I may throw the quad on the truck and do a quick trip back to the CARIBOO Mts..maybe even get Tim to join me...and have coffee with the last G bear hunters headed in...at their camp..and while there have a look at what may have happened on that hail grizzly shot..

Right on Doug hope it worked out for Mr G bear..and the hunters are safe also..

At least they were willing to ask someone for help and ideas...


cheers...

Steven...actually wanted to fly fish Forest more..hmmmm what to do get another black bear tag or go fishing...:confused: damn i wish the surgeon could make up his mind I need to get back to work both $$$$ wise, and for mental health..