Another grizzly survivor
General Topic
The other thread got me to searching.
I had to reclaim my elk from a grizzly a couple years ago. I shot the bull right at dark and a buddy and I hanged the hind quarters in a tree and laid the front shoulders and a bag of trim on a log beside the carcass. When we got back in to pack out the meat, a grizzly had placed the front shoulders and bag of meat on the carcass and covered the whole thing with snow. He must have heard us coming and moved off because he wasn't there when we got to the meat. We were able to salvage nearly all the meat, but it was pretty tense. My buddy, Travis was on guard with two cans of bear spray while I loaded up our sleds and packs. We passed it off as a cool and rather exciting non-encounter. Looking back, the two grizzly maulings this fall in that exact same drainage makes me realize we were pretty stupid and got really lucky.
Must admit, stories like this are what keep me out of Montana and Wyoming.
Skin that one pilgrim and I’ll find ya another.
I guess that was fictional huh?
Gerald what would you do if you had it to do again? I never hear much about the griz up in the Cabinets.
What about packing in a shotgun or rifle when you go back for meat? Seems like the best option if you’re making a meat run only.
A friend killed an elk a few years ago and left it briefly to get a friend with horses. Upon returning only three hours later they found a big pile of branches and dirt where his bull had been. They hauled ass and never looked back.
if you are interested. Google, List of fatal bear attacks in North America. Interesting read. Listed who, when, where and maybe, why.
Gerald. A couple of years ago, we returned near a kill site where we had packed the quarters a couple of hundred yards away. One bag of meat was missing and we found it buried with the carcass. That stupid bear had even gathered up the lower legs we'd tossed all over and put them in his pile as well. I'd never had one do that before. He returned when we were just a little ways off and he was content with his pile and paid us no attention.
The number of attacks this fall was insane. Rarely a week went by without a report of a grizzly attacking a hunter or hiker. The bear population is exploding and they have absolutely no fear.
"Gerald what would you do if you had it to do again? I never hear much about the griz up in the Cabinets."
Joe, I don't know for sure. I think I would have had my rifle along at any rate. :) We were in meat packing mode, tagged out and feeling like the extra 10 lbs of rifle was unnecessary. I have to say that having hunted in grizzly country for the past 15 years, I've gotten to the point where I'm not paranoid about them. Certainly respectful, but not as scared of grizzlies as random idiots on city streets. It might lead to a bit more complacency than is wise.
Griz attacks up here in the Cabinets are not nearly as common as @ Yellowstone. I think it has to do more with vegetation and huckleberries being their primary food sources in the fall fattening up time rather than hunter killed elk gut piles and carcasses like @ Yellowstone. They don't seem to be as aggressive as a whole. Not to say they aren't dangerous but you don't hear of as many encounters. There are also less grizzlies in the Cabinets and for the most part the highest densities of bears are in the wilderness while the highest densities of hunters are on the fringes of the wilderness.
This encounter was on a hunt @ Yellowstone. Turns out, in Sept. there were over 12 grizzlies on the ranch next door to where we were hunting in Nov. It was late in rifle season and most of the bears were already denned for the winter, but apparently this big guy was still on the hunt. I'm just grateful he was well mannered and not grumpy. :)
Ron, your story reminds me of this bear. He only ate about five pounds of meat off the inside of one shoulder and then ate all the neck meat out of the trim bag. Didn't touch the backstraps or tenderloin beside the neck meat. He got a full belly and I didn't get mauled or have to pack out the neck meat. We were all winners!
Bear numbers outside the park have been insane lately. We went up to glass elk a couple times last year and had multiple nights where we glassed up 6 or more Grizzly in one drainage. Lots of times down low in ag fields.
