Contributors to this thread:
I have hunted in 62 for elk twice but it has been around 10 years. We just got back from the area around Buffalo Bill Reservoir and there were a lot of bears. We saw 4 or 5 but likely the same bear several times. We found fresh tracks literally everywhere we went. Droppings everywhere too. I am not a biologist but it sure as heck looks like more then enough bears to hunt.
I know you guys know this already I was jsut throwing in my observations after having hunted many areas with griz including AK. We never hiked a mile without finding fresh sign. We covered 5-10 miles a day for a week in 4 different areas.
Don, hope you guys had a good hunt. I just came to town overnight and am headed back up in a few minutes. I had a 10 yard encounter while stalking a bull on the 5th. If he had come at me, I don't know if I would have had my pistol (or spray) out in time. He woofed, and crashed branches as he thankfully went the other way. Freakin griz are fast.
Most we saw last year in that area was 5... Saw 4 in another area at one time.
Bounced a sow with cubs at under 20 yards in the timber. Thank God she decided to go the other way!
More than enough bears there...
We hunted Turkey up there this spring until the bears came out. in one weekend we saw 8 different bears. There is definitely too many bears...
Everywhere between Cody and Dubois, there are so many grizz.
A hunter was just attacked by Big Sky too.
Big Sky, MT......getting pretty bad over here in MT too.
We had a grizzly come to 20 yards from my buddys on top the beartooths the 5th. I lost my wind checker, put my pistol in my pocket and went backtracking our route to look for it. I never heard or saw a thing as I had my head down looking in the tundra for the stupid thing.
I get back to those guys with no luck finding it and their eyes are about as big as softballs and pistol drawn. 'Dude thanks for sending the griz after us' is the first words out of their mouth. I'm like, 'what, I didn't see or hear a thing'. The bear turned as it ran past at 20 when Ken drew his pistol. He said he'd barely have gotten it up if the bear had been after him.
Surprisingly though, we've seen only that one and very few tracks and scat up high thankfully. Definitely have the electric fence up even when bivy hunting way out there. Not sure how much good it will do, but hoping it lights them up enough to make some noise to alert us. So far no bears in or near any of our camps in about 18 nights we've spent out so far this summer and the first week of the season.
Keep em locked and loaded boys and girls these things aren't going away any time soon.
Cheers, Pete
You guys are NUTS!!! No way in heck I'd hunt with them damn things around... Heck, I'm scared right now, sitting in my office in Kansas... geez
I have to admit I slept spooning a shotgun after seeing them the first couple days. Best part was sitting trails leading into farm feilds for elk - griz used same trails every day, tracks often on top of ours frm that morning. Sneaking in going up a trail at the same time you know griz are coming down.............. I was on red alert.
NOPE! ..... NADA! ....... AINT GONNA HAPP'N! .... NO FLIPP'N WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s yer griz, Pilgrim! Skin that’n wilst I go git ya another’n!
Hahaha! Woooop!
