Do you hunt deer, elk or moose in grizzly country?

Some advice from someone who has been there and done that.

1. Don't hunt alone, even for a short stalk.

2. Do NOT use a typical 3x9 scope in grizzly/brown bear country. Use a 1x5 scope and keep it at 1x until you need to take a long shot. After the shot, immediately dial it back down to 1x.

3. Don't bother with a handgun. Are you going to throw your rifle down and draw a handgun if a bear rushes you?

4. Be prepared to deal with your deer/elk/moose kill right now. If you must leave the kill site, somebody needs to stay and guard the meat. Bears normally won't "claim" a kill when people are present, but they will almost always protect a kill that they find when people are absent. And yes, bears are attracted by gun shots. They've learned that gun shots mean gut piles.

5. Don't be prepared for the Hollywood bear attack, be prepared for the actual attack. By this I mean that grizzly/browns are ambush predators. They don't stand on their hind legs and roar at you then slowly lumber your way. That's not how it happens. They don't give you any warning at all. They are ambush predators who run at 40 mph (yes, that's a fact!). The only warning you'll have is (perhaps) the sound of breaking brush from 20 or 25 yards away. They'll cover that ground in a second or two at most.

Bears that puff up and "chuff" at you are doing the "threat display". These almost never result in an attack. It's just a territorial thing - you're too close. Back away.

Any questions?