Hey there,

Going elk hunting in Colorado first rifle season. We have been getting geared up and learning alot for the past few months about elk hunting as neither my brother nor I have been before. Now we're getting into bear defense. We're going on a drop camp trip and the outfitter says there are no grizzlies in his unit. i know there are some in the general area so I can't figure why there would not be any in this particular unit. It's no secret, it's unit 54. We both plan to carry sidearms and bear spray, any help on this would be greatly appreciated. My wife will kill me if I come back dead!

Doubt you will see a Griz in Colorado. Blacks are a possibility....I've had several sightings over the years.Most of them have read the book and will leave people alone. Just don't get between mom and a cub. I'm sure you will have no problems.
Dan

There has been no actual physical proof of a grizzly in colorado since 1979. Black bears will not bother you unless you do something to entice that situation. Most will run once they see or smell you.

No Grizz in Colorado.

Black bears will run from you unless you get between a sow and cub.

They will raid your camp though, so be prepared.

As stated, there are no grizzly in Colorado, so I don't know who is feeding you that BS. Also as stated, black bears should not be a problem in the field. Only thing you need to worry about is camp if bears are not finding enough food in the wild. I hunt almost every year where the bears are pretty thick and have never had an encounter that was threatening. Most people do not even see a bear when hunting in Colorado.

My wife and I encountered a black bear on a hike last summer. He was feeding about 150 yards in front of us but never saw us. We took pictures of him as he feed. I told my wife, watch this because he was feeding in the direction that eventually took him directly downwind of us. When he hit that scent stream, he threw his head up, gave a quick look in our direction, then swapped ends and hightailed it out of there.

Very rare to have problems with Colorado bears in the wild. Most encounters are in campgrounds when food is scarce.

NEVER store any food in your tent.

When elk hunting colorado bears aren't even on the top ten of my concerns. Id be more concerned with getting lost or injured from falls. Weather is always a possible problem. But hey what would I know...I only spend most every weekend in the mountains here.

Other than living in the Rockies. I hike/scout 330 days a year here. I hardly ever see a bear, and when I do, it's way off in the distance going 100 mph in the other direction.

Honestly bears will not be a problem. You won't see a grizzly. If you get LUCKY enough to see a black bear, enjoy it. If you surprise a blackie make some noise and he'll be gone (or even straight up a tree). Enjoy your hunt, and enjoy seeing some bears if you get the chance!
-Jake

Might as well wear a helmet and body armor...and sleep in the truck...with the windows rolled up.

You're way more likely to get injured or killed by one of your outfitter's horses, than by a bear in Colorado. I suggest for safety sake that you hose his whole pack string down with a can of UDAP before you head up country...just to establish dominance. You can never be too careful around a strange horse.

OK so I maybe I need re-think the bear defense plan. I had been told there were grizzlies there and having never been there I was not sure what to expect. All you guys say there's none there, my outfitter says there's none and after I posted I read up on it on the internet for a few hours and everything I read there says there is none or at the most, maybe a few left in the San Juans from the much earlier population. There have been some sightings reported but nothing confirmed since the attack in '79. I feel alot better now, but I'll probably still pack the sidearm and leave the bear spray in the store. Thanks for the info.