Hunting in Grizzly Country
02-10-2012, 09:52 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kodiak, Alaska
Posts: 18
Hunting in Grizzly Country
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?
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?
02-10-2012, 10:20 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY: NYC to Watertown
Posts: 897
I don't hunt grizzly country,
But reminds me of an article I was reading
Person was attacked by a black bear at the time,
As they stated, if/when a bear is attacking, you generally have 3 seconds to react.
Their advice, pepper spray is more effective than your gun
Faster than drawing, releasing safety, aiming, firing a gun
Also most aren't carrying type of gun that will drop a large bear instantly.
But reminds me of an article I was reading
Person was attacked by a black bear at the time,
As they stated, if/when a bear is attacking, you generally have 3 seconds to react.
Their advice, pepper spray is more effective than your gun
Faster than drawing, releasing safety, aiming, firing a gun
Also most aren't carrying type of gun that will drop a large bear instantly.
02-10-2012, 10:42 AM
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kodiak, Alaska
Posts: 18
I've killed one bear in self-defense. I've backed down (or backed away from) probably a hundred grizzlies without having to shoot. There is one grizzly per square mile where I live and so I've lived and hunted around grizzlies for 25 years. I've been mauled by a grizzly. I literally have them in my yard every summer. I do know grizzlies.
02-10-2012, 10:50 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Grangeville Idaho
Posts: 138
I've heard the same thing terasec. I'm not positive about pepper spray being better than a rifle you are comfortable with though. Thats an awefully tough assumption to make considering theres no real hard evidence to either side of the arguement. My rifle gets my vote!
02-10-2012, 10:57 AM
#7
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kodiak, Alaska
Posts: 18
For defense, a shotgun is the best choice. But, this is a hunting forum and not many people are going to hunt deer (or whatever) in grizzly country with a shotgun.
The reason I like shotguns (for defense, not hunting) is that actual attacks happen lightning fast. Shotguns are designed for that type of shooting - point and shoot. I mean, if you can swing up a shotgun and kill a pheasant that rockets off at your feet, then you have a reasonable chance of swinging up a shotgun and delivering a slug to a bears face.
And forget all that business about "bullets bounce off a bears head". That's a myth. A bears brain is actually behind the nose and mouth. Grizzlies have a "forehead", but behind that forehead is nothing but a bony ridge which provides muscle attachments for the powerful jaws. The brain is actually behind the nose and mouth. A forehead shot will just make a grizzly angry, and that's where the myth originates.
The reason I like shotguns (for defense, not hunting) is that actual attacks happen lightning fast. Shotguns are designed for that type of shooting - point and shoot. I mean, if you can swing up a shotgun and kill a pheasant that rockets off at your feet, then you have a reasonable chance of swinging up a shotgun and delivering a slug to a bears face.
And forget all that business about "bullets bounce off a bears head". That's a myth. A bears brain is actually behind the nose and mouth. Grizzlies have a "forehead", but behind that forehead is nothing but a bony ridge which provides muscle attachments for the powerful jaws. The brain is actually behind the nose and mouth. A forehead shot will just make a grizzly angry, and that's where the myth originates.
02-10-2012, 11:04 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Montana
Posts: 750
An old timer here in Montana told me once that if you can, shoot for the shoulder because if you break it then you have time to get away. Not sure if that is just a wives tale or not. Thankfully I not come face to face with a grizzly, only mt. Lions.
02-10-2012, 11:04 AM
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kodiak, Alaska
Posts: 18
Pepper spray is great stuff for that bear that wanders into camp for your garbage, or that bear that puffs up with a threat display. You squirt them and they turn inside out to get away.
When a bear is ACTUALLY attacking, it's lightning fast. You aren't going to have time to pull out your pepper spray, pop off the safety cap and squirt it into his face.
You need to rely on what is in your hands. If you're hunting, that's a rifle. And that's why I recommend a low power variable. It will be at close range and if you have a 3x9 or 4x12 you will be absolutely blind at close range.
If you can't hit a deer with a 1x5, you shouldn't be hunting.
When a bear is ACTUALLY attacking, it's lightning fast. You aren't going to have time to pull out your pepper spray, pop off the safety cap and squirt it into his face.
You need to rely on what is in your hands. If you're hunting, that's a rifle. And that's why I recommend a low power variable. It will be at close range and if you have a 3x9 or 4x12 you will be absolutely blind at close range.
If you can't hit a deer with a 1x5, you shouldn't be hunting.