Grizzly Bear Locations – Hunter Safety – Be Prepared

November 1st, 2011

CWN

There are about 600 grizzlies in the Yellowstone area alone. Grizzly bears live, hunt and forage in a radius of about 500 miles, which includes parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

When ever hunting or visiting the state of Wyoming, Montana or Idaho you need to keep in mind that this is grizzly country. In the past several months grizzly bears have been exceedingly active in the area. This past summer alone, there were 2 deaths in Yellowstone National Park due to Grizzly encounters. These deaths were that of hikers who were hiking in Yellowstone Park. These hikers were not carrying bear spray.

Grizzly bears are wondering just outside of town too.

On two separate occasions, 2 Grizzly bears were trapped and re-located; the first was in mid September and the other early October after foraging apples at an apple orchard near Cody. And then more recently, on Friday, October 29th a grizzly killed 19 chickens in the Clark area.

Recently several hunters in Wyoming and surrounding states have been attacked by Grizzly.

Elk hunters especially need to beware this time of year. A surprised Grizzly is a dangerous Grizzly. Grizzly bears are now foraging for winter. As in the early spring when Grizzly come out of hibernation and forage for food, this time of year is prime time for Grizzly to be storing fat for the winter snooze. Grizzly are known for traveling long distances to hunt for food. Do the math – 600 grizzly @ 500 mile foraging radius = they could be anywhere!

In early October, an out-of-state hunter surprised a Grizzly while he was hunting near Meeteetse. He was charged but not seriously wounded. A Casper man was also charged while hunting in the Dubois area. He dropped and played dead. Luckily he only suffered bites to his ankles and rear end.

More recently, on October 30th, another bear incident occurred in the Grand Teton Park. A Jackson man was attacked while hunting Elk in the area. He was carrying bear spray, but it was in his holster. He had no warning before the bear attacked. Grizzlies are quick and a holstered can can be difficult to release in just a few seconds. He dropped and played dead. Fortunately for him his bites were not serious.

Remember that this is grizzly country! If you are going to scout for elk or what ever poor creature is in season, have your bear spray in hand at all times. Just like the Jackson man above, he was carrying his bear spray but it was holstered. A grizzly attack can happen quickly and you must be prepared.

Play it safe with Griz! Pay attention in grizzly country. Look for fresh signs of a grizzly such as tracks, scat, digs and carcasses. Inform yourself on bear habitats, what bears eat, ect… If your gutting a kill, keep all intestines ect… far from your camp area, as a griz will make quick claim of anything left behind. Keep your bear spray in your hand at all times, don’t hunt alone, (one man to spray the bear and the other to shoot it if need be!) and keep all food supplies, especially carcasses out of reach of the bears!

A must-read on these magnificent but sometimes deadly creatures—thoroughly revised, expanded, and updated

Mark of the Grizzly