Grizzly Bears getting a lot of attention

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Recently on this website there has been a ton of grizz talk which I think is amazing because I’m fascinated by them. However I’m planning on moving to grizz country in the next year and am just wondering how many bears are there really. Are there really that many grizz to the point that they are decently encountered. I was always under the impression that there were very few of them. What about around the couple wilderness areas around Missoula Montana how are the grizz out there? Very interested.

 

[slick]

Not many. Go up into the Bob Marshall Wilderness or Glacier and that’s where most of them are in the state ~1000-1100.. and the GYE - so south of Bozeman. Not to say there aren’t Grizzly bears around Missoula, but you’re not in a hot bed.

 

[missjordan]

I live in Missoula and there are your hotspots where Griz are known but they aren’t crawling out of everyone’s backyard. Black bears are more “common”. I spend a lot of time in the woods around town, and i have yet to see a grizzly in the wild. Maybe it’s coincidence or luck, but i haven’t seemed to figure it out yet why I’ve never seen a griz. I do not go into the designated wilderness areas close to town either so I can’t speak for their bear densities


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[BeastOfTheTrees]

That’s good that they aren’t a problem or nothing. Only animal that I really would even think twice about just gaining knowledge on them..... never lived in an area with bears other than black bears

 

[6mm Remington]

I live in Missoula and there are your hotspots where Griz are known but they aren’t crawling out of everyone’s backyard. Black bears are more “common”. I spend a lot of time in the woods around town, and i have yet to see a grizzly in the wild. Maybe it’s coincidence or luck, but i haven’t seemed to figure it out yet why I’ve never seen a griz. I do not go into the designated wilderness areas close to town either so I can’t speak for their bear densities


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I agree that there aren't a lot right around Missoula but there are bears here for sure. FWP has some interesting data on some radio collared bears. One grizzly bear made it from the Seeley Lake area down to just north of town and she then headed west. Never got into any trouble here and made it clear over by Coeur d' Alene Idaho. Spent time there and then headed back towards where she came from originally. We have had grizzly bear sightings in Rock Creek about 20 miles east of Missoula, but they are few and far between. Much more likely to bump into a black bear. Quite a few grizzly bears up by Seeley Lake, and the Ovando area. I have a friend who lives in Thompson Falls and there are getting to be quite a few grizzly bears in his neck of the woods also.

David

 

[Battleguy]

I see them quite often trying to fish or drink water so I’ll say it depends wear you look.

 

[slick]

I see them quite often trying to fish or drink water so I’ll say it depends wear you look.

Great, informative post. Your kitchen window count?

 

[rockbuster]

Lots of Griz on the Rocky Mountain front. Just stop in a small town and look at how many locals are carrying a side arm. South of Bozeman you need to be prepared. South of Ennis you need to be prepared. In the Absaroka-Beartooth as well. I’ve seen them hunting whitetail on the river, on the RM front. But not sure about Missoula.

 

[mtwarden]

I’ve somewhat frequently seen grizzly sign in the upper reaches of the Rattlesnake Wilderness, it’s only a stone’s throw from the Missions, so it makes sense there would be some traveling through- certainly not thick with them, but certainly there

Much higher densities in the Bob Complex (I used to work there and still recreate there) and the Absaroka-Beartooth- I also spend a fair bit of time there.

I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about grizzlies, instead spend time learning how to minimize risks in grizzly country

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Thank you everyone I love getting my family into the mountains and am an avid bow hunter so I’m just trying to accumulate all grizzly knowledge for the area.