Breaking down an elk at night... in grizzly country...

[mossyhorn]

So you shoot a bull in the evening and it takes you a bit to get to him. Now it’s dark out and you need to get this elk taken care of. There’s two of you. What do you do to stay safe in a situation like this?

Other than working quickly to get the meat bagged and moved away from the carcass? Any tips? Build a big fire and make lots of noise? Have bear spray easily and quickly accessible would be an obvious one.

 

[stonewall]

never hunted grizzly country, but I would be breaking down the bull myself, and my buddy would have deterrent in hand, head up, and ready. that's how I envision it anyway

 

[justinspicher]

We don’t have grizzly bears here, but we do get black bears and have lions. My buddy and I hunt different seasons so one can pull “security” as we break down an animal. I picked up a 45-70 to help with this.

 

[Beendare]

I think its better to get the animal broken down right away in grizzly country....and packed out if you can. We do the same on Kodiak. Leaving it out all night gives the bears more time to find it.

Fire, good headlamps, talking and taking turns standing guard are all good ideas.

..

 

[Remps17]

We both work on the animal as we normally would, making sure to keep talking to one another so an incoming bear knows we are there. Hopefully one of you have a fire arm of sorts and always know where it is, if a side arm, keep it on your side. We talk what we do if a bear comes in how we will deal with the situation. As soon as we get the animal worked up we hang the meat a few hundred yards away from the carcass in a tree where you can see it from a long ways out.

In Canada we cant carry sidearms (its bull shit) so we often have to deal with a downed animal with bear spray on our hip during archery season. I will carry I rifle or shotgun in my truck during archery season and I have come back for the meat the next day carrying my rifle. This isn't always possible if your on a backpack hunt during archery season but if I am day hunting its nice to have.

We have not had any bear issues when working up a downed animal (knock on wood) so I cant say from experience but this has worked for us.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Most people I know just use headlamps, make some noise, and work together to get the animal quartered and packed out as quickly as possible. Moving fast trumps one guy pulling security. Not sure if that is the best strategy, but it's worked.

I hunt mostly evenings since mornings are hard to get away from family and work commitments, so this is always at the front of my mind.

 

[Dos Perros]

There was an Eastman's Beyond the Grid with Dan Pickar and they opted to gut the bull, drag either the bull or the gut pile some distance from the other, and return in the morning. They draped the bull with baselayers.

I've had a bag of meat stolen by a grizzly even though we put some stank ass baselayers right with it so it's not 100% effective.

I think it's plausible for a grizzly to not give two shits about you or any fire you've built or whatever and come in with intent to take the carcass from you, and cause whatever harm he/she needs to in order to do that.

 

[MuleyFever]

No grizzly experience but I saw bear scat in the area I was hunting so while breaking down my elk alone at night I took out my phone and played music. I figure bears don’t like rock. Probably more country fans.

 

[805Bowhunter]

Similar to what others have said. I work on it until its done...I have hunted grizzly country quite a bit but only broken down a bull solo in grizz country once. I carry a .44 and have it on my hip at all times. I keep my head on a swivel and do my very best not to get complacent or lazy (both for bears and cutting myself with a knife). I also make a point to turn the music on my phone. When breaking down an animal with a hunting buddy, we both work on the carcass, just have two sets of eyes/ears listening for a bear. Knock on wood but I have never had an issue with a bear on a downed animal. Encounters have typically happened when we both scare the s**t out of each other coming around some trees etc.

 

[MallardSX2]

If I was in grizzly country I would have my shotgun with slugs on the ready while OTHER people (2) were breaking down the bull. I would never hunt with less than three armed people in grizzly country at any one given time. Guys that hunt alone are asking for major problems.
I simply dont trust anyone else with the gun in the heat of battle except for myself. Historically all of my partners fall apart with a gun under pressure.

 

[NDGuy]

I figure bears don’t like rock. Probably more country fans.

I'll bet bears are definitely Kane Brown & Sam Hunt fans

 

[TravKatQ]

I killed a bull at last light in NW wyo grizz country last year and my father kept watch as I quartered the elk and hung it a couple hundred yards away from carcass. Talked to each other normally and kept our heads on a swivel and had no problems. Draped a couple jackets on the hung meat and didn’t have no problems the next morning returning, just be smart and you’ll be fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dos Perros]

I killed a bull at last light in NW wyo grizz country last year and my father kept watch as I quartered the elk and hung it a couple hundred yards away from carcass. Talked to each other normally and kept our heads on a swivel and had no problems. Draped a couple jackets on the hung meat and didn’t have no problems the next morning returning, just be smart and you’ll be fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Outcome bias?

 

[jmez]

I haven't broken one down alone in big bear country. We both work on it to get it done and then move the meat a ways from the carcass. Haven't had an issue. If alone I would whistle a little and periodically talk to myself. I wouldn't play music on my phone. I want to be able to hear clearly what is going on beyond my light circle.

 

[gbflyer]

We deer hunt around brown bears in SE AK nearly every time we walk out the door. One thing we have going for us is that typically they are well fed. That doesn’t mean that the occasional hooligan won’t give you trouble, but much different than hunting in hungry bear country. ADFG recommends the gutless method, gets you out of there faster and there’s a lot less odor floating around. If you have to leave it for the night, best bet is to get your quarters well away from the rest of the carcass. Having some help/another set of eyes is a real blessing.

Even with all that I know guys who hunt Kodiak will lose one sometimes. Part of the deal. Best not to fight over it

 

[87TT]

Hell, it just makes life more interesting. Just be smart and aware of your surroundings. Just like in any big city or bad neighborhood. I would feel a lot more scared in Compton or Detroit.

 

[805Bowhunter]

If I was in grizzly country I would have my shotgun with slugs on the ready while OTHER people (2) were breaking down the bull. I would never hunt with less than three armed people in grizzly country at any one given time. Guys that hunt alone are asking for major problems.
I simply dont trust anyone else with the gun in the heat of battle except for myself. Historically all of my partners fall apart with a gun under pressure.

I dont agree with the "guys that hunt alone are asking for major problems." There are just as many attacks on multiple people as there are on individuals. There is zero evidence that hunting alone puts you more at risk. I know a lot of people who have hunted solo around grizzlies there entire life and have never been attacked. They are smart, respect the bears, understand bear behavior, and keep their cool when things are getting tense.

Pretty impressive too if you can get your hunting partners to break down your bull while you stand at the ready. I need to find partners like that lol.

 

[AaronMColeman]

We deer hunt around brown bears in SE AK nearly every time we walk out the door. One thing we have going for us is that typically they are well fed. That doesn’t mean that the occasional hooligan won’t give you trouble, but much different than hunting in hungry bear country. ADFG recommends the gutless method, gets you out of there faster and there’s a lot less odor floating around. If you have to leave it for the night, best bet is to get your quarters well away from the rest of the carcass. Having some help/another set of eyes is a real blessing.

Even with all that I know guys who hunt Kodiak will lose one sometimes. Part of the deal. Best not to fight over it

Yeah I always say, if a bear comes in on my elk, it's his elk now. If a bear comes onto my property, I'll hide in the house and it's his property until he decides to leave. I don't think there is much you can do other than basic protection (be bear aware, bear spray, firearms, noise). If the bear wants your elk, it's his. If a bear wants you, your his.

I do hunt alone, but I'm much more aware and alert than with a partner...probably a good thing. In Grizzly country you just have to know they're there, take every precaution you can, and accept some amount of risk.

 

[805Bowhunter]

Yeah I always say, if a bear comes in on my elk, it's his elk now. If a bear comes onto my property, I'll hide in the house and it's his property until he decides to leave. I don't think there is much you can do other than basic protection (be bear aware, bear spray, firearms, noise). If the bear wants your elk, it's his. If a bear wants you, your his.

I do hunt alone, but I'm much more aware and alert than with a partner...probably a good thing. In Grizzly country you just have to know they're there, take every precaution you can, and accept some amount of risk.

Well said

 

[TravKatQ]

Outcome bias?

Don’t know what your deal is man just giving insight to what I did and a common piece of advice to be smart...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk