Hunting elk in the rut with a rifle

[johnsd16]

I'm facing this same issue moving from MN to ID. I will be hunting N Idaho and NW Montana so will be around bears and wolves. We have plenty of black bears and wolves here in MN but the grizz do freak me out a bit. I'm not sure how fearful to be and don't want to not enjoy going up into the mountain after elk and deer but I also want to be safe. I'm anticipating doing much of my hunting alone. I plan to carry a sidearm when out with the bow and probably a shotgun when fishing. I like reading that risky encounters are uncommon.

 

[wseidel]

To Johnsd16: I'm also from Minnesota and have elk hunted in NW Wyoming four times since 2010 (and blessed to be going again this fall). We hunt in areas that harbor a high grizzly population and have seen numerous tracks and scat. During those trips, we have only seen grizzlies twice - once we saw three bears on our four day old elk carcass @ 200 yards (impressive) and the second time was this past fall when we had a grizzly at 48 yards. Here's my account from the Archery Talk forum: "When archery hunting for elk in NW Wyoming last fall, my partner and I carried both bear spray and handguns. There were a minimum of three hunter-bear issues while we were there so we always stayed together - and had a heightened sense of awareness at all times. We did have one close encounter at 48 yards with a medium size grizzly (huge by black bear standards). When we first saw him he was ambling into a small group of trees near the corner of a small meadow we were just starting to set up in for our final calling sequence of the morning. We set down our bows, took out our bear spray in one hand and the handgun in our other hand and started to talk loudly so he could hear us. It was probably only 6 or 7 seconds (though it seemed much longer), but he ambled away in the same direction he came. It was the best possible outcome for us AND for him. Fortunately, he felt secure in the tree cover and it gave him an opportunity to evaluate the situation and leave. I'll never forget the large hump, well muscled frame and silver sheen as he departed. Our handguns and bear spray looked mighty small in that situation. We counted our blessings that it ended well." Based on these experiences - and from other hunter's wisdom based on their encounters - we always hunt as a pair, rarely solo, and we carry handguns AND bear spray. When processing our elk in the field, one hunter is always on bear patrol. Oh, we did have one other encounter while processing an elk after dark one year. Just as we were finishing, we heard a large branch crack and then a second one a bit later. There was no wind to explain the sound so we felt we probably had company. We quickly loaded our sleds with the game bags and moved out to the center of a small meadow to secure our loads and move away from the carcass. Long story short, be careful (situationally aware), hunt with others if possible, and carry a side arm AND bear spray. God bless...