Montana grizzly bear density

[rambo2345]

I can attest to grizzlies in the Gravelly Range. Lots of elk also.

 

[Legend]

A good friend and I drew a general tag. We booked a semi guided hunt in the Gravellys and I’m wondering if anyone has any information on elk and grizz in this country?

I’ll be honest- I’ve only ever hunted in black bear country. I’ve read a great deal on how to conduct a hunt but I truly won’t know until I’m on the ground.

If there are any articles or first hand experiences y’all might want to share it would be much appreciated!

Tha gravely range, for whatever reason, tends to have more bad incidents than other areas with equal grizz numbers. Be prepared.

 

[isItFallYet]

A good friend and I drew a general tag. We booked a semi guided hunt in the Gravellys and I’m wondering if anyone has any information on elk and grizz in this country?

I’ll be honest- I’ve only ever hunted in black bear country. I’ve read a great deal on how to conduct a hunt but I truly won’t know until I’m on the ground.

If there are any articles or first hand experiences y’all might want to share it would be much appreciated!

2019 was not a good year for the Gravelly archery hunters. I believe what caused this was some stock got into some poisonous weeds.

Gravelly Range Closure: Grizzlies

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/environment/grizzlies-force-closure-in-the-gravelly-range/article_3ccae1dc-7b63-53aa-9259-c9a464d2d3f4.html From the article: U.S. Forest Service officials have closed an area in the Gravelly Range due to a high concentration of grizzly bears roaming...

www.hunttalk.com

4th hunter injured by grizzly bear in Gravelly Mountains within about one week

Another hunter survived a grizzly bear attack Tuesday morning in Southwest Montana.

www.kpax.com

 

[fwafwow]

Thanks OP - great question. I was just digging around for the same info, especially for unit x.

 

[Castle Oak]

I was in the Gravellys in 2019 hunting solo. It was a bad year exacerbated by the die-off of cattle in the southern part of the unit. Huge concentration of griz and the problems occurred when the bears dispersed after eating the cows. Keep a clean camp. Cook, wash, and brush your teeth well away from your camp. If you have a competent guide he will be able to further advise you. Carry bear spray and a sidearm and be proficient with both. Always be on the lookout for evidence of a kill and stay well away from it. Ravens will gather at a kill site and make a bunch of noise so I steer clear anytime I see a congregation of ravens. I blundered into a kill in 2016 because I was ignorant. Thankfully, the bear did not charge (I watched him on the kill two days later and from a safe distance).

 

[Winnie]

I have hunted the Gravellys twice. Lots of griz. Saw them almost daily. Had one run at my brother but after we gathered our wits, we think it was running away from my buddy and accidently towards my brother. Be very prepared there.

 

[WCB]

If you find "hard number" they won't be accurate because then they would have to admit they don't actually know or if they do it will be much higher than "expected".

A good friend and I drew a general tag. We booked a semi guided hunt in the Gravellys and I’m wondering if anyone has any information on elk and grizz in this country?

I’ll be honest- I’ve only ever hunted in black bear country. I’ve read a great deal on how to conduct a hunt but I truly won’t know until I’m on the ground.

If there are any articles or first hand experiences y’all might want to share it would be much appreciated!

I guided in the Gravelly Range....mind you it was a few years ago now. Not as many bears then but even then some years, being there for 1.5 months between rifle and archery seasons each year, you wouldn't see a bear. Then the next year they were chasing them away from trail head, a bird hunter got charged, and one of our guides had a run in with a young male. Kinda like rattle snakes they are always there just some years you see them and some years you don't.

IMO, pay attention to your surroundings (which you should be anyways since you are hunting). Keep a clean camp. Also, if you do happen to kill an elk get the guts away form the kill and if making a return trip haul the meat to a spot you can clearly see from a good distance. Other than that have fun.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Can you skin Griz pilgrim?

 

[Young Blood]

Good advice above on clean camp, moving away from kill site, etc. I've been hunting griz country my entire life and have never had a bad encounter. Avoiding other kill sites is pretty important (i.e. looking for crows). We walked up on a kill site one year and there were four bears on it 30 yards away. We backed out as quietly and quickly as possible. Just be aware and use some common sense. The odds of a bad encounter with a griz are far less then getting in a bad wreck on your drive to the hunt. Keep a realistic perspective on it while also having a healthy respect and awareness of the possibility. There are relatively very few bad encounters each year compared to the number of hunters in the woods. Be aware but don't let the fear ruin the hunt or keep you out of the woods.

 

[mtblackdog]

A good friend and I drew a general tag. We booked a semi guided hunt in the Gravellys and I’m wondering if anyone has any information on elk and grizz in this country?

I’ll be honest- I’ve only ever hunted in black bear country. I’ve read a great deal on how to conduct a hunt but I truly won’t know until I’m on the ground.

If there are any articles or first hand experiences y’all might want to share it would be much appreciated!

Gravelly's are ground central grizz country. Be prepared.

 

[bow_dozer]

Tha gravely range, for whatever reason, tends to have more bad incidents than other areas with equal grizz numbers. Be prepared.

Because there is 10x people in there.

 

[TradLife406]

Pretty sure everything from the Breaks west had griz these days. We found griz tracks last year in our spot.
Also running on the prairie too.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[KOK]

no grizz in CO

 

[wind gypsy]

Hopefully the cougar numbers are up and there hungry to


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thirsty cougars > hungry cougars

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

no grizz in CO

Not yet….