Wyoming Grizzlies are REAL!

KHNC

WKR
Joined
Jul 11, 2013
Messages
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NC
Well let me start out by saying we just got back yesterday from another unsuccessful elk hunt in the same Type 9 area we hunted last year. Last year we hunted 13 days, heard lots of bugles , saw plenty of elk and shot a really big 6pt in the elbow at 25 yards. My fault completely and the bull just ran up to catch his cows and continued on bugling like nothing happened. NO Grizz sign or sightings the entire time. However, there was a mauling in the area in 2019 by a big Griz.
This year we managed to get the same tag and camped in the same spot. As we were setting up camp a bull bugled very close at 2:30 in the afternoon. We quickly finished, got our gear and took off after him. He kept moving off as we closed the distance. My partner is not a fan of calling, so we just always try to shadow a bull and close the distance. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesnt. This time was a bust, but we thought it was a great start to our 10 day hunt! Turns out, the hot bull was just a coincidence. The bugles were few and very far between all week.

Now, on to the good stuff.

Day 2 we went across from camp to cover some miles and try to find a bull. Late morning we decided to try a cold call scenario with some cow calling. We setup 50 yds apart and alternated cow talk. After about 15 minutes a Grizz sow and two LARGE cubs blasted into our setup!! I drew my sidearm and started yelling GET AWAY MFKRS!!!! as loud as I could. They had closed to 35 yards before we knew it. Fortunately they decided to bail out. We relocated about 1.5 miles away for the afternoon hunt. My partner wanted to hunt from his tree saddle on some intersecting trails. I went another direction for a solo evening hunt. Both of us went in opposite directions of the bears. Once he got setup in his tree and about 30-40 minutes passed , he heard a huge commotion heading his way. In blew the sow and the two fat cubs. Problem was this time they were being trailed by a HUGE Boar Grizz and he was pissed!! We think he was trying to kill a male cub. The Boar stopped at the bottom of his tree and looked up at him. It huffed a couple times and continued his chase to find the other 3. This went on for about 20-30 minutes with lots of growling and snapping.

The pic is attached. It would make a helluva full body mount or rug!

We proceeded to find grizz poop and tracks all over the mountains we hunted last year. They are hear for good looks like. Evidently most of the elk vacated the area. I had a chance to kill a nice bull in another spot a few miles away , but couldnt make the shot opportunity happen.
We decided the bears can have the damn place. It was nice to get the bonus tag 2 years in a row while waiting on our GEN draw to come thru. But nobody has to worry about us hunting the area again. Thanks liberals for getting the Grizz hunt shut down. To top it off, we heard a FKN pack of wolves Saturday evening right at dark. What a combo. Predator Central apparently.

Be careful out there and keep your weapon handy.
 

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KHNC

KHNC

WKR
Joined
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Messages
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We also had a type 9 in a grizz unit. First night called a grizz into 10 yrds. We were in thick stuff, thankfully I heard him and alerted my partner. He scooted over to me and we had both guns pulled. He caught our wind and bailed. Ended up with 2 bulls.
Much bulgling on your hunt? One of the quietest 10 days we had over the years.
 

Hessticles

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
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102
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Nebraska
We had bugling every morning and night except for 1 morning. Even got a bull fired up at 130ish but he was above us on a cliff and wanted us to come up to him. I was within 60yrds of a 330ish and didn't know about the 300ish at 40 and I spooked him being aggressive. Had a 340-350 at 100 but then the wind switched.
 

JB.USMC

FNG
Joined
Sep 17, 2023
Messages
39
Location
MI
You’re probably right. Hard to follow with all the back and forth. Last I read wy wanted to issue 10 female and over 20 male grizz tags. But I doubt that went over well.

“We would need 300 bears to open a season”
-population reaches 350
“We would need 400 bears to open a season”
-repeat forever lol
 
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KHNC

KHNC

WKR
Joined
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Messages
3,455
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We had bugling every morning and night except for 1 morning. Even got a bull fired up at 130ish but he was above us on a cliff and wanted us to come up to him. I was within 60yrds of a 330ish and didn't know about the 300ish at 40 and I spooked him being aggressive. Had a 340-350 at 100 but then the wind switched.
Glad yalls hunt worked out! This year our area was night & day different than last year. Crazy how it works that way some times. Got a cow tag with rifle in nov in a different area. Hope to flop one then at least.
 
Joined
May 15, 2022
Messages
460
You’re probably right. Hard to follow with all the back and forth. Last I read wy wanted to issue 10 female and over 20 male grizz tags. But I doubt that went over well.

“We would need 300 bears to open a season”
-population reaches 350
“We would need 400 bears to open a season”
-repeat forever lol
I knew someone in Rock springs who had a tag back in 2018 or something. I think they had opened grizz hunting as a trophy species if I remember right. Dude had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get it. I never heard how he did.
 
Joined
Sep 19, 2023
Messages
20
Location
Wyoming
The grizz population is completely out of hand. Every major drainage within the grizzly units holds at least one bear. for the past 4-5 years we have been told that the grizz population is between 750-1000 bears. with the amount of time I've spent living, working and hunting within the grizzlies home range I personally believe this is a very conservative number. I would guess we are looking at a population upwards of 1,500 bears. Removing these bears from the endangered species list and implementing a restricted hunt is a story of conservation success. Also it will give these bears a little more respect for people and gun shots "dinner bells". glad to here you guys got into elk and were able to avoid a serious encounter.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
2,267
I’m south of Jackson now. Three days before I got here a hunter was mauled. It tore his entire bottom jaw off. He lived. I have always avoided grizzlie country. I know outfits in the Gros Ventre with lots of problems. They do not hunt elk in the evenings at all.
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2023
Messages
441
Location
Montana
I’m south of Jackson now. Three days before I got here a hunter was mauled. It tore his entire bottom jaw off. He lived. I have always avoided grizzlie country. I know outfits in the Gros Ventre with lots of problems. They do not hunt elk in the evenings at all.
That happened in MT just south of Bozone
 
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KHNC

KHNC

WKR
Joined
Jul 11, 2013
Messages
3,455
Location
NC
I’m south of Jackson now. Three days before I got here a hunter was mauled. It tore his entire bottom jaw off. He lived. I have always avoided grizzlie country. I know outfits in the Gros Ventre with lots of problems. They do not hunt elk in the evenings at all.
We ended up waiting til nautical twilight to walk in and cut our evenings off at 7 to walk out. Also had to cut out most of our calling setups. Total BS. Too hard to get a tag to have to completely change tried and true tactics and go to ambush methods to try and kill an elk.
 

ElkNut1

WKR
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Feb 25, 2012
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Idaho
Kenny, wow! My Son & I have hunted two different WY units with grizz but fortunately we did not cross paths with them, I sure hope it stays that way! I wouldn't give up calling but I may switch to only bull sounds, they utilize lots of them. I have called in bears & it seems it's the cow sounds in nearly every case that gets their attention. Good luck & stay safe!

ElkNut
 
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KHNC

KHNC

WKR
Joined
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Messages
3,455
Location
NC
Kenny, wow! My Son & I have hunted two different WY units with grizz but fortunately we did not cross paths with them, I sure hope it stays that way! I wouldn't give up calling but I may switch to only bull sounds, they utilize lots of them. I have called in bears & it seems it's the cow sounds in nearly every case that gets their attention. Good luck & stay safe!

ElkNut
Thanks for the input Paul!!! Me and my partner have been reluctant to call using bull sounds the last couple of years thinking bulls were shutting down when called. Im leaning towards going back to calling again.
 
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