Grizzly Country and hangin my food

[lovetohunt]

We will be in the Beartooth Mountains in Grizzly country near Cooke City. My dad has gone up there for years and has not had problems with bears. The only thing now is that my Grandpa lives in Red Lodge MT, and he says that there is getting to be so many of them up there they are having to spread out.

I must tell you I am not to woried about this trip because there will be 10 or more people. But my brother and I are planning on back packing when we get older in a 2 person tent. I have heard some things like change your clothes after you even eat. And don't keep deodorant or Toothpaste in your pack because it will atract them. Should I hang all of these items and should I change my clothes and if yes do I hang them in a tree also? Where is the best place to hange my stuff and what things do I put it it and how far away from camp do I hang it? Should I build a small blockade around my tent?

If you guys have any tips or techniques would you guys please tell me everything you know and I mean everything. I will read every reply and if you have any storie then tell me. We have bear spray but it's almost 5 years old, will it still work?

[bc338]

Hello lovetohunt. I live in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, we are located in the Rocky mountains and we have a lot of grizzlies here. I have seen so many in fact that I have decided to be as prepared as possible should a situation arise with a grizzly or black bear. The first thing I would strongly suggest is use enough gun. Not a borderline gun- but a real thumper. A .338 Win.mag is what I use while elk hunting. I pack a small guide gun in 450 marlin for when I am bow-hunting or checking trailcameras, placing stands etc... a .375 H@H might seem too big but with a muzzle break it's a good choice. 45-70, 340 Weatherby, etc... a gun that will stop a charge. I have chosen to stay away from the traditional deer hunting cartridges even though they actually can kill a bear- I think they would falter in a full blown charge. I have a leather belt with two holsters on it. One contains a large can of bear spray, and the other holds an eight inch fixed blade with grip and a large hilt -so that your hand can't slip up onto the blade. This may seem like overkill and mabye it is- but I don't even notice the belt while I am hunting. This is a back-up defense in case you get separated from your rifle for any reason whatsoever. Many people who have been killed by bears actually had rifles with them- but either wounded the bear ,or dropped their rifle during the attack itself ,or got caught away from their gun while field dressing, packing game etc... sometimes your gun can jam, sometimes you don't even have time to get your gun up-aimed-and fired. Try not to get too nervous about grizzlies, they run away just about every time. I have even suprised them up close when I didn't know they were there and they ran away. I have even suprised sows with cubs and they ran, but ofcourse this is very dangerous to do and should alway's be avoided. There are certain areas that you should treat with caution- large alder thickets with creeks and shade in them are grizzly hot spots so be careful. walking along heavily used game trails that parrallel rivers are bad too because the bears use these same trails and can't hear you coming because of the running water. shady cool areas with chest high vegetation, berries, and of course large amounts of bear scat everywhere. Try to stay out of these sort of areas because by the time you see the bear it is way too close for comfort. If you stay in areas where you can see at least fifty yards in front of you- you should be alright. Never investigate a group of crows or ravens feeding or flying in a circle- I did this once and walked up on a grizzly feeding on a carcass -The absolute worst bear situation you can think of. It suddenly chased a coyote away right in front of me, then I saw a large sow with two cubs heading towards the same spot about 75 yards away- luckily none of the bears saw me- so I just snuck back the same way I came. A week later I went back and found the remains of a young five point elk.

[bc338]

I am continuing this because I ran out of room, If you are sleeping overnight - either sleep in a treestand that is atleast twenty feet in the air. I have several treestands that I have built that are big enough to stretch out a sleeping bag, I have slept overnight in them quite often while elk hunting. I have seen many large grizzlies walk directly below my stand, I have video taped many of these instances. I would think twice about sleeping in a tent on the ground. If you have to sleep on the ground because you don't have a suitable treestand to sleep in you could bring a portable electric fence- I have one of these, it weighs three pounds, It is the make "Bear Shock". I touched this thing once in my backyard and it was strong. It comes in a little carry bag and runs on four D cell batteries. It encircles your entire camp in a 30 foot by 30 foot square. Black bears always come into camp here in BC- so this little fence gives you peice of mind. Keep a flashlight and your smoke-stick close to your bed just in case a bear gets through the fence during the night. Store your food atleast 100 yards away in a bag which is hoisted into a tree. The bears are there and they are looking for food, bear activity increases at night. I do have friends who go deep into the woods with deer rifles, sleep wherever in tents, and pretty much scoff at the whole bear subject, they pack game out without any guns, they yell at bears when they see them and they take off. These guys have never been attacked, so I guess a lot of it is in our own minds but why not be prepared ? another thing is to be careful when field dressing game, try to do it where you can see all around, bears do come to take a look when they smell freshly gutted game and some have learned to come towards gun shots a couple hours after they hear them. Two men from BC were killed about ten years ago while gutting an elk near thick cover. The bear came out of nowhere and they weren't ready, one guy was actually trying to load his gun but jammed it. Hope this helps, but I also hope I haven't made you paranoid either- be prepared and keep your eyes peeled- you'll be fine.