dwhite0622
Member
Hello! this is my first post and I am hoping it will generate some good discussion points. As an elk hunter in Southwest Montana I inevitably spend some hours in Griz country. Over the past year in particular I have had a few encounters and seen a handful of bears, the majority of which from a safe distance or through a spotting scope.
I have been hunting a particular drainage in Location X not far from Bozeman for the past three weeks, and although I am well aware this area is within griz range I haven't seen even a print in the area this year and sort of assumed there wasnt enough cover in the immediate area to host a bear. Yesterday I talked one of my buddies into tagging along with me on an archery hunt in the morning with the promise to tag along with him on an afternoon antelope hunt. We left town early and hiked in the dark, per usual and made great time giving us an extra 45 minutes or so to kill before first light. We were sitting on the edge of a game trail I had seen a large group of elk travel through earlier this week chatting under our breath and waiting for the elk to start moving and making some noise when a magpie swooped over our heads. Thinking nothing of it we went back to our whispering chit chat until around 715 when we hit that gray-light phase of the morning and could start to see our surroundings a little better. As im looking around in all the trees surrounding me I start to pick up on the fact that this could be a scene out of a particular Alfred Hitcock film observing all the magpies, and ravens perched above me. This is the point when my morning coffee finally settles in and I whisper to my buddy "I think there is a kill somewhere in here." (I know what youre thinking, run!!) At that point we were completely quiet for a few moments with our spidey sense on high alert when we hear some crunching a few yards away and a griz sow stands up 10-12 yards in front of us on her hind legs and huffs at us (the only reason I have an idea on a range is because she was inside of a tree we had just ranged at 15 yards) and her cub comes running up behind her and almost runs into the back of her hind legs. The next five 5 seconds are somewhat of a blur, but I know I drew my spray, removed the safety piece and yelled at her. In my mind I was saying "HEY BEAR, HEY BEAR" but realistically i'm sure it was a mixture of four letter words and speaking in tongues. She dropped back down to all fours and jumped back a few feet as surprised to see us as were to see her. We backed out slowly until we were 100 yards or so away then ran up the other side of the drainage and out of the timber. It was about ten minutes later that we were well out of the timber and and glassing below us where we had seen her. By this time I was trying to act nonchalant about the whole situation to my buddy and hoping he couldn't see my knees shaking. As we walked out with our tails tucked we waked almost face to face with a raghead and a 5x5 bull which reminded us that we were actually suppose to be elk hunting. Needless to say we missed that chance.....Oops.
So, all that being said I feel fairly confident that if she had charged I could have sprayed her. I most likely would have sprayed the ground and a few trees and myself in the process, but I think I could have got her too. If you were to give me a .44 I think I would have got a shot off, but who knows in which direction and the odds of hitting my target very low. Im certainly not against side arms, I actually would have one myself if the hunting budget had allowed for one this year, but after my first close encounter I think I will stick with spray for a while.
I have been hunting a particular drainage in Location X not far from Bozeman for the past three weeks, and although I am well aware this area is within griz range I haven't seen even a print in the area this year and sort of assumed there wasnt enough cover in the immediate area to host a bear. Yesterday I talked one of my buddies into tagging along with me on an archery hunt in the morning with the promise to tag along with him on an afternoon antelope hunt. We left town early and hiked in the dark, per usual and made great time giving us an extra 45 minutes or so to kill before first light. We were sitting on the edge of a game trail I had seen a large group of elk travel through earlier this week chatting under our breath and waiting for the elk to start moving and making some noise when a magpie swooped over our heads. Thinking nothing of it we went back to our whispering chit chat until around 715 when we hit that gray-light phase of the morning and could start to see our surroundings a little better. As im looking around in all the trees surrounding me I start to pick up on the fact that this could be a scene out of a particular Alfred Hitcock film observing all the magpies, and ravens perched above me. This is the point when my morning coffee finally settles in and I whisper to my buddy "I think there is a kill somewhere in here." (I know what youre thinking, run!!) At that point we were completely quiet for a few moments with our spidey sense on high alert when we hear some crunching a few yards away and a griz sow stands up 10-12 yards in front of us on her hind legs and huffs at us (the only reason I have an idea on a range is because she was inside of a tree we had just ranged at 15 yards) and her cub comes running up behind her and almost runs into the back of her hind legs. The next five 5 seconds are somewhat of a blur, but I know I drew my spray, removed the safety piece and yelled at her. In my mind I was saying "HEY BEAR, HEY BEAR" but realistically i'm sure it was a mixture of four letter words and speaking in tongues. She dropped back down to all fours and jumped back a few feet as surprised to see us as were to see her. We backed out slowly until we were 100 yards or so away then ran up the other side of the drainage and out of the timber. It was about ten minutes later that we were well out of the timber and and glassing below us where we had seen her. By this time I was trying to act nonchalant about the whole situation to my buddy and hoping he couldn't see my knees shaking. As we walked out with our tails tucked we waked almost face to face with a raghead and a 5x5 bull which reminded us that we were actually suppose to be elk hunting. Needless to say we missed that chance.....Oops.
So, all that being said I feel fairly confident that if she had charged I could have sprayed her. I most likely would have sprayed the ground and a few trees and myself in the process, but I think I could have got her too. If you were to give me a .44 I think I would have got a shot off, but who knows in which direction and the odds of hitting my target very low. Im certainly not against side arms, I actually would have one myself if the hunting budget had allowed for one this year, but after my first close encounter I think I will stick with spray for a while.
....if i could i would carry both, if i could only have one i would feel better with the gun but i think the spray would be more effective.
