hypothectical bear trouble while cleaning a elk

[460or338]

Has this ever happended or is possible.


lets say your feild dressing a elk could the blood attract a grizzly bear?I dont know how long it take's to field dress a elk.But could it bring a pi**ed off grizzly or hungry to your attention ?.

 

[sp6x6]

It does just about every year in MT. There is a conflict, just ran a episode on tv about I think, a last years case, guys saved a man that happened on a kill, sow w/2 cubs, think it was near Yellowstone, was in last weeks local paper. Some of the bears get conditioned to good hunting spots and come for the scraps, that is straight from a F&G warden to me after I LOST 1/2 my elk, could have got a new tag, but it was going to cost me, elk I had plus heavy 30# 320 horns. And I MIGHT NOT get one. I have had a particular bear get on several of my elk, one above I SHOT AT 700 yards and it took me a while to bust threw the alder path and get there.Ran into mister G BEAR at 40 yards and yelled him away, then relised I HAD TAKEN BULET OUT for the tough terrain, at the time we where both about 75 yards from bull, saw that bear twice that weekend 6-7 miles apart

 

[460or338]

Makes me feel better about getting a 460 wby im sure it wouldnt have a problem stopping a grizzly .what do you use as a stopping bullet a fmj/punch bullet or a expanding bullet.In a 460 i think either one will work .Also ever shot a griz to keep from getting your prized elk or is that illegal?

 

[huntergatherer]

Kinda has me rethinking the .260 I was thinking about for elk. Might have to up gun to an '06 or .338. Shame to hump more gun than you need for the game so you can deal with the scavengers.... Maybe I can use the Guide gun for defense, and carry the .260 as well....

 

[angus-5024]

Near Radium Hotsprings B.C, about 10 years ago some elk hunters got their game on about a 5km hike in. They never made it back to camp. Two days later the chopper located them, or what was left. From what the F&G guys figured they had one guy feild dressing and the other on watch. Bear still got both of them. It appeared that the guy on gaurd had some how jammed his rifle after the first shot.
Four years ago just south of Prince George B.C my dads hunting parnter was forced to shoot one at 15yards. He was on a moose kill.
Apperantly bears (black bears as well) learn that gun shots are dinner bells. Although I prefer to hunt alone most of the time, in Grizz country I always have a partner in visual range.
They sure are cool to see when your out there though.

 

[sp6x6]

On my 08 muley my son and I 1/4 REAR and boned the front, we where abuot 30 yards away and the carcass slide down hill a bit, I spun like a cat gun up, my son said boy your jumpy, I TOLD HIM we where about 400 yrds uphill from above mentioned grizz encounter, BETTER to be ready than bear bait, I HAVE DONE 100'S ofsolo hunts in that country, in, inthe dark out in the dark, best to e a little jumpy I figuregun)

 

[Buffalobob]

Makes me feel better about getting a 460 wby im sure it wouldnt have a problem stopping a grizzly .w

You're going to flinch the shot off and the bears gonna eat you.

 

[sp6x6]

Thats about as funny as when my buddy threw his bow at a G bear

 

[ATH]

The area I hunt is full of grizzlies. Two years, lucked out and have seen nothing but tracks. I was nervous the first year walking out after dark with as much elk meat as I could carry and a 60mph wind at my back, would never have heard it coming. We talked so loud we were hoarse when we got back to our buddy waiting in the truck to try and keep them away. When we got out our buddy said the people 20min in front of us had jumped a sow and cub on the same trail, we lucked out.

Shooting a bear to defend a kill is NOT legal, you WILL be prosecuted if F&G do not believe your story. As they say, "someone had better have claw marks".

Unless you keep it constantly in the at-ready position, a huge rifle won't do you any more good than a typical elk rifle -- both are equally useless if you can't get a shot off in time. Most grizzly encounters are very close-range and any legal shooting has to be by definition. If you rifle is slung on your shoulder, you may never get it in play though this would obviously be the preferred weapon. I carry whatever rifle I am comfortable with for elk, and a pistol in a setup where I can get it out as quickly as my brain can react. Better to sling some lead with the pistol than have my head knocked off while I'm still trying to get the rifle around.

 

[bigngreen]

Me and my buddies all carry hand guns in the mountains more for wolves than griz but we all went and took a home defense course and it really made a big difference. One, it made it no sweat to get out conceal carry license but it also got us on target with out hand guns, with speed and accuracy in shooting and reloading. The same skills you'll need in home defense you need with a bear or man.
I'm not worried about a griz coming in when I'm at a kill but wolves are a very real possibility in my area and it is very sketchy being followed out by a pack.
At any rate griz or wolf if they are not afraid of me as a human they need to learn what I'm about, and I will oblige them with some training, they learn or die, real simple!

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

You need a MK67 Hand granade for bears everyone knows that! Its the only way to insure a clean kill in a defence situation.

 

[angus-5024]

I also use a front carry sling for my .338 Ultra. I find that I can get my gun up a lot faster than if its on my back. I would carry a hand gun as well but the hippies in Ottawa say that only bad men carry pistola's. Guess all you guys must be criminals since you carry handguns.

 

[sp6x6]

I carry my hand canon for bears w/300, 44 mag, bow hunting in grizz area, lost it once in alder patch, took 4 years for me and my little friend to reconnect

 

[X-man]

Here in British Columbia bears don't hear gun shots they hear dinner bells!
I can't tell you how many times I have come back for the second load of meat to find the gut pile missing. For those that don't know separating the meet from the gutpile will save a lot of bear/hunter skirmishes.

I once watched a nice grizz graze below me when without warning (or seemingly reason) it streak across a mile wide valley. I was both astounded and horrified at the pure sustained speed it carried. It was so fast it looked surreal. If a grizz comes with purpose I want a rifle or a shotgun loaded with slugs, but a handgun (while far better than nothing) is far from ideal. I think if you are not ready when a bear is 20-50 yards away you wont get the chance to be ready...they are that fast.

A few years ago 2 highly experienced British Colombian hunters were killed by a 200 pound sow grizz as they dressed out an elk. From the investigation it was determined that one dressed the elk while the other hunter watched over the proceeding with his loaded 30-06. The attack happened so quickly the watcher never fired a shot and the poor lad in the process of field dressing never touched his rifle but a few feet away.

I spent 20 years walking creeks and tidelines while hunting coastal grizzly and if I learned one thing it is that I have no idea what they are about to do next. I never had a serious incident, but a skirmish early on taught me plenty of respect.
Mental preparation and mindset are key.

I can't recommend the grizzly experience highly enough.
You only live once.