Grizzly Bears Location(s) (travel, houses, service)

[orygun]

I would say carrying bear spray would be a good idea. And find a quality one not just any old spray. UDAP and Counter Assault are the primary ones you will find in our sporting goods stores. I have read a great many books on grizzlies and bear attacks. Many people will vouch for bear spray stopping a griz but not 100% of the time. A gun usually just makes them madder unless you were guaranteed you could kill one outright. Make a lot of noise too. Be aware of your surroundings. Watch blind corners in the woods. But remember, the black bear can be deadly too. There have been more attacks from blacks in this past year. They tend to stalk people more where a grizzly will be startled by a person and charge.

[jenzebel]

Originally Posted by harry o

I know Montana has Grizzlies especially by the corner near Yellowstone but just wondering are they all around the Mountain Ranges across the state or just in certain areas. Do i need to take a .30-06 when ever going camping in the National Forests or are most areas safe from them.....

People like this are what scare me; bears never have.

[rambrush]

We have hiked in Juneau Alaska and on the Kenai area in Alaska, Carried the required 44 mag. But we also had reindeer bells on our packs made a heck of a lot of noise but we were able to go in and watch the salmon negotiate the russian river falls with no problems.
Just be bear smart and life will be good. Eat/cook aways from the sleeping area hang the food up in tree or use bear containers. Don't have any food or clothes that smell like food in your sleeping area.

[jimj]

Being bear smart is a good idea but so is being prepared. We go berry hunting in the bear jail (the north fork) and though we make noise and carry pepper spray we also carry a 40 or 45 auto. I would rather have the gun and not use it than the reverse.
By not carrying it would be like going camping without a first aid kit, you may never need it but when you do........

[rickers]

About a year after we moved to Hot Springs My wife was sitting on the sofa and heared a scratching on the window. She turned her head and lifted the shades and was looking eye to eye with a adult black bear ! I have seen griz at Jocko lakes and on Blacktail mountain.

[Debee]

We get black bear all the time at our house. Just the week before last ,one decided he would just sit down in my little pond and try to beat the heat. I tried to get a picture but the dog came around the corner and scared him off.

[grannymontanny]

Originally Posted by rickers

About a year after we moved to Hot Springs My wife was sitting on the sofa and heared a scratching on the window. She turned her head and lifted the shades and was looking eye to eye with a adult black bear ! I have seen griz at Jocko lakes and on Blacktail mountain.

Really, a griz on blacktail? we go up there all the time, and have seen lots of black bears,and moose but not a griz. makes going up wood cutting ,and picture taking seem a lot more scarey now

[Reziac]

Where do you find Grizzlies? Missoula, of course!

On hot summer days, folks in Pasadena (for you ferriners, that's up against the mountains sort of at the NE corner of Los Angeles) sometimes come out to find a black bear in their swimming pool. No kidding, wild bears come right down into town!! And once someone found a cougar in their pool. Eeek!

Never saw coyotes in MT. They're everywhere in CA (including in town -- they're common in Beverly Hills). Makes you wonder!!!

[rickers]

Lots of coyotes around here (Hot Springs). This town used to be lousy with bears most of the time but they don't seem to hang out in town much anymore except when the apples in folks yards are ripe. As far as griz goes there are about 40 of them in the Cabinet mountains and they roam for hundreds of miles so it's not all that unlikely to see one roam over to the Salish range on occasion. There have been some wolves hanging out near here lately.
A few years back I read an article written by an official of the Montana F.W.P. and he said on that year out of the 70 bears that had to be removed from the Flathead valley 19 of them were grizzlies.

[brokencrayola]

First of all you are not allowed to bring firearms of any kind into any National Park.

Secondly if you were sleeping and camping outside of a National Park and had a grizzly attack you would unlikely be able to make it to your gun and do anything at all. In fact even during broad daylight if you had one charging you it is possible you would not be able to make it to your gun and pull one off in time.

Grizzly bears are in the Yellowstone and Glacier ecosystems in MT.