Hunting Safely in Bear Country
As hunters, we do everything the experts say we shouldn’t do in bear country. We try not to make noise. We play the wind. We hike in the dark. Maybe we try to sound like a lovesick cow elk or a rut-crazed bull. These are not the things you do to avoid run-ins with bears.
Stone Glacier headquarters is surrounded by the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which offers an incredible amount of great hunting. It also has plenty of bears, including healthy populations of grizzlies. Nearly every spring or fall, the local news has a story about a shed hunter or hunter getting attacked by a bear. Not every bear encounter can be avoided, but most can. Here are a few ways you can stay stealthy on your hunt while also avoiding unwanted encounters with bears.
Bring a Buddy
Hunting is more fun with a friend, and it’s just plain safer. You don’t need to hunt within shouting distance but having a friend close by who knows your hunting plan is one of the best things you can do to stay safe in bear country. It’s even better if your buddy knows basic first aid. An extra set of eyes and ears on the mountain watching your back is invaluable.
Whether you hunt solo or with a partner, carry some sort of satellite communicator. Your cell phone doesn’t count because it will run out of power, or you won’t have reception. Many devices on the market, like Garmin’s inReach, ZOLEO, or SPOT X, will alert authorities if you need help. They can send other messages, too, like when you have an elk down and need help packing it.
Pay Attention
Do you ever get so absorbed behind the glass that you forget to look over your shoulder once in a while? It happens. You keep your head on a swivel to spot a muley buck in the timber, but you’re not the only predator on the hill.
Places with healthy bear populations will have signs. Read the signs and understand what they mean. Start with scat. A big bear’s pile of poop will be unmistakable because it’s big and is likely full of berries, depending on the season. If it’s dry and hard, it’s old. If it’s soft, it’s likely fresh. If it’s steaming, you might want to look behind you. Bears will leave claw marks on trees to mark their territory. They will shred logs and flip over rocks, looking for larvae. And, of course, they leave tracks. When you see these fresh signs, it’s a reminder to stay alert.
Never should you be more alert than when you have an animal on the ground. During the fall, bears enter hyperphagia, which means they eat constantly in preparation for hibernation. Some bears have associated the sound of rifle blasts with gut piles and easy meat. When you process your animal in the field, you and your hunting buddy must stay alert. Drag the gut pile away from the carcass. If you can’t get the animal out in one trip, hang the meat in trees and be sure that it’s visible from 100 yards when you return. Make a lot of noise when you approach the carcass the next day. You don’t want to surprise a bear that’s claimed your meat.
Keep a Clean Camp
A bear’s sense of smell is seven times better than the best bloodhound and 2,100 times better than ours. They can smell danger or food from two miles away. When you’re camping in bear country, it’s imperative that you keep a clean camp and keep attractants away from where you sleep.
Don’t bring anything in the tent that has an odor—except maybe your boots. Toothpaste, toothbrush, scents, food, soap, and even minty dental floss go in a bear bag that gets hung in a tree at least 200 feet away from your tent. If possible, cook and eat your meals 30 feet from the tent. If the weather is bad, hang up the SkyTarp 10 and cook under it.
Set up a portable electric fence around camp if you cannot hang your food in a bear hang. Outfitters and river guides have used them for years, but they’re not ultralight. They’re great if you pack horses or fly in on a bush plane.
Self Protection
Even if you take all the proper precautions in the field, you can still have a close and unwanted encounter with a bear. The good news is that you have some options to protect yourself. Bear spray is a proven, effective deterrent when used correctly. It also has drawbacks. First, the wind cannot be blowing away from the bear for it to work properly. The same compounds (capsaicin) meant to disable a bear’s upper respiratory system and prevent an attack will do the same to you if the wind is blowing in your face. If there’s a strong crosswind, enough of the deterrent might not make it to the bear. Even so, with the wind in your favor, one study noted that bear spray was 92 percent effective as a bear-deterrent tool.
Handguns are another option, but they have drawbacks as well. You need to be a crack shot when half-seconds count. Do you know where to aim at a charging bear? Will you stay steady in the moment? What if the bear is bluff-charging? Is your handgun big enough to stop it, or will it upset the bear even more? Keep in mind that the Endangered Species Act still protects grizzly bears in the Lower 48. If you kill one, you will need evidence that you acted in self-defense when you report the incident. The sound of a warning shot from a gun can help to scare a bear away, and packing heat is also an insurance policy that could save your life in a tense encounter. Some hunters choose both spray and handguns, with bear spray being the first option and a firearm the second. Regardless, know how to use your deterrents, including having a clear-eyed understanding of their limitations.
Bear Deterrent Carry Systems
Protection is a personal choice, whether you carry bear spray, bullets, or both. Bear encounters happen quickly, and bears move fast when provoked or surprised. Neither bear spray nor a gun is effective if you can’t access it in a split second.
However you choose to protect yourself, Stone Glacier has a few options that provide fast access to bear spray and handguns when seconds count.
The Sentinel Bear Spray Holster attaches to the bottom of the Sentinel Bino Harness and the belt of all Stone Glacier packs. Either option allows one-handed deployment while the canister is still in the holster or when removed. Attach the holster to the bottom of the bino harness using the hook and loop system. It can be positioned for right- or left-handed deployment. Using the same hook and loop system, the bear spray holster can be attached to the left or right side of our pack belts.
For handgun carry, Stone Glacier offers options similar to the bear spray holster. The waist belts on our packs use heavy-duty one-inch webbing, which allows hunters to attach virtually any holster to either the left or right side of the belt for hip carry. The Razco Gen 2 Bino Harness Holster is an innovative handgun holster that can be attached to the underside of the Sentinel Bino Harness, letting you ditch the pack while still wearing protection.
Bears aren't an issue for most of us enjoying time in the backcountry. Seeing and watching them in the wild is all part of the backcountry experience and a bonus when hunting them. Sometimes, though, our paths cross, and things go south. Preventing an attack by being smart in bear country is the first line of defense. If you find yourself face-to-face with a bear on the brink of an attack, seconds count. Having protection at your fingertips can make all the difference.
