Hunting in Grizzly Country: How to be Prepared and Avoid Bears

Hunting in grizzly country requires some forethought and preparedness in order to avoid bears, and knowing what to do should you encounter a grizzly.

Randy Newberg offers some very sensible advice on hunting in grizzly country. Newberg admits that when he started hunting in locations that were frequented by grizzly bears he too was a little fearful and not real excited about the possibility of encountering a bear.

But as time went on and he learned more about bears and how to avoid them - and what to do should an encounter occur - he came to love the opportunity that hunting in bear country offered.

"Grizzly country," says Newberg, "has some of our best elk hunting, it has lower hunting pressure as a general rule, it has a better age class [of elk], and the likelihood of success is probably going to be better."

All good reasons to hunt in grizzly territory.

Knowledge is key to avoiding bears. Learn whatever you can about bear biology and behavior patterns. Be a student of the bear. This will help you make good decisions on how and when to avoid certain areas that bears frequent. Avoidance is the key.

Of course keeping your camp spotlessly clean is ago-old advice. Keep your food separate from your camp and keep it elevated. Click here for a good article on bear proofing your campsite.

Newberg favors bear spray over a gun as a tool of last resort. Whether you agree with him or not, it is certainly wise to have bear spray handy and easily accessible when in bear country. Click here for an article on bear spray advice.

If you do down an elk or deer and a grizzly moves in to take it, he advises that you simply let the bear have your kill. It's not worth it to battle a grizzly over an elk...unless you have the manpower and resources to do it properly. Click here to learn about how to intelligently retrieve your kill from a grizzly bear.

Hunting in grizzly country requires some mental and physical preparation. Be prepared, be smart, be alert, and make good decisions. But don't let it dissuade you from hunting in good areas.

Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.

NEXT: Grizzly Bears Eat 40,000 Moths a Day