Took a boat trip to moose camp

Dave, you sure are at ease around bears and obviously have had a lot of time learning their moves. Bears are usually shown as being really possessive of their food supply... with grizzes charging when defending. Is this true? Do they charge most of the time and bluff, or is the real risk that they will blast thru heavy brush without you knowing they're even there and not give you much time to get a few rounds in him? You mentioned shotguns. Do you also carry handguns? Big handguns...

 

Have had a couple mock charges. 3 & 4 year old grizzlies usually.
It don't scare the shi1 out of you, it puckers you so tight, you'd bend a needle

I don't hunt bear anymore but I know they are around.
Shot gun gives me confidence enough to stand my ground if needed. Never shot one with a shot gun yet.
Figure if it's blind, I can run, it won't find me & will be to sore to eat me.
I'll shoot right over their head, one time, so far, they've always run off.

Possessive of their food is true, few maulings from that every year.
Anchorage had a few moose calf kills this spring, posted signs to warn people.
other dangers:
Sow with cubs
3 & 4 year olds (just got kick out by mom, teenagers, young - dumb & curious )
males during mating season
dumpster divers, usually always have to be put down.

99% of the ones I've encountered, ran as soon as they saw me.

I make lots of noise when in bear country, & haven't seen a bear with in 500 yards for years.

Smart animal. Here they know humans are danger to them,
Park & city bears know you can't/won't do anything to them, many eventually become problems.

Wild ones run where I hunt, fish & camp, always open season on bears there.
Smart ones run, dumb ones end up on the wall.

Now that there is a predator control program where I hunt, the bears will be even more afraid of people.
Even allowed to have brown bear bait stations. (was only allowed to bait for black bear in the past)
After a few are killed, the rest will learn that if they smell a human "RUN".

I see lots of huge grizzly tracks, never see the bear. A big bear is a smart bear, avoids humans .

Brown bear don't hunt humans.
They might maul a few, but those bears usually end up on a wall.

But they are big

 

Is that a big azz skeeter on its big azz paw dave?

Cool place where you live.

 

Yeah that's true!

Couple years back was out fishing at the Russian. Got there real early in the AM, maybe 2-3ish. Was barely light.

Forgot something at the truck so I went back to the parking area (maybe 10 min walk). On my way back on the boardwalk were some HUGE bear prints. Was following a bit behind me when I had been going out to the truck.

Most of the time if I'm out hiking or camping I have the dog. I figure if a bear really wants to eat... well I hope the dog smells more edible... hopefully I have a chance sling some lead

 

Really interesting stuff. Thanks for that. You Alaskan guys definately pay attention more than most when you're out in the woods.

 

I see the same behavior with bears at our camp in VT as far as being leery of people. We have a decent piece of property and are surrounded almost completely by National Forest. People are out hunting and let their hounds run which also harasses the bears. But it is all good adverse conditioning. I have never see a bear at my camp or on my property in 51 years, yet they are regularly seen 5 miles down the road in town.