Grizzly Bear Hunting Tips

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Grizzly bears are slightly smaller than the Alaskan Brown bears but nevertheless one of the most aggressive and strongest among the bear species found in North America.

Grizzlys occupy the top spot of the food chain along with humans in North America. It is a formidable animal to face in the wild. Grizzlys are known to be omnivorous in their diet and in some cases they attack humans.

The hunting of Grizzly bears is allowed liberally in some areas of North America as the healthy bear population is affecting the moose and caribou numbers negatively. However in some areas the hunter is allowed to hunt only one grizzly every four years. In British Columbia where it has become necessary to limit the number of animals taken, limited entry hunting regulations apply. It creates hunting opportunities to residents of British Columbia via a lottery system to those who legally posses a B.C. resident hunter number. Non-residents can go on guided hunting trips with licensed outfitters, as they are well aware of hunting regulations and the best hunting grounds, this will ensure a safer and more enjoyable hunting trip.

Get your paper work ready before embarking on a bear-hunting trip. Gun permit, A hunting license, and You will need to register your weapons at Canadian Customs.

Grizzly Habitat

Grizzly bears are generally found in the high country above timber lines in the interiors of partially forested areas. They are formidable predators and their diet typically consist of berries, roots, grasses, many kinds of plants, land squirrels, new born caribou, moose and other wild life. They are also known to kill and consume adult moose and caribou.

Grizzly Hunting Season

Both spring and fall are good seasons to hunt grizzlies. In spring the coat of grizzly is denser with thick long hair and sharper claws resulting in high quality hides.

In fall the bears are at they’re heaviest and also the density of the bears in hunting areas around salmon streams increases.

Time your bear hunting during spring as the weather is good, daylight hours are long and it is easier to spot and stalk feeding bears against the white snow.

Grizzly Hunting Equipment

Equipment required to hunt Grizzly and Brown Bears

A high caliber rifle any thing above a 30.06 is recommended.
Bullets 180+grains to take down large brown/Grizzly bears are recommended.
In areas where it is legal like West Virginia during the gun season bear hunting dogs like Plott hounds, Walker hounds, African lion hounds are some of the breeds used, however the dogs stamina and the ability to pick up and follow the scent for a longer period is the most important characteristic in choosing the dog. Not more than six dogs per hunting party are allowed also the dogs must have a collar displaying the owner’s name, address, telephone number.
Essentials like tent, sleeping bag, cooking gas stove, fuel, food stuff, signal kit, water purification kit, and flash light with spare batteries.
Good binoculars and spotting scope with High quality lenses are essential to prevent eye strain.
A good knife having a broad soft steel blade for skinning.
A Bow with a draw weight of 70 pounds or 65+ft.lbs. of kinetic energy is ideal.
A Rangefinder to get accurate yardages before shooting
Broad heads with 100+ grains with razor sharp blades and a sharp tip to maximize the penetration and clean exit are recommended, Accuracy and penetration determine the efficiency of the kill.
Some examples of high quality Razor sharp hunting broadheads to penetrate the thick layer of fur, fatty hide, muscles, lungs, cartilage, bone, are given below :

Montec G5 100-grain- 1 1/16” cutting diameter

Montec G5 125-grain- 1- 1/8” cutting diameter

Muzzy 110, 115, 125, 130, 145 grain heads

Wasp Cam-Lok 125, 130, Hammer-SST 125

Apart from these you would require mosquito head nets, clothing to protect you from the frequent weather changes like to hot to cold, windy to calm, and snow shoes.

Tricks/Tips in Grizzly/Brown bear hunting

When bow-hunting get as close to the bear as possible usually 40 yards is a safe distance.
Take either a quartering away shot or a broadside one also remember to have the high caliber rifle handy for backup.

When hunting with a rifle, an optimal shot is when the bear is 250 yards away.
If the bear charges towards you take a clean shot preferably in the two lungs to stop the charge as this might be your only shot, or take a shot at the shoulder to break a bone.
Keep shooting the big bear until the bear is down and stays down but be careful not to damage the skull for record book entry and also to avoid damage to the trophy for the taxidermist unless of course you are in a life threatening situation, then it is better to live than worry about trophy accolades.
Heavy bullets with enough long range energy are advisable to attain desired penetration.
Brown /Grizzly bears do not hibernate, and are awakened easily.
Approach caves and crevices carefully as Brown/Grizzly nest in them.
Build up your stamina to be able to walk several miles in snow and uphill hiking.
Keep your gun handy at all times.
Do not camp near known game trails.
Do not keep foodstuff out of the tent.
It is advisable to be scent and human odor free to avoid detection by the animals.

The following site has some great info on common grizzly bear hunting myths:

http://www.bearsinbc.com/pages/02grizzly/02myths.html

Posted by Justin Ott