Today I came across a great article about Grizzly Bears since I know a lot of you big game hunters hunt in areas where these beasts roam.  Whether you're hunting for elk, deer, moose, caribou, or just about any other big game, you need to be aware of how to deal with bears if you're in bear country.

This article by Christopher Batin sheds some light about what to do when you encounter a bear.

Two things I took away from this is to not run, stand your ground, and remember to pack pepper spray.

Enjoy the article...

-Michael

How to Outrun a Grizzly...

By Christopher Batin

What to do when you're face-to-face with North America's most dangerous predator.

June 2006

“That bear is stalking us,” said my friend Larry Suiter as we glassed for Sitka blacktail deer on Alaska’s Sitkalidak Island.

Larry was intently scanning the shrub-laced valley we had walked earlier that morning. An 8-foot Kodiak brown bear was walking the same route we had taken. The bear had its nose to our trail like a beagle on a rabbit track, though we had taken no deer and our hip boots, clothing and packs were clean of deer scent and food. When I watched it pass within 30 yards of two blacktail does without stopping, I knew we had a problem.

“Let’s get to higher ground,” said Larry. We huffed to the next level of alpine tundra, where we had a clear view. I suggested a higher knoll, which would give us a better field of fire and put a massive ravine between us and the bear. Larry looked down just as we reached the top.

The bear, on a dead run, cleared the ridge. It would have bowled us over had we not moved to the higher position. It disappeared into the thicketed ravine, but soon reemerged in the open, on our side, 50 yards from us. We were already in defensive mode. Larry was sitting with his .338 shouldered. I took a step toward the bear, threatening it with all sorts of consequences if it came one step closer.

The bear held its head low, swaying it from side to side, trying to get our scent. It moved forward a few feet and hesitated before slowly backing up. It crouched like a cat, ready to pounce. Seeing we were not deterred, the bear eased sideways into the ravine and disappeared. That put us on alert.

“He’s trying to sneak around and get above us,” Larry said.

Perched on a rocky point overlooking the ravine, I watched the bear weave through the thickets, trying to circle around us. I scurried to an outcrop above it. It stopped, sat down and looked directly at me. The standoff lasted 20 minutes. I waved Larry over to me and we scurried up an opposite hillside out of sight of the bear. We never saw it again.

There's a lot more too this...Click Here To Read The Rest!

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