Bird & Bowhunters, Avoid Becoming The Hunted

Friday, August 22, 2008
Hunting

This article was Archived on Monday, September 22, 2008

With Montana’s upland game bird and bow hunting seasons underway beginning Sept. 6, it is a good time to review the basics of hunting safely in bear country.

Grizzly bears can be found throughout western Montana, and in recent years grizzly bears are venturing out to explore and inhabit historic ranges.

Every bird and bow hunters need to be aware that the act of hunting increase the risk of encountering grizzly bears.

Hunters who carefully and quietly walking through brush and willows, try elk bugling or use game calls, and cover themselves with "natural" and "no-scent" products may attract bears.

Or startle them.

Consider a bowhunter wearing "no-scent" and walking stealthily through the forest camouflaged to look like a bush.   While that’s what it takes to get close enough for a good shot with a bow, that hunter is making it hard for a bear to notice him or her.

Grizzly bears are found throughout western Montana, not just the Rocky Mountain Front, Bob Marshall Wilderness complex and the Yellowstone ecosystem, and black bears range widely across the state.

Here are some guidelines for bird and bow hunters hunting in bear country.

• Be prepared to see a bear. Mentally rehearse handling different scenarios with bears so you are better prepared.
• Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
• Hunt with a partner. If you hunt alone, let someone know your detailed plans and have a way to periodically check in.
• Bow hunters who harvest a deer or elk need to plan to quickly get the carcass out of the woods.
• Carcasses left in the woods require special precautions. Carry a colored, lightweight tarp or space blanket. Put the entrails on the tarp and drag them as far away from the carcass as possible. Then use the tarp to cover the carcass. This will reduce the scent trail.
• When you return, study the site from a safe distance for any movement or changes. When you finally approach, yell and make noises.
• Do not attempt to frighten or haze a bear away from a carcass.

If, in spite of these precautions, a bear is found at the site eating the carcass, or a bear has covered the carcass with debris and it is not salvageable, hunters should immediately report the incident to FWP.

For more on hunting safely in bear country, visit FWP’s at fwp.mt.gov. Click "Be Bear Aware."   Hunters can also p ick up a copy of " How to Hunt Safely in Grizzly Country" brochure at any FWP office.