This is crazy!

Our Montana elk outfitter had this happen. He and the cook packed out of the Bob to pick us up in Ovando and pack us to camp. They left their wrangler in camp by himself to mind the livestock. We ride into camp 3 days later. Here comes this wreck of a human - the wrangler - crying and screaming at us to lock and load. I thought he'd lost his mind - or had a stash of 'something' in camp.

Turns out, as soon as the outfitter left camp, the Griz moved in to take over. That bear terrorized the wrangler for 3 days straight - like hourly. When the bear heard our approach, it left camp. The tents were torn up, the cook tent was destroyed, the horses and mules were scratched up. It was a mess. The poor wrangler hadn't had any food or sleep for the duration. He was a mess. Took us 3 more days to get things straightened out. Then the Griz came back in the same attack mode. We lost 2 more days of hunting time just being in protect and survive mode. Griz finally pushed it a way bit too far. Killed one of the horses and started to chase the guide. One round of my 338-06 solved the problem. Lost the rest of the hunt to pack out, and get fish and game back to camp after we reported the kill and 'investigate'. They looked at the destruction in camp, took pictures of the dead horse and listened to the wrangler's story. They thanked us for a good kill and left camp the next day. End of elk hunt. Not good.
 
Beats the he'll out of any elk hunt I've been on.....
So what..kill an elk......
Play life an death with a crazed griz..
That's a memory not soon forgotten...

True - but the risk profile was extreme - with both the bear and fish and game division. My hunting partner/wife was not at all pleased.
 
Walking about in bear country without a .44 is like not walking without shoes and expecting now to step on a stone.
Agreed. I lived in Alaska for years, and never hiked, fished or hunted without my .41 mag attached to me. I can't imagine a miner who would not arm himself in bear country. I still wear a pistol at all times, a smaller one in town and a larger caliber when out of town.
 
I am only in Montana and my family carries spray and hardware every time.

Now that two Griz females with cubs have moved into the Flint range and another in the Miller Creek drainage just over the ridge from Missoula (Ranch owner that allows our scout troop to use his property showed me security cam photos from his porch) I am even more nervous. Most people in town, users of the Pattee Canyon Rec Area, have no idea there is a mama Griz lurking about.
 
I wonder about the story but I also realize how many morons are on this earth now. People thinking they are bad@ss is so common. Everyone is until you take that first punch to the face, game changer. I am not the smartest person on this planet but being that dumb@ss's age I know to not to be anywhere like that without com's, bear spray, pistol/shotgun, rifle, and flares. I carry an inReach any time I head into the woods. I have zero desire to die or suffer unnecessarily. Things happen, expect it.
 
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