Montana is Ground Zero for most grizzly bears in the United States.

Of the 6 designated wilderness areas where grizzlies are protected, 4 are in Big Sky Country. Grizzly-human conflicts are becoming more frequent, so maybe this account won’t come as a huge surprise. But this tense, up close and personal encounter makes for a fascinating tale.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Angela Montana, social media manager and digital specialist extraordinaire for the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, and avid hunter and angler, shared this enthralling account with a male grizzly. And the way she kept her cool would make for a pretty good how-to manual.

Angela?

“During an archery elk hunt in the Gravelly Range, I was bugling in a bull elk. They were coming up hill from my right and crossed a trail in front of me. As several cows passed, 2 spike bulls followed. Then I heard an additional critter coming up the same path.

At 20 yards, a male grizzly waddled into the trail and stopped. He was huge! The bear saw me and stood up on his back legs. I guessed he was well over 600 lbs. and stood 8-10 feet tall.

“I pulled by SW 357 revolver, stood on a log and held up my bow to make me look as big as possible. A wheel gun only carries 6 rounds but will always go off when the trigger is pulled. Semi-auto handguns easily jam. Bear spray requires hitting a pie plate- sized target: the bear’s face. Not an easy request.  

“I talked to the bear in a calm voice. He finally dropped to the ground and continued following the elk. Had the bear been a sow and had cubs, things could have been different. Sows tend to be more aggressive than the boars, especially when protecting cubs. Getting between sows and her cubs is a worst-case scenario.

“Not planning for a bear encounter is foolish today.”

Montana Grizzlies

Credit montanaoutdoor.com

There is more fascinating material in Angela’s account, including grizzly bear statistics and a pictorial guide, “How to Survive a Bear Attack.” With seasons getting underway, you hunters might find some excellent information here.

States with the most registered huntersStacker analyzed data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine which states have the most registered hunters. Read on to see how your state ranks on Stacker’s list.

Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

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