08-19-2008, 05:10 PM
With Montana's upland game bird and bow hunting season underway September 1 and Sept. 6, it is a good time to review the basics of hunting safely in bear country.
A bowhunter may scramble a bear's early warning systems of sound and smell by wearing "no-scent" and walking stealthily through the forest camouflaged to look like a bush. Bird hunters often hunt streamside brush and willows known to harbor bears in autmn.
While that's what it takes to get close enough for a good shot with a bow and arrow or shotgun, those hunters are 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 archery 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.<br />
* Hunt with a partner. If you hunt alone, let someone know your detailed plans and have a way to periodically check in.<br />
* Bow hunters who harvest a deer or elk need to plan to quickly get the carcass out of the woods.<br />
* 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.<br />
* When you return, study the site from a safe distance for any movement or changes. When you finally approach, yell and make noises.<br />
* 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.
Fore more information visit fwp.mt.gov click on "Be Bear Aware." Also ask for the "How To Hunt Safely in Grizzly Country" brochure at any FWP office.
A bowhunter may scramble a bear's early warning systems of sound and smell by wearing "no-scent" and walking stealthily through the forest camouflaged to look like a bush. Bird hunters often hunt streamside brush and willows known to harbor bears in autmn.
While that's what it takes to get close enough for a good shot with a bow and arrow or shotgun, those hunters are 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 archery 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.<br />
* Hunt with a partner. If you hunt alone, let someone know your detailed plans and have a way to periodically check in.<br />
* Bow hunters who harvest a deer or elk need to plan to quickly get the carcass out of the woods.<br />
* 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.<br />
* When you return, study the site from a safe distance for any movement or changes. When you finally approach, yell and make noises.<br />
* 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.
Fore more information visit fwp.mt.gov click on "Be Bear Aware." Also ask for the "How To Hunt Safely in Grizzly Country" brochure at any FWP office.