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Loadin' For Bear...And Other Large Predators!
Across much of the northern Lower 48 states, even down into some of the southern states, and all along the mountains of the West, black bear hunting has enjoyed a surge of new interest among hunters. And the primary reason has been a growing number of the bears. In fact, in quite a few areas they have gotten so plentiful, they have become quite a nuisance to rural residents. Where their numbers have really exploded, they've also become a leading reason why some deer and elk herds are shrinking. The bears are getting many of the newborn deer fawns and elk calves.
In Wisconsin, 15 years ago it was estimated that there were 15,000 black bears in the state, inhabiting pretty much the upper half of the state. Since then, the bears have been expanding their range southward, and the Wisconsin DNR now claims there are currently more than 30,000 black bears. The move southward can likely be linked to the growth in wolf numbers in the northern tier of counties - where the combination of wolf and bear depredation of the whitetail fawn crop has resulted in a 60-plus percent loss of deer populations. And both of these predators are now moving to where the prey base is stronger.
The same thing has been happening in Montana and Idaho, and the northwestern corner of Wyoming. Here, two other major predators also come into play - the mountain lion and the grizzly. The impact on big game populations has been devastating. In Montana , the northern Yellowstone elk herd, which numbered close to 20,000 during the early to mid 1990s, has crashed to only about 4,000. In Idaho, the famed Lolo herd of the central Bitterroot mountain range now numbers only about 1,200. Before wolves moved into the area (or were purposely transplanted there), and the rapid growth of bear and lion numbers, that herd numbered close to 14,000. Other elk herds in western Montana and much of Idaho are in just as much trouble, and the deer numbers are quickly collapsing as well.
Much is being done to try taking control of the predator problem, but the state wildlife agencies, with way too much assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have simply let the problem go on for too long. In many of these areas, even if the predators numbers are reduced by 70-percent over the next five or six years, it will take 40 or more years for these big game herds to recover...if they ever do.
In Wisconsin, 15 years ago it was estimated that there were 15,000 black bears in the state, inhabiting pretty much the upper half of the state. Since then, the bears have been expanding their range southward, and the Wisconsin DNR now claims there are currently more than 30,000 black bears. The move southward can likely be linked to the growth in wolf numbers in the northern tier of counties - where the combination of wolf and bear depredation of the whitetail fawn crop has resulted in a 60-plus percent loss of deer populations. And both of these predators are now moving to where the prey base is stronger.
The same thing has been happening in Montana and Idaho, and the northwestern corner of Wyoming. Here, two other major predators also come into play - the mountain lion and the grizzly. The impact on big game populations has been devastating. In Montana , the northern Yellowstone elk herd, which numbered close to 20,000 during the early to mid 1990s, has crashed to only about 4,000. In Idaho, the famed Lolo herd of the central Bitterroot mountain range now numbers only about 1,200. Before wolves moved into the area (or were purposely transplanted there), and the rapid growth of bear and lion numbers, that herd numbered close to 14,000. Other elk herds in western Montana and much of Idaho are in just as much trouble, and the deer numbers are quickly collapsing as well.
Much is being done to try taking control of the predator problem, but the state wildlife agencies, with way too much assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have simply let the problem go on for too long. In many of these areas, even if the predators numbers are reduced by 70-percent over the next five or six years, it will take 40 or more years for these big game herds to recover...if they ever do.
These Days Are A Great Time To Hunt Black Bears...
Typically, adult male black bears will weigh in at 250 to 350 pounds - and the same muzzleloading rifle and load you use for taking whitetails and other similarly sized game will double nicely as a black bear rifle. This is especially true where shots are inside of 75 yards. Outside of that range, some traditionally styled rifles and loads fall short in the energy department - especially loads made up with the patched round ball.
Of course, if you are looking for an excuse to run out and buy a new modern in-line rifle for developing something with a lot more wallop, a bear hunt this spring or next fall is as good as any.
In Idaho, that state's Department of Fish & Game has dropped the price of a Non-Resident Bear Permit to just $31.75 in areas with dangerously high bear populations. The regular cost of that permit is $186.00. And the hunter can buy a second tag as well. Both baiting and hunting bears with hounds are permitted. Next door in Montana, the state's Fish, Wildlife and Parks currently allows neither. And here, the Non-Resident Bear License will set you back $350. Black bears are now causing just as much of a problem in Montana, but the wildlife agency in this state seems willing to allow the bears to contribute to the near total loss of elk calves every spring. In some areas, the survival rate of calves is less than 10-percent. It takes around 20-percent just to sustain an elk herd - without hunting. To sustain a hunted herd requires a calf recruitment of around 30 calves per 100 cows.
(Note: Part of the problem in Montana is that the state's wildlife agency is now catering to environemntal groups rather than the sportsmen who fund that department. MT FWP is a recognized collaborator of the enviromovement known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. One policy of the more than 100 environmental groups, organizations and agencies making up that coalition is... "The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative neither endorses nor condones the hunting of carnivore species such as grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and cougars." The goal is to establish a 2,000 mile wilderness corridor from Wyoming to the Yukon...where wildlife can manage itself. It goes against the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.)
For more on this anti-hunting effort, go to - www.y2y.net
Of course, if you are looking for an excuse to run out and buy a new modern in-line rifle for developing something with a lot more wallop, a bear hunt this spring or next fall is as good as any.
In Idaho, that state's Department of Fish & Game has dropped the price of a Non-Resident Bear Permit to just $31.75 in areas with dangerously high bear populations. The regular cost of that permit is $186.00. And the hunter can buy a second tag as well. Both baiting and hunting bears with hounds are permitted. Next door in Montana, the state's Fish, Wildlife and Parks currently allows neither. And here, the Non-Resident Bear License will set you back $350. Black bears are now causing just as much of a problem in Montana, but the wildlife agency in this state seems willing to allow the bears to contribute to the near total loss of elk calves every spring. In some areas, the survival rate of calves is less than 10-percent. It takes around 20-percent just to sustain an elk herd - without hunting. To sustain a hunted herd requires a calf recruitment of around 30 calves per 100 cows.
(Note: Part of the problem in Montana is that the state's wildlife agency is now catering to environemntal groups rather than the sportsmen who fund that department. MT FWP is a recognized collaborator of the enviromovement known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. One policy of the more than 100 environmental groups, organizations and agencies making up that coalition is... "The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative neither endorses nor condones the hunting of carnivore species such as grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and cougars." The goal is to establish a 2,000 mile wilderness corridor from Wyoming to the Yukon...where wildlife can manage itself. It goes against the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.)
For more on this anti-hunting effort, go to - www.y2y.net
Going For Maximum Knock Down Power...Is That Really What It Takes?
There are those out there who think you need one of Knight's over touted .52 caliber rifles...150-grains of Triple Seven...and a 375-grain saboted bullet to dump a bear. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Gary "Doc" White used one of the White "Super 91" models in .451 caliber to take the bear in the photo at the top of this page. He was shooting a big 450-grain .450" diameter Super Slug, at about 1,300 f.p.s. to pretty much put this bear down on the spot.
The old photo (1983) of NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING host Toby Bridges at right shows him with a near 500-pound black bear, which was taken with a single shot from his .50 caliber reproduction of a Tryon rifle. The load consisted of 100-grains of FFg black powder and a patched 181-grain .495" Speer swaged round ball. The bear was taken through both lungs at about 45 yards, and after being hit the big bruin ran all of 30 yards before going down.
It doesn't take a cannon to bring bears down. When hunting bears over bait, or when hunting with hounds where the bear is generally treed, shots are typically inside of 30 or 40 yards. Any traditional patched round ball of .50 caliber or larger, shooting 90 or more grains of black powder or Pyrodex, and any .45 or larger caliber tradtiional bore-sized bullet rifle shooting a 240- to 500-grain lead bullet with 80 to 100 grains of black powder will sufficiently take even big black bears at such close range.
When hunting black bears with a modern in-line rifle loaded with saboted bulelts, I've taken them with bullet weights ranging from 250- to 300-grains. I do favor the heavier weight, since they do tend to punch out the other side better, helping to insure a blood trail that's easier to follow.
Gary "Doc" White used one of the White "Super 91" models in .451 caliber to take the bear in the photo at the top of this page. He was shooting a big 450-grain .450" diameter Super Slug, at about 1,300 f.p.s. to pretty much put this bear down on the spot.
The old photo (1983) of NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING host Toby Bridges at right shows him with a near 500-pound black bear, which was taken with a single shot from his .50 caliber reproduction of a Tryon rifle. The load consisted of 100-grains of FFg black powder and a patched 181-grain .495" Speer swaged round ball. The bear was taken through both lungs at about 45 yards, and after being hit the big bruin ran all of 30 yards before going down.
It doesn't take a cannon to bring bears down. When hunting bears over bait, or when hunting with hounds where the bear is generally treed, shots are typically inside of 30 or 40 yards. Any traditional patched round ball of .50 caliber or larger, shooting 90 or more grains of black powder or Pyrodex, and any .45 or larger caliber tradtiional bore-sized bullet rifle shooting a 240- to 500-grain lead bullet with 80 to 100 grains of black powder will sufficiently take even big black bears at such close range.
When hunting black bears with a modern in-line rifle loaded with saboted bulelts, I've taken them with bullet weights ranging from 250- to 300-grains. I do favor the heavier weight, since they do tend to punch out the other side better, helping to insure a blood trail that's easier to follow.
My Specialize Bear Hunting Rifle...
My specialized bear rifle is special in several ways...especially these days. First, it is in .54 caliber. Secondly, it was part of a custom run of short and fast handling "Brush Rifle" limited edition muzzleloaders produced by Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Company, first offered in 2007. Third, if you click on the photo of the rifle (below right) to enlarge it...you'll see it is Serial No. 1 of that run of 250 rifles.
But what really makes it so special is that it is absolutely the best shooting .54 caliber muzzleloader I've ever shot and hunted with - even though it is built with just a 20-inch barrel (with a 19 1/2-inch "working bore" ).
Early on, I tended to prefer the saboted 325-grain .500" diameter all-copper Barnes Expander MZ offering for the .54 bores. I was stoking this quick-pointing shortie with a full 120-grain charge of Blackhorn 209, and getting the big hollow-pointed all-copper bullet out of the muzzle at 1,914 f.p.s. - with 2,642 f.p.e.. My goal for this rifle was to make it my up close and personal hunting rifle, for when I had to go into thick cover...and where shots would be close.
Somewhere along the way, I began shooting the 330- and 400-grain Hard Cast lead .451" saboted bullets from Harvester Muzzleloading (shown above left). With the 120-grain charge of Blackhorn 209, I could get the lighter 330-grain flat-nosed bullet on its way at 1,903 f.p.s. - with 2,649 f.p.e.. During some testing to determine the "Best Bush Brusting Muzzleloader Hunting Bullet", both the 330- and 400-grain Hard Cast bullets had topped the field of more than a dozen bullets tested. Shooting the same charge behind the heavier 400-grain, I found that I could get it out of the short barrel at 1,849 f.p.s., with 3,040 foot-pounds of bruin dropping energy.
But what really makes it so special is that it is absolutely the best shooting .54 caliber muzzleloader I've ever shot and hunted with - even though it is built with just a 20-inch barrel (with a 19 1/2-inch "working bore" ).
Early on, I tended to prefer the saboted 325-grain .500" diameter all-copper Barnes Expander MZ offering for the .54 bores. I was stoking this quick-pointing shortie with a full 120-grain charge of Blackhorn 209, and getting the big hollow-pointed all-copper bullet out of the muzzle at 1,914 f.p.s. - with 2,642 f.p.e.. My goal for this rifle was to make it my up close and personal hunting rifle, for when I had to go into thick cover...and where shots would be close.
Somewhere along the way, I began shooting the 330- and 400-grain Hard Cast lead .451" saboted bullets from Harvester Muzzleloading (shown above left). With the 120-grain charge of Blackhorn 209, I could get the lighter 330-grain flat-nosed bullet on its way at 1,903 f.p.s. - with 2,649 f.p.e.. During some testing to determine the "Best Bush Brusting Muzzleloader Hunting Bullet", both the 330- and 400-grain Hard Cast bullets had topped the field of more than a dozen bullets tested. Shooting the same charge behind the heavier 400-grain, I found that I could get it out of the short barrel at 1,849 f.p.s., with 3,040 foot-pounds of bruin dropping energy.
Special Scope For A Special Rifle...
Since this is a "close cover" rfle, for use when primarily hunting over a bait (50 to 60 yards maximum distance), I mounted a scope on the .54 "Brush Rifle" that is ideal for up close and personal encounters - one of the excellent 1-4x CMR (Close-Medium Range) models from Leatherwood/Hi-Lux Optics. And that scope has found a home on this rifle. (Photo At Right) It's a great scope, and when set at its true 1x setting...it is easy to quickly find a moving target that could be just a few feet away. And when set at the 4x magnification setting, I've actually punched a few sub 1-inch hundred yard groups with my hard thumping bear load. And for those real low light situations, which it often is when hunting under a heavy canopy, the reticle of this scope can be illuminated - and the intensity of the illumination adjusted accordingly.
Note: I refer to this as my "Idaho Bear Rifle" - where I can hunt over bait and use a lighted reticle when absolutely needed. In Montana, baiting bears is not allowed. Another of the idiotic Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regulations also prohibit the use of an illuminated reticle. Still, I have hunted with the rifle and scope in this state. I simply remove the battery from the On/Off switch for the reticle. It will be interesting to see how that's handled if and when I run into a conservation officer. But...I'm ready for the challenge.
Note: I refer to this as my "Idaho Bear Rifle" - where I can hunt over bait and use a lighted reticle when absolutely needed. In Montana, baiting bears is not allowed. Another of the idiotic Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regulations also prohibit the use of an illuminated reticle. Still, I have hunted with the rifle and scope in this state. I simply remove the battery from the On/Off switch for the reticle. It will be interesting to see how that's handled if and when I run into a conservation officer. But...I'm ready for the challenge.
Hunting With Your Deer Or Elk Load...
In the Northern Rockies, hunters take just as many bears, if not more, during the fall general big game seasons as they do during the spring bear hunting seasons. Likewise, it's a good bet that they weren't even really hunting bears in the fall...but had a bear tag in their pocket just in case they saw one while hunting for elk, deer or other big game.
Here in Montana where I now live, I've come to hunt with a rifle and load that's fully capable of taking whatever game is in season - for which I have a tag. For the fall 2011 season, I had tags for deer, elk, black bear and wolf. Both of the rifles I carried through the 5 week general season were stoked with the same exact load - 110-grains of Blackhorn 209 and the saboted 300 grain Scorpion PT Gold from Harvester Muzzleloading.
(Photo At Left - Muzzleloading hunter Ashley Groves took this nice black bear at just 38 yards with her .50 Traditions Pursuit XLT.)
One of those rifles, a .50 caliber Knight "Mountaineer" model with a 27-inch barrel gets the load out of the muzzle at 1,967 f.p.s. - with 2,577 f.p.e. The other rifle is one of the Traditions VORTEK models, sporting a 28-inch barrel. Out of that rifle, the same exact load leaves the muzzle at 1,942 f.p.s. Shouldn't the slightly longer barrel produce a slightly higher velocity? Not in this case. While barrel length does dramatically affect bullet speed, so do other factors, including the fit of the sabot & bullet combination in the bore itself. However, in this case, it has to do with the length of the actual "working bore". From the muzzle to the face of the breech plug, the bore of the Knight "Mountaineer" is right at 26 1/2 inches. While sold as an inch longer barrel, the Traditions VORTEK feature a longer breech plug...and also looses nearly an inch at the muzzle, where the barrel is ported. Those ports allow some deceleration. The "working bore" of this rifle is right at 26 inches.
Out at 200 yards, the load out of the Knight bolt-action in-line ignition rifle is still good for 1,439 f.p.s. and 1,377 foot-pounds of knockdown power. Out of the Traditions break-open rifle, the load clocks along at 1,404 f.p.s., with 1,311 f.p.e. Either is still fully capable of putting down whatever I have a tag for. For what it is worth, of the dozen or so black bears I have taken through the years, I have never shot one past 100 yards. At that distance each of these rifles, shooting the same load detailed here, will deliver nearly a ton of bear-taking wallop.
Toby Bridges,
NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here in Montana where I now live, I've come to hunt with a rifle and load that's fully capable of taking whatever game is in season - for which I have a tag. For the fall 2011 season, I had tags for deer, elk, black bear and wolf. Both of the rifles I carried through the 5 week general season were stoked with the same exact load - 110-grains of Blackhorn 209 and the saboted 300 grain Scorpion PT Gold from Harvester Muzzleloading.
(Photo At Left - Muzzleloading hunter Ashley Groves took this nice black bear at just 38 yards with her .50 Traditions Pursuit XLT.)
One of those rifles, a .50 caliber Knight "Mountaineer" model with a 27-inch barrel gets the load out of the muzzle at 1,967 f.p.s. - with 2,577 f.p.e. The other rifle is one of the Traditions VORTEK models, sporting a 28-inch barrel. Out of that rifle, the same exact load leaves the muzzle at 1,942 f.p.s. Shouldn't the slightly longer barrel produce a slightly higher velocity? Not in this case. While barrel length does dramatically affect bullet speed, so do other factors, including the fit of the sabot & bullet combination in the bore itself. However, in this case, it has to do with the length of the actual "working bore". From the muzzle to the face of the breech plug, the bore of the Knight "Mountaineer" is right at 26 1/2 inches. While sold as an inch longer barrel, the Traditions VORTEK feature a longer breech plug...and also looses nearly an inch at the muzzle, where the barrel is ported. Those ports allow some deceleration. The "working bore" of this rifle is right at 26 inches.
Out at 200 yards, the load out of the Knight bolt-action in-line ignition rifle is still good for 1,439 f.p.s. and 1,377 foot-pounds of knockdown power. Out of the Traditions break-open rifle, the load clocks along at 1,404 f.p.s., with 1,311 f.p.e. Either is still fully capable of putting down whatever I have a tag for. For what it is worth, of the dozen or so black bears I have taken through the years, I have never shot one past 100 yards. At that distance each of these rifles, shooting the same load detailed here, will deliver nearly a ton of bear-taking wallop.
Toby Bridges,
NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER LARGE & DANGEROUS PREDATORS
Here Kitty...Kitty...Kitty...
For the 2011 general big game seasons I did not purchase a mountain lion tag. I really did not have a good place to hunt lions last fall, and I wanted to concentrate more on other game. Shown here is a big cat taken by one of my good friends and neighbors a couple of seasons back. The population of the big cats is on the rise here in Montana, and rest assured I will buy a tag for 2012. While looking for wolves, after a fresh snow fall, several times I came across the tracks of cats just as big as that shown here...and late one afternoon, while walking my dogs, I saw a really good cat standing at the edge of a logging road...across a narrow valley...and just 200 yards away.
Here in the Northern Rockies, the most successful hunts for mountain lions are with well trained hounds. One group of five hound hunters I know all got their lion this season (which is still in as I write this in mid February). For those shots at treed lions, many have been taken with .22 Magnum rifles. Should I get invited to hunt with the hound hunters I've gotten to know, I would probably rely on one of my .50 caliber rifles, loaded with a moderate 70 to 80 grain charge of Blackhorn 209 behind a 240- or 260-grain Scorpion PT Gold - and go for the behind the shoulder shot...or perhaps a through the front shoulder shot...to take one or both of those front shoulders out of commission if one very irrate and still very lively big cat dropped in amongst the dogs.
Here in the Northern Rockies, the most successful hunts for mountain lions are with well trained hounds. One group of five hound hunters I know all got their lion this season (which is still in as I write this in mid February). For those shots at treed lions, many have been taken with .22 Magnum rifles. Should I get invited to hunt with the hound hunters I've gotten to know, I would probably rely on one of my .50 caliber rifles, loaded with a moderate 70 to 80 grain charge of Blackhorn 209 behind a 240- or 260-grain Scorpion PT Gold - and go for the behind the shoulder shot...or perhaps a through the front shoulder shot...to take one or both of those front shoulders out of commission if one very irrate and still very lively big cat dropped in amongst the dogs.
Wolves...
There have been so many lies spewed forth about the wolves that have been released into the Northern Rockies, mostly by state and federal wildlife agencies, it is impossible to sort fact from fiction...or is it fiction from fact?
One ongoing debate has been the legality of USFWS bringing in an entirely non-native subspecies to accelerate the spreading of wolves throughout the region. The native subspecies of this region was Canis lupus irremotus - a medium sized wolf, with adult males rarely topping 95 pounds. The wolf that USFWS transplanted into the Greater Yellowston Area from north central Alberta is of the subspecies Canis lupus occidentalis - the largest subspecies with adult males known to top out at around 150 pounds...with a few whoppers taken that have gone as heavy as 175 pounds.
Another major difference is that the irremotus wolf commonly hunted in pairs or alone, while the occidentalis wolf is a pack hunter. Packs of 20 or more have been recorded in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and these huge packs are destroying elk herds and other big game populations - commonly killing twice or more what they consume...leaving the rest to rot. Such large packs, or even smaller packs of 5 or 6 pose a real problem...and a real threat to the hunter using a single-shot muzzle-loaded rifle. These apex predators show no fear of man, and have run quite a few hunters off of elk and deer kills that those hunters were trying to get out. The sound of a single shot often sounds the dinner bell for a large group of wolves. When muzzleloading for wolves (or bears for that matter), carrying a large caliber back up side arm just makes good sense. Me, I carry an old Ruger .44 magnum anytime I head out - whether I'm hunting or not. It's a practice I started when three wolves chased my two dogs back to the truck one late October afternoon a couple of years back.
Again, just about any modern in-line ignition muzzleloading rifle and load that has worked well to take whitetails or mule deer is adequate for hunting wolves.
One ongoing debate has been the legality of USFWS bringing in an entirely non-native subspecies to accelerate the spreading of wolves throughout the region. The native subspecies of this region was Canis lupus irremotus - a medium sized wolf, with adult males rarely topping 95 pounds. The wolf that USFWS transplanted into the Greater Yellowston Area from north central Alberta is of the subspecies Canis lupus occidentalis - the largest subspecies with adult males known to top out at around 150 pounds...with a few whoppers taken that have gone as heavy as 175 pounds.
Another major difference is that the irremotus wolf commonly hunted in pairs or alone, while the occidentalis wolf is a pack hunter. Packs of 20 or more have been recorded in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and these huge packs are destroying elk herds and other big game populations - commonly killing twice or more what they consume...leaving the rest to rot. Such large packs, or even smaller packs of 5 or 6 pose a real problem...and a real threat to the hunter using a single-shot muzzle-loaded rifle. These apex predators show no fear of man, and have run quite a few hunters off of elk and deer kills that those hunters were trying to get out. The sound of a single shot often sounds the dinner bell for a large group of wolves. When muzzleloading for wolves (or bears for that matter), carrying a large caliber back up side arm just makes good sense. Me, I carry an old Ruger .44 magnum anytime I head out - whether I'm hunting or not. It's a practice I started when three wolves chased my two dogs back to the truck one late October afternoon a couple of years back.
Again, just about any modern in-line ignition muzzleloading rifle and load that has worked well to take whitetails or mule deer is adequate for hunting wolves.
Grizzly Bear Numbers Rising Sharply...
Over the past ten years, grizzlies have greatly expanded their range in the Northern Rockies...and like they have with wolves, state and federal wildlfie agencies repeatedly lied about the true number of the big bears. For the past four years, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has claimed that the total number of the bears in the mountains of western Montana has been about 900 bears.
This past fall (2011) a special meeting was held to address why hunters could not find eny elk in the northwest region of the state, and there to face a large crowd of extremely angry sportsmen were MT FWP wildlife managers. As that agency has done far too many times, the attitude of those representing the agency only made the crowd more angry. The hunters of that region had heard all the lies they could stand, and pressed those from FWP about the issue...and they caved. They agreed that wolves had decimated the elk herds. But also blamed much of the depredation on grizzlies, especially during the spring calving period. According to the FWP Region 1 wildlife manager at that meeting in Kalispell, the very northwest corner of the state alone os now home to more than 1,000 of the big bears.
If FWP's erroneous grizzly numbers hold true for the rest of western Montana, then there are likely 2,000 to 2,500 of the big bears in the state - not 900. And the time to begin managing their numbers has already passed. People are now being killed by the bears, and too many grizzlies have been shot in self defense. One thing is for certain, if you hunt with a muzzleloader in Northern Rockies grizzly country, carry enough gun for whatever you may encounter...and a multi-shot back up. Me...I'm already looking at going to one of the .52 caliber Knight models for all of my hunting in western Montana. - Toby Bridges, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
Be Sure To Visit Our Sister Website - LOBO WATCH
www.lobowatch.com
This past fall (2011) a special meeting was held to address why hunters could not find eny elk in the northwest region of the state, and there to face a large crowd of extremely angry sportsmen were MT FWP wildlife managers. As that agency has done far too many times, the attitude of those representing the agency only made the crowd more angry. The hunters of that region had heard all the lies they could stand, and pressed those from FWP about the issue...and they caved. They agreed that wolves had decimated the elk herds. But also blamed much of the depredation on grizzlies, especially during the spring calving period. According to the FWP Region 1 wildlife manager at that meeting in Kalispell, the very northwest corner of the state alone os now home to more than 1,000 of the big bears.
If FWP's erroneous grizzly numbers hold true for the rest of western Montana, then there are likely 2,000 to 2,500 of the big bears in the state - not 900. And the time to begin managing their numbers has already passed. People are now being killed by the bears, and too many grizzlies have been shot in self defense. One thing is for certain, if you hunt with a muzzleloader in Northern Rockies grizzly country, carry enough gun for whatever you may encounter...and a multi-shot back up. Me...I'm already looking at going to one of the .52 caliber Knight models for all of my hunting in western Montana. - Toby Bridges, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
Be Sure To Visit Our Sister Website - LOBO WATCH
www.lobowatch.com
Blackhorn 209...No. 1 In Speed & Accuracy - www.blackhorn209.com
Summit Treestands Supports Muzzleloader Hunting - www.summitstands.com
Leatherwood/Hi-Lux Optics - www.hi-luxoptics.com
