[vigilguy]

On my way back from Cody, Wyoming where we met with the US Forest Service about bighorn Sheep and keeping the Northern Winds open to goatpacking, I had the chance to call John Mioncynski and share details with him about the meeting, one topic had to do with Grizzly Bears. The Forest Service assumes that since there is an increase in Grizzly Bear populations in the Northern Winds, that that is another reason to kick us out.

John informed that that during two decades of taking clients into the Absaroka Wilderness, which was infested with Grizzlies at the time, that he NEVER encountered a Grizzly in their camp, not one time. Were they around? Yes. They'd wake up in the mornings and identify grizzly tracks outside their camp...but the grizzlies never entered their camp at night and disturbed them. And he told he that he would be willing to testify to that fact. I do not know if it is because Grizzlies do not know what goats are, or if the bells on the collars made the bears associate them with humans, but I found it somewhat comforting to know that he'd never had an encounter when packing with his goats.

 

[thaddeusss]

thanks so much for sharing that! my goats are headed into the northern cascades this month and I did have a little concern over possible grizzly encounters...

on the other hand, I recently spoke with a friend who told me she lost one of her packers to a bear - but it was near yosemite.

 

[Jake Levi]

Thaddeus where are you located ? I will be on the eastern edge of the Colville Natl Forest.

To date my encounters have been with Black Bears which arenot at all bashful about coming into camp. But to date have been able to scare them off with clattering on something and shouting, or firing a warning shot.