Taking Precautions in Bear Country

If you will be hunting in the mountains of western Wyoming, you need to take precautions to minimize the possibility of a confrontation with a black or grizzly bear. Grizzlies are most likely to be found in the Beartooth, Absaroka, Owl Creek, northern Wind River, Gros Ventre, and Teton Mountains. 

• When you are not hunting, make noise, especially when traveling where visibility and hearing are limited. Horseback riders appear to have fewer problems than people traveling on foot. People traveling in groups of three or more also have fewer bear encounters.
• Be aware of seasonal food sources such as carcasses, wild berries, or white bark pine nuts.
• Be careful about hunting or traveling in dense, “dark” timber, including willow patches, where bears often make their day beds. Bears disturbed in their day bed may charge you in a defensive manner.
• Hunt with a partner, and stay within eyesight of each other.