Hunting high in the mountains above Cody last year, Diana Sweet had gotten her elk around noon and, shortly afterward, her father shot his about a quarter mile away. After field dressing and quartering the huge animals, they started making the long hike back to camp to get the horses.

The hike was a lot farther than they thought it would be. So with the sun getting low in the sky, they decided to stay the night in camp and ride up to retrieve their elk first thing the following morning.

"We got out there, and there were five grizzlies on it," she said.

Her father's elk was untouched, so they were able to retrieve that one, but she had to abandon hers and leave it to the grizzlies.

It's becoming almost common for hunters to encounter grizzlies or lose their game to the bruins in the mountains of Wyoming where grizzlies roam.

"It seemed that of most of the people we talked to, at least one in their group lost an elk [to grizzlies]. I think we saw eight bears in three days. It was crazy last year," she said.

This year should be no less crazy. With a pine nut crop that's fair at best, grizzlies will be searching for other food sources, state biologists warn.

Hunting in Wyoming's grizzly country presents the chance to hunt in some of the most spectacular scenery in the state, but it brings the unique and possibly dangerous challenge of protecting your downed game from the bears. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is advising those who hunt in areas that have grizzlies to take some precautions to avoid losing their game to bears and for their own safety.

In fall, grizzly and black bears consume more food to build up fat reserves to survive the winter, when a bear will go about five months without eating. Mark Bruscino, bear management officer for Game and Fish, warned hunters in a press release this month that this time of year grizzlies can become more aggressive in protecting their food sources, and defending their cubs and their space.

According to state bear biologists, the summer berry crop was quite good this year, but when that food source is used up bears feed on whitebark pine nuts. Then they move on to other food sources, such as elk carcasses from hunters.

Bruscino said grizzlies replace lost calories by eating gut piles and animal remains left behind during the fall hunting season - or the whole carcass if they can get to it before the hunter packs it out.

Outfitters have reported that some grizzlies have learned to associate the sound of a gunshot with food.

The key to protecting your game - and yourself - while hunting in grizzly country is to hunt with a partner, always be on the lookout for bears and signs that they've been around, to pack out the meat as soon as possible, and carry bear spray to have a non-lethal alternative to deter attacks, said Dennie Hammer, hunter education instructor and education specialist for Game and Fish.

"We really want to encourage hunters to carry bear spray," Hammer said.

Hunting with horses equipped with saddle panniers is the best way to go, he said, because it allows hunters to get their game out quickly.

In Sweet's case, however, having horses didn't help because her elk was so far away from camp. The hunting party had little choice but to leave the animals out overnight - a situation common to many hunters.

After losing the elk to bears, "We decided if we go out again we're not shooting anything much past noon unless we're all close to camp," Sweet said. "It's kind of worthless to go shoot something and have a bear take it anyway."

Protecting your game

When leaving a carcass out overnight is necessary, bear biologists advise hunters to do the following:

* If possible, hang the carcass at least 10 feet off the ground and four feet away from the support structure. Adult bears standing upright can reach eight or nine feet.

* Put some distance between the carcass and the gut pile, and position the carcass so that it can be seen from a distance.

* If hanging it isn't possible, place branches over the carcass and leave an article of clothing on it as well. The branches and clothing, if disturbed, may indicate a bear's presence.

* When retrieving game, approach the carcass from the upwind direction and observe the surrounding area from a distance with binoculars. Make a lot of noise when approaching the carcass.

Mark Bruscino, bear management officer for Game and Fish, said if a bear has claimed your downed game, leave the scene and report the incident to Game and Fish.

"There really isn't any reason to risk being injured or killed by attempting to chase a bear off a carcass," he said.