every run into problems with weed growers, CA gold country?

[steveh2112]

i'm on another forum, cheaprvliving.com since i'm planning to spend a few months living in my van in gold country, van camping on national forest land. a couple of members on there have pointed out that local weed growers often shoot first, ask questions later when defending their stash (by defending, i mean going anywhere near it). any one have problems in CA gold country like that?

 

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[The Gilded Lens]

Yup. There is an epidemic in my county and they have their own evangelical church of activists so to speak.
A neighbor of one of my family members (in an area that have 5+ acre parcels) had a grow in their land and didn't know it. It was a little old couple who obviously didn't get around their land anymore. Next thing they new the drug squad raid was there.
There is a lot of that and a lot of indoor grows that trash the homes (especially in rentals) or they illegally hook up more power to run their lights and hydroponics. In a nearby town known for its hippie culture i believe they were having issues with growers stealing water. Don't even get me started on the trimmigrants that come from all over that trash the town, steal from businesses and stink up the place.

I would for sure stay away from anything that looks like a grow in the woods. They don't mess around. Also wouldn't leave your van unattended or you are likely to find it torched or trashed by human and bear alike.

 

[russau]

Also the bigger druggies are usually well armed and they do set boobie traps on well know trails in "their" areas. be very carefull! here in misery (Missouri)we have meth labs all over. a person needs to be well aware of their surroundings at all times!

 

[fowledup]

YUP! Since it's pretty much legal you can count on a couple of things if you are unfortunate enough to walk into a grow.
1. It is an illegal operation
2. The growers are illegal, won't speak english, are not friendly, and have a lot riding back home on their success or failure, hence the tendency to shoot first.

If you go out.
1. Stay down on the river and off the hillsides (especially S., SW. exposures).
2. Park where others are or out where it can be seen. Hiding your vehicle helps the crook. If you see a lot with a ton of broken glass, move on.
3. Use your nose, you usually have warning before you get into the patch
4. Stay on main trails
5. Black Pipe means back up and go back the direction you came.

If you do come across them tell them you are a Suction Dredge Gold Miner- they will run in fear knowing that they have met the biggest baddest criminal element of the waterways!

 

[g-olden years]

Miserable reality. Never done prospecting or mining, but until about 15 years ago, I felt safe hiking or rock-hounding in remote places all over the USA, either alone or with one companion, despite being a small, unarmed aging female. No more! Glad I have all those memories. And very concerned for the risks you guys have to take to pursue your interests. Greed seems to drive these illegal grows, meth labs, and so forth, and greed is an ugly master that robs ruthless people of their humanity while it endangers the rest of us. Bah! Humbug. Best wishes to all you prospectors & miners - protect yourselves & explore slowly. Hopefully things will improve in the future if enough people choose to care.
Andi

 

[2cmorau]

LMBO yuuup California is in such great shape, been run by one party for the past 3 or 4 decades
Trillion greenbacks in obligations, lets build a bullet train at tax payer expense, but not a single, christ why bother
LA Times

 

[goldog]

Thanks for the advise Fowledup, especially that last comment.

I didn't think I was in weed country but they have been down here in SoCal too. I've never come across a grow but I have seen a DEA/ATF raid in progress. A dozen or so highly armed agents going in. And large bales flying out more than once.

 

[homefires]

When I lived in Arizona, I drove up on a Cessna down loading bales of None Hay. LOL They Freaked, I Freaked and I spun around and got to hell out of there. They was loading into two trucks. Yep, you CAN be in the wrong place at the Wrong Time. I been traveling those trails for years and never seen another person. Ever! There they was.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Nope - never a problem. I shoot anybody on sight that looks like they might think about growing pot. Some live but none of them give me any problems afterwards.

I just made that up of course. You won't find anyone here that has verifiable first hand experience. Like mountain lions the dope growers don't want an encounter. Like mountain lions there is a lot of fear and some folks have actually seen one but of course no one has ever been attacked.

Pot growers in California have been accused of killing all the Salmon, killing all the Fishers (cute furry mammals), killing all the endangered animals, poisoning all the irrigation water and killing all the people.

Obviously they are dastardly. Please stay far away from the gold fields. It's not worth it. You could be attacked by the last living Salmon or Fisher should they mistake you for the pot growers that killed off all their brethren.

Lucky for us there are still plenty of mountain lions and they will eventually kill off all the pot growers.

Heavy Pans

 

[bug]

Fear the black pipe!

 

[MadMarshall]

Plenty of real dangers in the woods.. To bad people only prepare and worry about the most absurd.. Truthfully the only thing that should concern you is the AUTHORITIES.. They absolutely love people to camp in their vans for months at a time. And Prospectors are not really liked by them. Anyway the real dangers are most likely the ones you Dismiss easily.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Marshall says it all. I've met plenty of pot growers in the woods and never had a problem. Lot's of good camping but go prepared as always. You will see more bears and mountain lions if you are on parked on the dirt roads and probably not one grower unless you get far off of the beaten path. If you can, take plenty of extra food and drinks to share with people that you meet. There's lots of people living off of the land and if they have kids, you will see some really skinny parents that would love a sandwich if you force it on them. Most parents feed the kids first and go on next to nothing themselves. I've fed families in the bush when it was obvious that they needed it.

 

[hunterbill]

Just carry. Don't let fear rule your life.

 

[johnedoe]

Just carry. Don't let fear rule your life.

Carrying in commiefornia is another whole big can of worms...........

 

[steveh2112]

Just carry. Don't let fear rule your life.

i suspect that would just escalate the problem. i'd rather just say sorry, don't shoot, i'm outa here.

 

[SunshineMiner]

It is legal here in California. If your local city police won't do it, talk to your local Sheriff. Here in Mantweaka, the PC didn't want to hand out CCPs. Went so far as to revoke a CCP from a local gun dealer because the guy "hadn't had to draw it before", therefore the PC deemed it unnecessary for him to carry. I've still yet to get mine, but my father knowing this, went to the Sheriff, got his in less than a month(he had the required classes/training already). It should NOT be a problem for ANY of you California resident miners to have a CCW if you can legally own a hand gun. Go talk to your local Sheriff.

Not saying guns are the end all be all answer to this or any problem, but like hunterbill said... Don't live in fear if you can carry.

But also Steveh2112 has epic words of wisdom. Better to have said CCW, and NOT need it, and just back away and cut your losses and be smart. Its a CCW for a reason. They don't know you have it. So be friendly and cordial and hope you don't need to do anything.

 

[beekbuster]

its going to get much worse. majority of the gorilla grows are cartel. the state builds water tunnels and bullet trains in the interest of southern california, and spew propaganda about how bad the prospectors hurt the environment. look at the big white elephant in the room! but that is much too dangerous. cant even go deer hunting without running into multiple grows every year. it is despicable. tank the price of weed and then there is no reason for mass grows. but the growers do not want weed to be legalized. thats a different subject in itself though. its the cheapest and most successful approch. the war on drugs is a losing battle and an expensive one at that.

 

[Hoser John]

Trinity county is farm central. I take care of my problems ANY way needed. You'll smell the filth,trash,dead animals filling the ravines first as they deficate where they sleep sic sic sic. Keep your eyes open,locked and loaded and NEVER back down. I use the fs/fw/blm/sheriff to take care of the problem dozens of times in at least 5 counties. A "constitutionaly elected sheriff" will kick butt the quickest I've found as elected by and for the people and not a political appointee to the stupidvisors,mostly crooks themselves-John

 

[CA Gold Hunter]

Carrying in commiefornia is another whole big can of worms...........

You can get ccw's in california, some counties you can't but others like my county it's shall issue and anyone that isn't prohibited from owning firearms can apply and get it.

If you can't get it however, a first time offense of concealed carry without a licence in california is simply a misdemeanor and that's only if you get caught. Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6 in my opinion.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Marshall says it all. I've met plenty of pot growers in the woods and never had a problem. Lot's of good camping but go prepared as always. You will see more bears and mountain lions if you are on parked on the dirt roads and probably not one grower unless you get far off of the beaten path. If you can, take plenty of extra food and drinks to share with people that you meet. There's lots of people living off of the land and if they have kids, you will see some really skinny parents that would love a sandwich if you force it on them. Most parents feed the kids first and go on next to nothing themselves. I've fed families in the bush when it was obvious that they needed it.

Well said Reed. Thanks for bringing some humanity to this discussion.

Heavy Pans