A Public Service Announcement

[Jeff95531]

When you have gold fever, you go hiking. When you go hiking, you prospect. When you prospect, you camp overnight in the wild. When you camp overnight in the wild, you leave food out. When you leave food out, hungry bears visit your campsite. Don't be the guy in the sleeping bag when you leave food out.

 

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[Aufisher]

When I was 10, I slept outside in my sleeping bag on the ground in Yosemite. Apparently a large bear sheaded our cooler 5 feet away from me and I never even woke up

 

[Lotus Geologist]

I use one of these when camping in black bear country.

Garcia Bear-Resistant Container - Free Shipping at REI.com

I also carry a bear tag during bear season and a Glock 20 loaded with 220 grain hard cast flat nose bullets at 1200 fps, carried in a Hill People Gear chest rig. HPG | Kit Bags in detail

If in grizzly country I of course change my carry weapon to a Marlin 1895G guide gun in .45-70 loaded with 430 grain hard cast penetrators at 1900 fps, which is over 3,300 foot pounds of muzzle energy!

Bottom line, I go out of my way to keep a clean camp and to avoid bears. I would hate to have to destroy a bear that I wasn't actually hunting.

An added bonus with the bear proof can is that it is also immune to critters such as raccoons and chipmunks... Prior to using bear proof food containers I had to repair a couple expensive packs that were torn up by little critters.

L.G.

 

[aa battery]

aint no bears in cali

 

[Coldshuz]

aint no bears in cali

Not counting every California flag?

 

[Aufisher]

I like my 9 mm for small critters and my 7 mm for the big ones!

 

[Lotus Geologist]

That 9mm puts a whoop'n on a chipmunk fer sure!

 

[kazcoro]

That is funny Jeff. Thanks. Those commercials are one of the few I will rewind to watch. I have heard that the animal that you guys in Cali need to watch out for are the lions. Lions or gears, either way I don't want to mess with them. Maybe at a distance with a rifle in my hands. Up close with a pistol, no thanks!

 

[Aufisher]

Nothing beats a shorty 12 Guage With A slug

 

[Lotus Geologist]

Nothing beats a shorty 12 Guage With A slug

How about except when nothing is something like a pistol grip 40mm grenade launcher and HE rounds? Just in case your position is about to be overrun by a squad of haji bears.

L.G.

 

[kazcoro]

How about except when nothing is something like a pistol grip 40mm grenade launcher and HE rounds? Just in case your position is about to be overrun by a squad of haji bears.

L.G.

View attachment 966263

Tha's funny, I was actually thinking claymore...

 

[DizzyDigger]

Ya gotta remember that when you're camping in bear country,
it's very likely you've set up your camp right in the middle of
some bears "front room".

Best thing you can do is get your food hoisted up at least
15' off the ground, and in a location a min. of 50 yds. from
where you're sleeping. Do your cooking in another spot 50 yds.
the other direction, and keep -0- food in camp.

If one does come walking in to camp, the best deterrent I know
of is lighting off 1/2 a brick of firecrackers. Most times they don't
stop running till the county line, and they won't come back.

Firecrackers are non-lethal, and no one wants to kill a bear if
they don't have to. Don't keep food where ya sleep, wash
your face & brush your teeth immediately after eating and they
shouldn't smell food on you. Bears don't see all that great,
and follow their noses to food. Don't smell like food, don't
act like food and ya won't be food.

Still...keep the firecrackers handy!

 

[rodoconnor]

aabattery. I took a 550lb bear about 4 miles from Keyesville.25.06 did the trick

 

[Lanny in AB]

I camp in bear country each and every year. I've never gone a season without seeing bear, and I've never had one destroy our camps.

We store the food separately from where we eat, and we don't eat where we sleep.

We don't ever take clothes in our shelter (tent, camper, trailer, whatever) that have the fresh smell of food all over them either.

I've surprised bear on trails, and I've even had them come visit me while mining, but that's a story for another day.

I've had close encounters, good ones and bad ones, and some of them I'd never like to repeat for any reason whatsoever.

I don't go crashing through thick brush where I can't see what's in the brush, as that's a good way to die.

I don't ride my quad down trails bordered by thick, fringing brush for the same reason as listed above. It's a good way to get swatted off the quad by a startled bear, and one swipe from a grizzly can remove your whole head.

I always make lots of noise when I'm mining or when I'm hiking down a trail to prospect: bang the shovel on the ground, rattle the buckets, smack rocks together, etc.

I always pack bear spray, and when in very dangerous country, it's the Remington Marine 12 Gauge: 1st round, big buckshot, followed by 3 inch magnum rifled-slugs, lots of them. I've never had to unload that on a bear yet, but it's comforting to know that I have that kind of backup if I ever need it.

I'll see if I can't write up my bear visit story one day soon. It involved two grizzlies, three-year olds, just kicked off momma and all on their own out to see the big, new world. It's an experience I'll never forget, and it taught me a couple of lessons I'll always remember.

I'll post in on my main thread after I get it done.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[Jeff95531]

OK, you got me started. Ever since I got rid of my Glock 10 mm, this one keeps popping up in my dreams.

 

[Lanny in AB]

My backup is my .454 Casull.

If you've never dropped the hammer on one, you really should try it. 240 gr. at 1900 ft. per second, with 1923 ft. pounds of get 'er done; the 360 gr. at 1500 ft. per second, with 1800 ft. pounds of serious knock down power.

(The only bigger kick I've had driven through my palms and arms was by the Smith and Wesson .50, and that's one nasty piece of chambered anger!)

I'll stick with my .454.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[kazcoro]

My absolute favorite is a 44 mag. What a fun gun to shoot. Doesn't kick that like Casull does, I am sure. My dad had a Desert Eagle that I shot all the time. I can shoot that 44 better than a 357 by a long shot. Pun intended! I shot the 460 a couple of rounds once, it didn't seem that bad. I'm sure the ported barrel helped a lot, though. I do like everyone's advice about an ounce of prevention. Again, pun intended. Look forward to your story Lanny.

 

[Aufisher]

44 Desert Eagle is the most accurate pistol I ever fired. Heavy mother and only cycled on ++ rounds

 

[kazcoro]

I handload and I found that I can make some pretty potent rounds for it. It has such a large case that you can put some really slow burning powder in it and get flames to come out of the muzzle. Not very efficient, but def a wow factor. The desert eagle actually has dual twin recoil springs. That is why the front of the slide is wedge shaped. Built to last.