Predator Magnet

[bc]

Total newbie here. Location is Southern Cal.

After a lot of dry practice, I took a couple of my grandkids into the local mountains to try our luck ... and mostly to learn.

Discovered what must be the first law of MD'ing, i.e. detector went off almost as soon as I did the first sweep. Wasn't using headphones so the grandkids could hear what was going on.

It hadn't occured to me during dry practice, but as soon as the detector sound started, the hair stood up on my neck. It sounded just about exactly like the noises I make with a predator call. I was smack in the middle of coyote, mountain lion, bobcat, fox country and had two 10-11 year olds with me. Also, predators in our area have pretty much lost their fear of man.

So, has anyone had predators show up while using their detector that way?

Thought about posting this in Everything Else, but it is MD specific ... I think.

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

When I am detecting along the lake, the mallards will come in if its hitting the iron tone...They arent really a predator ,unless you are a minnow or frog...but they will come in way closer to me than when I am not detecting. This also goes for Canadian Geese...will walk right by me like nothing unusual....

I hunt alot in the woods and havent ever had anything come close enough for me to see...have alot of bobcat that I can hear ...but thats about it....

 

[stefen]

Sometime back there was a person on this site that described being attacked by several dogs that eventually backed-off when he turned his machine off. As I recall, it was a father / son team working some distance apart.

As you know being in So Cal, that Coyotes are very brash. Although I live on the urban fringe near Irvine Regional Park, coyotes will stalk and follow riders, as well as bikers and hikers. I have had an encounter with coyotes, lions and once with a bobcat. Was followed one time by a pack of coyotes. The lion encounter was an experience that doesn't need repeating. Had to throw my shorts away.

Although prevalent in the So Cal hills and mountains, Mountain Lions and Bobcats are rarely seen, I would be very careful when in the back country. As you are aware, several bikers were attacked a few years back. One was killed and another mauled and left scarred for life.

There was a family picture, published in the Orange County Register a few years back, of a mother and kids...I think it was in the O'Neil Regional Park. You could see a Mountain Lion in the background stalking the kid.

Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, too.

 

[bc]

Stef: I found a lion kill and scat in our front yard. A pair of coyotes tried to take a couple's dog (on a leash) while they were walking, and probably the same pair took a JRT up the hill from us and tried to get both of our neighbor's dogs. And I'm in the hills of Orange. Also should ask if you know that there's a lion-encounter hot line for CA?

 

[stefen]

BC,

Lion Hot Line??

Forget it, my encounter was in the Villa Park Dam spillway and in Irvine Park on the south high trail above the lake. My Irvine Park report was poo-pooed. Big joke.

 

[bc]

When I found the lion kill (still have the 'evidence'), everyone passed the buck, but nobody was negative or blew me off; more like: "We don't do that here." Found the lion hot line on the State website; didn't call it 'cuz it wasn't a direct encounter. Also found a group in our area that will come to give a group presentation on what to do "just in case"; they were nice, but I told 'em "No thanks." I know that animal control will respond to some sightings, but they're so understaffed it's usually has to be someone in city/state employ. A heavy equipment operator working (I think) below Mabury Ranch spotted a lion and they responded to him, but didn't really do anything beyond a quick look around.