A couple finds and why we carry

[GopherDaGold]

Pistol ball and a tiny button shank that was 8" deep.



Ran across this print while detecting. This is about 75 yards from my neighborhood.



A resident claims he set up a trail cam and captured this:

 

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[Digger RJ]

Ohhhhh! That’s a Big Bear!!

 

[civil_war22]

Nice finds. I carry when I’m out in the woods. Not only has folks been attacked while out in the woods by other humans, but we do have bears, and mountain lions who’re not very friendly

 

[A2coins]

Wow just make sure you dont spill any ketchup on your clothes lol

 

[Rookster]

Nice finds. I carry too but we don't have bears.

 

[ARC]

That's one weird looking dog.

 

[civil_war22]

Nice finds. I carry too but we don't have bears.

I’ve began to carry a lot more in the city I used to work for. When I worked at the PD there I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. I had a beat to work, and a lot of times I would get out, and walk that beat just to get to know people(mostly drunks, or homeless folks). They’ve all moved on now or in the county jail, and a new group of folks are out, and they aren’t afraid to jump you in broad day light, or come up behind you, and stick you, and take off. I always wear headphones when out in public, but when I’m in the woods, or out in town I keep one earphone off, so I can hear something or someone behind me. Plus when working down town, don’t sit with your back in an area that you can’t easily jump back from someone. We had a local guy that detected with us get mugged because he was down digging a plug in a sidewalk, and someone came up in front of him, started pushing him around, and he tried to back up, but didn’t realize he had a wall behind him that’s what we call “situational awareness”.

 

[BLK HOLE]

That is one stout looking bear!

 

[civil_war22]

That is one stout looking bear!

I’d say with it walking next to that fell tree, and then the one live one that’s smaller, that bear is pretty good size. The downed tree looks to be at least 2 feet-2 1/2 feet in diameter, and that monster makes it look like a twig. I would say easily it would weigh between 500+ pounds. Not something I’d want to run from. Seeing how a angry one could easily run 30 miles an hour. Well beyond your limits even if you were a athlete who ran a 4 second 40, that Bear would get you pretty quickly. I’ve got some bear mace, and I’ve got my gun. I prefer the gun because if the wind is blowing it’s going to blow some of it back in your face, and not only that I don’t want to have to be that close to it. I usually have a pistol with me, or my 45-70

 

[Trezurehunter]

I always carry, especially out in the woods and parks. After I retired from my first job, I was able to take a position at our County Jail. I see the "element", on a daily basis, and for the most part, it's not good. Animals are only my 2nd concern !

 

[DizzyDigger]

Nice sized bear, but odds are that he wants no more to do with
you than you do with him. Just let him know your coming and
99% of the time a black bear will head off in the other direction.

Apparently bears don't hibernate in Missouri? That fat boy needs
to be in bed for a long nap.

As CW-22 says, it's all about situation awareness. If you're out
detecting in areas where larger predators are known to be, having
your mind lost in the "fog of detecting" is bad juju. I don't wear
headphones, but if I did I'd be stopping about every 8-10 paces
and checking my surroundings.

A mountain lion hits top speed (40-50 mph) in about 4 leaps..don't
take long to cover 40-50 yds. If you're kneeling down to dig a target,
take your headphones off and pay as much attention to the surroundings
as you do the target. Kneeling down, bending over a person looks like
prey to most any predator. So, don't look or act like prey, and ya
won't be prey..

Having about 50% hearing in only one ear (other one's deader 'an
Custer's horse), my heads constantly on a swivel. Without stereo
hearing I'm unable to locate the source of sounds. I can hear the
noise of an animal moving through the brush, but until I see it, I
pretty much have no idea which direction the animal is coming from.

I'm much more comfortable around 4-legged predators than I am
2-legged city predators. Further away from cities I am, the happier
I am..

 

[civil_war22]

I always carry, especially out in the woods and parks. After I retired from my first job, I was able to take a position at our County Jail. I see the "element", on a daily basis, and for the most part, it's not good. Animals are only my 2nd concern !

Nothing like working to county jail to get your blood pumping. When I was 18 I started in dispatch in Lawrence County, AR along side my sister, when I turned 21, just to get my foot in the door at the sheriffs office close to home, I worked at the county jail for about a year before being one of the “chosen” ones to transfer to patrol across the street. The good ol jail days I miss more than patrolling, and SWAT. I always loved working the intake area, because you get a belligerent drunk in, or a dope head who’s both already natural hot heads. They used to call one of our pods the “Thunderdome”. Lots of fights between inmates, then deputies, and inmates, and a few times jail deputies, along with patrol deputies, and SWAT. Back then you showed jailers respect, you weren’t called racist, or other names, they knew what would happen if they opened their mouth, and cursed at a deputy. In all honesty, the jail administrator was one cool old dude from Texas who’s family was oil tycoons, and then when he left to go across the street before retirement we had a younger guy in there who’d been a police officer, and a Marine, and he wanted the inmates up, and at it with their beds made and standing at the cell doors by 7 am. Never in my life have I seen 600 men respect one man, and his deputies as this young guy. They knew if they stepped out of line, cursed a deputy, or stole from someone they would suffer the consequences. Gosh. There goes my BP again. Now I’m finally awake.

 

[SanMan]

I had a concealed weapon permit for 6 years, in the state of Washington.

Here in California,..... no way. They are rarer than hens teeth.

One of my friends is a superior court judge,.... he had a hassle getting one.
The city who's court he presided, the police said "no".
He had to apply with the sheriff's dept.

I metal detect in the inner city, in almost every case, bad neighborhoods.
And, I only detect at night.

Can't carry a weapon of any type, good way to be arrested and charged.

So, I have to pay attention, and be ready to explain my digger.

 

[civil_war22]

I had a concealed weapon permit for 6 years, in the state of Washington.

Here in California,..... no way. They are rarer than hens teeth.

One of my friends is a superior court judge,.... he had a hassle getting one.
The city who's court he presided, the police said "no".
He had to apply with the sheriff's dept.

I metal detect in the inner city, in almost every case, bad neighborhoods.
And, I only detect at night.

Can't carry a weapon of any type, good way to be arrested and charged.

So, I have to pay attention, and be ready to explain my digger.


View attachment 1787724

Funny you say that about Cali. I’ve had my concealed permit for years, I had the chance to get it while working at the PD, and it would have been free then, but didn’t think I’d need it. My uncle is from this area, small little unincorporated town now, and is a retired navy seal, he owns a huge construction company in San Diego, and has most of his guns here at his house in Arkansas because California laws are so strict. He’s got a .338 Lapua with a silencer on the end of it, and a super long distance scope, as well as some other stuff California wouldn’t let him have. I guess if all you had was a digging tool you could possibly scare them off if they didn’t have a weapon, I’d much prefer a hand held shovel, that way you weren’t so close quarters with someone else, but it doesn’t hurt to have a hand digger that’s sharp, or even a nice lock blade pocket knife that’s legal size for Cali

 

[Al D]

Hmmm, a metal detector and a side arm....I would think that if you got caught with it, you could just say you found it, as long as there was no record of you having purchased it.

 

[civil_war22]

Hmmm, a metal detector and a side arm....I would think that if you got caught with it, you could just say you found it, as long as there was no record of you having purchased it.

Yeah it might work. As long as the serial numbers were already scratched off, and didn’t have a holster for it. I’d hide it under my jacket pocket or in belt loop area. Say hey I didn’t want some kid finding it and getting hurt.

 

[SanMan]

On another note,.......

Listen to this,.......(words of a fish and game officer).

"I sat watching a bear. He was working his way up a rocky slope in pursuit of a groundhog.
the groundhog had gotten down in among the rocks. The bear started tossing rocks, some
the size of bowling balls, over his shoulder. He moved the rock where the groundhog was
hiding."

"The groundhog made a mad dash between the front paws of the bear heading down hill.
The bear swapped ends so fast that the ground hog never quite cleared his underside.
The bear spun and pinned the ground hog with it paw in just a split second"

"I called a wildlife biologist friend and told him what I witnessed
"He told me something I never knew,........

"He said that "any" bear in the grizzly family, could make a complete fool
out of any thoroughbred race horse in the first 100 yards of a race."


Truth is guys,...... bears are incredibly fast.

The don't appear fast,..... just lumbering around and scratching themselves, but they are.

 

[civil_war22]

On another note,.......

Listen to this,.......(words of a fish and game officer).

"I sat watching a bear. He was working his way up a rocky slope in pursuit of a groundhog.
the groundhog had gotten down in among the rocks. The bear started tossing rocks, some
the size of bowling balls, over his shoulder. He moved the rock where the groundhog was
hiding."

"The groundhog made a mad dash between the front paws of the bear heading down hill.
The bear swapped ends so fast that the ground hog never quite cleared his underside.
The bear spun and pinned the ground hog with it paw in just a split second"

"I called a wildlife biologist friend and told him what I witnessed
"He told me something I never knew,........

"He said that "any" bear in the grizzly family, could make a complete fool
out of any thoroughbred race horse in the first 100 yards of a race."


Truth is guys,...... bears are incredibly fast.

The don't appear fast,..... just lumbering around and scratching themselves, but they are.

That’s why I don’t mess with them. I see them, I’ll either walk the other way, or wait till they walk away, then sit around a bit to make sure he’s not lurking around or waiting on me to get down. People don’t realize that bears can have a top speed of up to 30-35 miles per hour. At that speed, all their weight is at the rear legs, and with their claws they have the advantage of putting their power to the ground better than you do, and their take off speed is by far faster than yours. Just don’t try, and see if you can out run one, even climbing a tree doesn’t work.

 

[HighVDI]

Pshhhhh.....I could take him!

 

[SanMan]

Funny you say that about Cali. I’ve had my concealed permit for years, I had the chance to get it while working at the PD, and it would have been free then, but didn’t think I’d need it. My uncle is from this area, small little unincorporated town now, and is a retired navy seal, he owns a huge construction company in San Diego, and has most of his guns here at his house in Arkansas because California laws are so strict. He’s got a .338 Lapua with a silencer on the end of it, and a super long distance scope, as well as some other stuff California wouldn’t let him have. I guess if all you had was a digging tool you could possibly scare them off if they didn’t have a weapon, I’d much prefer a hand held shovel, that way you weren’t so close quarters with someone else, but it doesn’t hurt to have a hand digger that’s sharp, or even a nice lock blade pocket knife that’s legal size for Cali

I spent over 20 years of my life training, and competing in martial arts.
Started in the days when street fighting was a popular hobby here in
the San Fernando Valley.
In the early 70's, as luck would have it, all the best schools were here in the valley.

But gentlemen,...... it's a perishable skill.

I'm old now, and honestly can't depend on my skills to bang it out with a couple of
younger, larger, guys,......


I heard a once well known martial artist say this,......

"The day comes when you're too old to fall victim to some thugs wanting to beat you down
and rob you, or worse. That is the day I started carrying a gun for protection"


Oh, and cw22, very, very, few people are granted a concealed weapon permit without
some connection to law enforcement, being a body guard, personal security for some
celebrity, or a wealthy business man with connections.

That's just the way it is.




1970


Dam I miss the life I once had,........





I better quit,.... my eyes a tearing up.