Armed camp? or Friendly co-existance?

[Fullpan]

Since I don't get out much, was wondering what the dynamic is with you guys and the hiking crowd is. There must be a thousand
hikers to every prospector at the staging/parking areas in the areas around ASRA in Ca. Do you just ignore each other, has there
been confrontation? Any political discussions, etc? Any trouble-makers hanging around the parking? thanks!

 

[LinkHylian]

The biggest run on sentance, but still quite an entertaining read.
The "punk" talk makes it seem like you were incarcerated at one point in your life btw. But that's also coming from a correctional officer who hears/sees "punk" talk/fights constantly.

Ive spent four summer seasons In Denali National Park Alaska no fires or firearms allowed Backcountry camping carrying everything you need on your back Ive been bluff charged by a Brown bear twice and to this day have no Idea how I managed to stand my ground other then knowing that if I ran I wouldn't be typing this.I have sat and watched wolves feed on a Caribou for three hours we left because the mosquitos were just rediculous... i dealt with not being armed. Outside of the park fishinging for salmon we always had a 12 gauge against a tree and I wore a .44 never needed it as the bears we saw were always more interested in the fish. I have had the unfortunate experience of witnessing someone being beaten almost to death all because the people doing the beating wanted to beat the sh!t out of someone....laughing and mocking the poor guy the whole time my girlfriend at the time was scared to death and we left the campground as fast as possible to get to town and try to get help. Imagine if that guy on the ground was you and your girl had to watch and then what happens to her? I promised myself at that time even though I have been in fist fights and brawls that I would never be that guy on the ground. I don't pick fights but my Dad raised no Punk. Gravelwasher and I were out a right around the turn of the new year and we ran across a guy that tried to tell us we were some where we werent supposed to be car to car we kept going stopped down the road a bit I had to lose some water....and decided to grab my pistol from my pack in his trunk, I was pissing in the bushes with my peacemaker tucked in my arm pit as my holster was still in gravels vehicle....I heard the dudes car coming back said "hey Jay he's coming back"......Im still pissing dude stops gets out in a hurry...." Hey I said you cant be here this area is all claimed....bla bla sumthin sumthin" I zipped up turned around and all of a sudden he was a lot nicer of a person....we informed him we knew where we were and that we were not tresspassing..there are numerous A$$holes in the woods period and most of them think its their woods when it isnt they are my woods too. I am no bully but, I am no punk and do not believe my fate is set...Jesus will not stop some jerks from smashing in my face and raping my girlfriend but, Sam Colt will gladly help me prevent it from happening.Furthermore IT IS VERY EASY TO LEGALLY GROW WEED IN CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!! SOME BAST@RD WHO HAS A BIG GROW OUT IN THE WOODS IS BLOWNG IT FOR FELLAS LIKE ME SO THEY CAN JUST PISS THE HELL OFF AND IF YOU SUPPORT SUCH ENDEVOURS YOU ARE CLULESS TO THE PROBLEMS IT CREATES AND SHOULD PUT SOME DEEPER THOUGHT INTO IT THEY ARE NOT JUST TRYING TO GET BY THEY ARE TRYING TO COME UP BIG TIME AT OUR DETRIMENT!!!!! FACT

 

[NuggetN8]

I'm not against people growing weed as long as they don't grow it on public lands. I'm pretty sure at the creek where I'm going they were busted in the past and I don't think they came back. They sure left a lot of trash behind though. Empty bags of potting soil and hose EVERYWHERE.

 

[MadMarshall]

To each their own!! I think farming is a thing of the past as times are changing and so are laws and the profit no longer proves worth the risk!!So beating a dead bush in that regard. As for how a person chooses to deal with how to Deal out Justice that is up too him and what he can live with I guess!

 

[Goldwasher]

Sorry, allcaps was my punctuation out .Never been locked up.Haven't even been in a cop car since I was 17. But, I grew up in a poor rough area of Southern California and learned very young the ruthless selfish side of man. There are people out there who will take from you for no other reason to prove that they can. And when they are with someone else of that nature it can get a whole lot worse than that.In the forest around here you don't have to drive very far out before all the signs have bullet holes in them, or are just plain destroyed. Even the F.S. L.E.O's go armed to the teeth due to the kind of people you can run into. Sad, that there are places out in nature where I won't take my kids because the risk to personal safety isn't woth it. I can deal with anything nature throws my way it really isn't all to dangerous when you are aware and prepared. Its the people you have to worry about.Most places that get used a lot aren't bad it is the more remote places down the 4wd roads and off the beaten bath where you might run into someone a little sketchy.Like I said I saw someone almost killed by their fellow man right in a public campground all for asking some guys to please be quiet. If I were armed at the time I gaurantee that it wouldn't have been some helpless tourist in the hospital it would be one or all four of the other dudes in the county refridgerator.

 

[MadMarshall]

I will always personally do my best "TO WALK AWAY" When dealing with men nothing is black and white..Guns have one purpose!! to Killl!! That is it!! that simple!!And me personally I will die without a gun in my holster and a stronger man becouse of it!!I do not need to intimadate men or I do not need to show men that I will kill them if they wrong me nor will I ever play superman.. Call me coward whatever I don't care I rather be a coward then a Murderer!! as the only justification if their even is one for taking the a life is self defense!! not defense of your wallet of anything else!! Real men know that whatever they have they can get again..And i choose to beleive that most men even if they be on the wrong path that one day they will find meaning and prosperity in their life..And I would hate to rob them of that chance just becouse they made some poor decisions!! I rather meet the lord in good consicience then have to explain why I felt becouse a little dispute or some material wealth I have been sending him his children early!! If a gun makes you feel safe or powerfull Then I would takea hard look at your living enviroment and your actions becouse I and a hell of allot of people I know feel safe without a gun! And if people are so intent on protecting are values and justice then why they content to elect people who take mans rights away?? why don't you bear arms against these men? As some of them stole plenty of men jobs away and have taken land from the public ect ect.. Pick and choose who you will shoot eh??

 

[Hard Prospector]

Owning and packing guns is a man's personal choice and should be respected either way. More important is that the man have that right to decide for himself. As for the weed, what you do on your property is your business so long as it does not harm or impact others.

 

[doc holiday]

Not sure someone who is resonating with the Triforce is qualified to make a DSM iv diagnosis based on a single post--correctional officer not withstanding.

 

[419GottaMinute]

Ha! Nintendo burn :-D

 

[bedrock bubba]

It must be your "penitentiary face" that gave you away! LOL

 

[phishisgroovin]

As a citizen of the united states you have the power to detain a criminal until the authorities show up. This is called citizens arrest. Pull gun, order thief/ves to the ground. Place hands of criminal behind back and zip tie. Then zip tie feet. At this point you can wait for the authorities to show up. No one says anything about CALLING the authorities. I'm not a RAT LOL. Duct tape will keep them quiet.

then you get kidnapping, brandishing a firearm and unlawful detainment charges (possibly more).
I hate thieves with a passion.

 

[Doitlaynstyle]

then you get kidnapping, brandishing a firearm and unlawful detainment charges (possibly more).
I hate thieves with a passion.

So you are saying POP, POP, SHOVEL, SHOVEL? LOL

 

[mtau]

then you get kidnapping, brandishing a firearm and unlawful detainment charges (possibly more).
I hate thieves with a passion.

I was a deputy sheriff for a while, and one thing I learned is, a citizen has the same rights as a police officer, with one exception; you can't bring charges for resisting arrest.

 

[spillercanyon]

A couple of years ago I was prospecting up stream all day and was walking down to catch a trail out of the ravine I was in, one of the only ways in and out of this ravine. These guys had come down to the swimming hole at the bottom of the trail and had no idea I was upstream. When they saw me come out of the bush, one of them grabbed a sword (who carries a sword down a steep ravine to a swimming hole?). The guy starts swinging it around and comes at me with the sword all the time his friends are laughing and thinking it all funny. I pulled my .45 out and pointed right at the guys head as he's coming at me with the sword. You should have seen how quickly he stopped and his friends jumped up to grab him before I shot him. Without my gun, I could be chum in the creek. I will always carry a gun and would not hesitate to use it to protect myself, family, friends and anyone else in need, I truely believe that's why GOD gave me a gun!!!

 

[MrLee]

Back to hikers, I've only had positive interactions with them. I know there are some who are nuts, but the majority just want to have fun like us. Most of the time they are very interested in what I'm doing in the water. I've only had bad interactions with other prospectors. Too many paranoid schizos. Honestly I cautiously ignore them and keep moving on.

 

[Goldwasher]

Back to hikers, I've only had positive interactions with them. I know there are some who are nuts, but the majority just want to have fun like us. Most of the time they are very interested in what I'm doing in the water. I've only had bad interactions with other prospectors. Too many paranoid schizos. Honestly I cautiously ignore them and keep moving on.

Ditto

 

[sidvail]

sidvail,

It is a special treat to do that! Takes some planning and the pack coming in tends to be heavy especially if one brings some luxury items like I do (tent, foam pad, air mattress, cook stove w/fuel bottle, cook pot, camera/tripod, a healthy first aid kit, camp chair) shovel, gold pan, classifier, metal detector, steel cable to put the food up on, heavy duty insurance policy in my left arm pit w/holster and whatever strikes my fancy. I do it all the time and now with a full time job, maybe I used to do it. Oh and of course the shoulder surgery I need to recover from, then another in six months from now and then a knee 6 months later. I will be "good to go" in 2015.

View attachment 766386 Yup, this otta do!..............63bkpkr

Wow. You do take a full camp don't you? My respects

I'm slowly getting all of my gear figured out - as it's been years since I've been able to enjoy any extended trips. So much new equipment available now that I'm taking advantage of. I replaced my tent and ground pad with a hammock and rainfly system and sleep so much better now. And a lot less weight. It's the food that I'm still working out. I like my yum-yum's.

I've been taking just my pans, 1/2 inch classifier, small shovel, canvas ore bags, and some crevicing tools for my gold work - but think I'll increase this to a couple of buckets and a smaller classifier. Really want to add a sluice - thinking of a mini bazooka. Maybe a larger pry bar.

Do you set up base camp within the first day out - or further? Seems there are enough roads here in CA that we can get pretty close to our destination before actually starting the foot work. Now that I include prospecting on my hikes I find myself wanting to stop and camp sooner than I used to. Guess my priorities are changing. Hike some more or stop and pan - hmmmm.

Sid