Stepped in bear poop yesterday at my prospecting area, advice?

[firebird]

I went back yesterday to the gravel area that I had posted about in another thread. Immediately I noticed a nasty smell and just right around the paydirt area was the unmistakable sight of black bear poop. Oh crap, now I finally understand why I was finding gold here and why it hadn't been taken by anyone else before. Have you ever had any experiences with dangerous animals while prospecting?

 

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[IMAUDIGGER]

Worked/played in the woods all my life.
Never had a bad experience with a black bear.
They have always been scared.
I have seen videos of angry bears.
They are a powerful killing machine if they are inclined to act that way.
Fight or flight..they usually pick flight.

Usually they are more concerned with rolling the next rock over or breaking the next log in half.

I occasionally carry a .45 ACP and it does make me feel better.
The lack of penetration is a problem. I feel better with a .357 mag. even that is under powered.

Once walked up on two very small cubs. They looked like puppys.
Immediately retreated as fast as possible. Never saw momma bear but I know she was close.

 

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[Lanny in AB]

Spend all of my time in the mountains prospecting and nugget-shooting. See bears often, very often and some are exceptionally beautiful, some are timid and shy, some are lost in the ecstasy of mountain splendour, some are cranky and hostile, some are angry and protective, most are very much like people--you never know what you're going to get. But just like with the majority of people, there are some general rules that work most of the time.

I have met bad black bears, and the advice given on when one locks on to you with a predatory stare and approach is fight for your life with anything and everything you've got as black bears that aren't afraid of people are bad, bad news. Bear spray, bear spray, bear spray . . . Too many people wound bears and have a far bigger issue. (I packed heat for many, many years, and sometimes, it is necessary, but now my go-to is bear spray as the research shows [watch some videos] it's a very effective deterrent, so you don't have to worry about an angry, wounded bear that now feels it's fighting for its life . . .) I too have a super-powerful handgun that's rated for large game, and I too have a defender shotgun with buck for the first round, followed by rifled slugs to finish the job, but I now pack spray for most outings. (There are definitely exceptions, depending on the area as I'm not incautious enough not to be prepared!)

Having said what I've said, and having experienced enough bear encounters to know how they act and react, and having had encounters with bad bears and lots of scared running-away bears, as well as curious, mellow bears, I'd like to say something else: bears come around for a reason (find the reason if you can, and eliminate the reason if you're part of the problem); all bears are attracted to a location for a reason, sometimes its curiosity (had two BIG grizzlies wander over to see what we were doing one day while we were mining, and we were making a lot of noise, but once they had a look-see, and that look-see was only from about 20 to 30 feet of distance when they stood up (if you think a grizzly is big on the ground, wait until they (X2!) stand up!!), but they turned and ambled (that's right, ambled=they were in no hurry whatsoever as they knew they were the top of the food chain in their environment) easily away to their next sight-seeing opportunity.

I've always been taught that if a black attacks fight back with everything you've got! It sees you as food or you've come between it and a cub, or you've surprised it in dense brush; regardless, if it's a black, fight back. Grizzlies, you're supposed to roll-up and protect your vitals as it asserts its dominance, but if that dominance begins to be life-threatening (if they don't snort their defiance as they assert their dominance by having subdued you to then leave you), you have to fight back.

Here's the stickler in all of this: if you can't get your bear spray or your firearm out or swing it around (in dense brush) in time to get a squirt or a shot off, you're in serious trouble, and sad to say, people have been found exactly like that. (Two years ago in my area a prospector was mugged [dead] in the brush by a black and his spray was still in his holster; prior to that, a hunter was found with firearm unfired, death by angry bear (in dense timber). So, this may be the crux of part of this matter: avoid heavy timber/brush/bush as it swallows up any warning sounds you may be trying to make, and not even I like to be surprised. Can you imagine how an animal 3-5X your weight might react? I guess with what I've related, there's no need . . .

So, I'd find out why it's coming around, and others have offered excellent suggestions to facilitate that, as well as excellent suggestions about not being alone, etc.

However, sometimes it doesn't matter how careful you are, you'll have an encounter if you're in a bear area, and that's when your decision, your ultimate response, will make all the difference, or it won't . . .

Bear poop is non-lethal, the poop-producer may or may not be, depending . . .

All the best,

Lanny

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Lanny - sounds like experienced advice.
We are lucky in California so far to only have black bears.

I will bet the enviro-whack-jobs will transplant the grizzlies here just like they did the grey timber wolf. Never mind the forest and food chain is drastically different than when the California Grizzly roamed.

 

[arizau]

You guys are giving me the heebie jeebies. My usual area even has a jaguar, not to mention the black bears and mountain lions, that has been sighted on game cameras put out by the Feds. One thing more...don't forget about rabid animals! Two hikers were attacked by a rabid bobcat a few years back in my area.

 

[RTR]

I would recommend A couple of Big handguns....Better to be stepping on Bear poop....Than to BE THE POOP

 

[Duckshot]

You are in Kali? Just shoo him away with a copy of your state's gun laws.

 

[releventchair]

Bear poop?
Step around.
Requires seeing it first.

Keep a clean camp , with food and smelly's kept away (a distance) from your bedroll.

Good prospecting to you!

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Clean bear attack video.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Another clean one...for you guys thinking a dog will be enough or a warning shot will work.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I cant watch the video but most times dogs and warning shots are enough, there are exceptions of course. Same as with anything.
Dogs and warning shots wont ALWAYS keep you safe, no. They are only tools that can help and there aren't any guarantees that it will work everytime, situations can vary same with anything.
Still it's better to be prepared and use any resources at your disposal to avoid the situation and give yourself a chance.

 

[Goldwasher]

Worked/played in the woods all my life.
Never had a bad experience with a black bear.
They have always been scared.
I have seen videos of angry bears.
They are a powerful killing machine if they are inclined to act that way.
Fight or flight..they usually pick flight.

Usually they are more concerned with rolling the next rock over or breaking the next log in half.

I occasionally carry a .45 ACP and it does make me feel better.
The lack of penetration is a problem. I feel better with a .357 mag. even that is under powered.

Once walked up on two very small cubs. They looked like puppys.
Immediately retreated as fast as possible. Never saw momma bear but I know she was close.

That's the reason I run the Hornady.

Its a lighter bullet +p load. The bullet is designed to go through glass, sheet rock, car doors. heavy coats etc. But expand on solid mass.

The FBI uses it.

1000 fps is much faster than a ball round. Puts it pretty close to stock .357 magnum.

1911 is picky on hollow points. I only had to polish the front ramp a little. Feeds just fine.

If anyone uses a lever gun they should the Hornady Lever evolution ammo https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/leverevolution#!/ . it is similar you can carry a very respectable round in your .357 pistol and carbine.

1140 fps @ 100 yards out of an 8" barrel that's a deer load out of a pistol. Good stuff.

 

[Duckshot]

A black bear is a stout animal compared to us relatively fragile humans. What you need most to kill a bear is penetration, not expansion. The size of the hole don't make a bit of difference if you can't hit something vital and if you really need to stop a bear the vital part that you need to hit is the brain. A bear's skull is very dense compared to most creatures. If you have your heart set on a pistol use FMJ bullets, IMO.

 

[Goldwasher]

A black bear is a stout animal compared to us relatively fragile humans. What you need most to kill a bear is penetration, not expansion. The size of the hole don't make a bit of difference if you can't hit something vital and if you really need to stop a bear the vital part that you need to hit is the brain. A bear's skull is very dense compared to most creatures. If you have your heart set on a pistol use FMJ bullets, IMO.

These rounds are designed to penetrate then expand.

I killed a racoon about two months ago.

It was under the shed with my dog the fight would break for a second but,would not stop. Racoons will kill a dog. this one was 25 pounds at least.

When I took the first shot it went through the racoon through a 4x4 pier both sides of a metal fertilizer spreader. finally stopping on the adjustment tab.
( there was nothing on the other side but hill and trees it was a safe shot)

It took two more shots because racoons are the devil and yes there vital area is small. I had him held down with a pitchfork for shot 3 and he still didn't want to die even though he was mush on the inside.

Killing pigs for slaughter we always drop them with a 45. acp right center skull. Pigs Heads are hard as heck too.

Seems like all wild animals are thick as a brick. I've seen a lot of big animals dropped with one shot. I've seen a few act like it was nothing.

Hundreds (and more) bear have met their end from a pistol shot.

That's why I picked a round that penetrates deep with a large wound channel.. Blow up it's snout.. shatter its orbital socket. I don't care all effective.

Obviously not a situation I want to be in but I have put a lot of thought into it.

I am never going to be sold on bear spray. I feel that the most likely out come is me coughing ,spitting and blind listening to El Oso tie on his bib getting ready to eat me. Even if I'm all spicey.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I cant watch the video but most times dogs and warning shots are enough, there are exceptions of course. Same as with anything.
Dogs and warning shots wont ALWAYS keep you safe, no. They are only tools that can help and there aren't any guarantees that it will work everytime, situations can vary same with anything.
Still it's better to be prepared and use any resources at your disposal to avoid the situation and give yourself a chance.

No need to watch these I posted, just go to YouTube and search “bear attack”. Lots of exciting videos showing angry bears.

Watched one (that resulted in a dog and two men being killed by a sow).
The barking dog;
1.) Alerted the Sow that her cubs were being attacked.
2.) Led her quickly to the confrontation area.
3.) Heightened the perceived threat level.
4.) Led the charging sow directly to the men when the dog retreated.

I watched others where the dog served to chase off the bear once it decided it was not going to fight.

Most of the time bears are no problem. Watching angry bear videos does serve to strip any sense of security you might have carrying a gun, especially a small sidearm (regardless of the fancy ammo).
These creatures can be crazy fast. Watched one vid where a guy is trying to outrun a large brown bear on flat ground while riding a mountain bike. That bear had very little problem keeping up.
Statistics show many fatalities when a sidearm was present, but was never even unholstered.
No getting around the fact that on very rare occasions, it can be dangerous for humans.

 

[nomad 11]

I went back yesterday to the gravel area that I had posted about in another thread. Immediately I noticed a nasty smell and just right around the paydirt area was the unmistakable sight of black bear poop. Oh crap, now I finally understand why I was finding gold here and why it hadn't been taken by anyone else before. Have you ever had any experiences with dangerous animals while prospecting?

yea ! they're called people. and when they come too close. i give them an evil sneer and they go away. hope this helps ?

 

[63bkpkr]

Also please note just how fast that bear is moving before and after being shot. They sprint and run at from 25 to 30 mph and go from zero to 25 to 30 in an instant! Being prepared is important at all times as ANY animal moves quite fast and any animal is strong I mean they exercise all day long 365 days per year when they are awake and food is whatever they find or kill and we just happen to be meat as far as a hungry animal is concerned. All animals are beautiful to look at but even a banana slug can make your day uncomfortable!

Boy Scout rule of thumb - "Be Prepared"!...………..63bkpkr

 

[Capt Nemo]

Steel cable system requires two food bags, one for each end of the Paracord over one or the other pulley. The bottles have easy to remove lids and the bottles are filled with cayenne pepper for making an up close attacker think twice about continuing its assault on me. As a precaution, the pepper can be sprinkled on the ground all around one's camp as any nasal oriented animal will inhale it should they come across it. I've been charged by bears and a variety of other animals Including A DOG Pack, I think the dog pack was the worst as there were simply more of them coming from different directions. Yes, one of the dogs bit me though one shot from my noise maker (454 Casull) ended the attack and no I did not shoot the dog though I really wanted to. However, if any kind of Canine Pack (dogs, coyotes, wolves) ever came in on me I will Not hesitate to shoot one or more of them!! I will not hold back from shooting for a single second as I now understand how it works, they will not give up!

300 grain slug flinger, I've Zero interest in dropping any animal but if it comes to one of us surviving then it will be me! Also, the country I'm usually out in has a large bear population and a lot of them are Very Large black bears, 400 lbs and up...........................63bkpkr

I've had the fun of dealing with a pack of timbershepards out small game hunting. Grandpa had my back with the shotgun, as I did the dirty work with the Mini-14. Dropped six before the pack broke and ran. Then the owner came out and found out what his dogs were up to in the National Forest, went back home and shot the other 8.

With black bears, the closest I've come was, coming home on the moped to find 2 cubs on the front porch of the deer shack. I dumped the moped, and bolted inside, and as I closed the interior door, mom pounded the wood shed door behind me. Then mom and the cubs tore the big metal cooler apart that was on the porch, and scattered it all over the yard. So much for all the fish! In the Guard, I couldn't make out what the ordinance unit behind us was shouting about. Then I saw the black bear running down the path I was on. He stopped at 10', and then bolted away towards the refuelers. One of our OH-58's was just coming in and saw it and chased it out of our area. But standing there face to face with an empty M16 is not where you really want to be.

 

[Capt Nemo]

One big problem with pepper spray is once it is used, the smell will attract bears. Can't use it around a fixed camp.

 

[Lanny in AB]

These rounds are designed to penetrate then expand.

I killed a racoon about two months ago.

It was under the shed with my dog the fight would break for a second but,would not stop. Racoons will kill a dog. this one was 25 pounds at least.

When I took the first shot it went through the racoon through a 4x4 pier both sides of a metal fertilizer spreader. finally stopping on the adjustment tab.
( there was nothing on the other side but hill and trees it was a safe shot)

It took two more shots because racoons are the devil and yes there vital area is small. I had him held down with a pitchfork for shot 3 and he still didn't want to die even though he was mush on the inside.

Killing pigs for slaughter we always drop them with a 45. acp right center skull. Pigs Heads are hard as heck too.

Seems like all wild animals are thick as a brick. I've seen a lot of big animals dropped with one shot. I've seen a few act like it was nothing.

Hundreds (and more) bear have met their end from a pistol shot.

That's why I picked a round that penetrates deep with a large wound channel.. Blow up it's snout.. shatter its orbital socket. I don't care all effective.

Obviously not a situation I want to be in but I have put a lot of thought into it.

I am never going to be sold on bear spray. I feel that the most likely out come is me coughing ,spitting and blind listening to El Oso tie on his bib getting ready to eat me. Even if I'm all spicey.

Choice is always king: here's an article on the effectiveness of spray; that's why I carry it most https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/bear-spray2.htm of the time.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Asmbandits]

Here's a really neat article on bear attack handgun efficiency via real life results. https://www.ammoland.com/2018/02/defense-against-bears-with-pistols-97-success-rate-37-incidents-by-caliber/#axzz5YN2sD92V