Mountain Lions

[nvchris]

I like the Beretta.

[grubstake]

Never had to in the field except once, a Mojave Greenie, had me pinned and was not stoping, he died of lead poisoning. But once someone thought they were coming into my house, at 12 midnight, three druggies, they didn't get in, shot one, they shot at my trailer with a sawed off model 870 12 gage, never hit nothing. Had to go to court, Judge said I made one mistake! I should have killed them, he would have. Case closed. Grubstake

[Hawkeye]

Like most have mentioned on this thread its not the wildlife you have to worry about as much as it is the nut jobs growing dope or cooking meth. In the areas I detect, and probably Matt also, there is more probability that we will run into some of these guys before we happen upon a lion or a bear. Lately the ones they have been finding have been mexican nationals setting up shop in the forests working for the mexican mofia growing dope and usually their well armed. When I set my GPS and go off looking for new areas to detect that is always on my mind, more so than running into a lion or bear. More worried about rattlesnakes actually but carrying when I'm out detecting gives me a piece of mind at least. I hope I never have to use it but you know what they say, better to be judged by 12 than carried by six.

Take care, Wes

p/s Matt I didn't know you were left handed. I swear I remember you swinging your detector with your right arm.

[Todd Pickens]

Grubstake is a Glock man. I new I voted for the right man.

All kidding aside

Besides metal detecting I do alot of Bow hunting in Texas and New Mexico. I pack in to remote areas as far away from people as I can get. I have had coyoties, foxes and bears come into my camps, but never a mountain lion. I have never had to shoot anything that woke me during the night. My gun is what lets me get a good night sleep when I am camping or when I am detecting. It is a safety net for an insecure male ego.

My recomendations would be to get whatever gun makes you feel safe learn how to use it and carry it and then forget about bad people, moutain lions, bears, snakes ect. and concentrate on detecting.

KILLER BEE'S man I hate BEE"S gun's aint no good on bee's. Now I will have to find a flame thrower

[grubstake]

Yeh I like Glocks, my friend up here is a deputy sheriff, they carry Glocks. He said you can drop it in the dirt, mud, water. don't matter what, when you pick it up, its going to fire. Plus I'm a very good shot with it, practice, practice. I'm good with the 44 cap and ball too. A remington replica, with an 8 inch barrel. Grubstake

[Bill C]

Yeh I like Glocks, my friend up here is a deputy sheriff, they carry Glocks. He said you can drop it in the dirt, mud, water. don't matter what, when you pick it up, its going to fire. Plus I'm a very good shot with it, practice, practice. I'm good with the 44 cap and ball too. A remington replica, with an 8 inch barrel. Grubstake

Matt don't worry about hijacking the thing about the lions and guns. This has been very interesting and I think I just have to add to the list of things I need in a survival kit. Some of us have just found out what is the best gun to have if we want one. besides I do think the guns relate very well witht this post.

I know that mountain lions are nocternal and most likely we would not run into one during the day and for bears well I dont know just as long as they have not just gotten a kill and think we are after their meal I guess or a new born baby would be a real problem.

I suppose it would be good for a guy not to be alone, which probably happens all the time when you find a good place and want to keep that spot a seret though. Now I should think about bees too. I happen to be alergic to the honey bee sting and have a epiten shot but maybe if there is room I can carry a can of Raid in my back pack or vest.

I used to hike as a young teenager when camping with my parrents and never gave this much thought but when you have kids it is important to live to take care of them. I am a paranoid father when it comes to my boys. I am sure most think like that...Safety Bill C thanks for the comments everyone.

[grubstake]

I've had my Glock 40 cal model 22 for a couple of years, fired about a 100 rounds through it, without one malfunction, also you can get snake shot loads for it, and it cycles them very well. My 44 cap and ball is cheap to shoot, and you can load shot in it also, with a patch on top, you ca put a lot of #6 shot in it. I have my uncle get me lead off of old roofing jacks on tile roofs and cast my own rounds, I can use black powder or pre-measured 50 grain powder loads. A fun pistol to shoot. Better to have a weapon and never need it, than to need one and not have it. Grubstake

[Hammer]

Might consider getting a couple of little dogs and training them for the outdoors, they also are good companions--

if a Kitty is around he will most likely avoid confrontation with you and your little guards..training the dogs is the key--

gun will also help.

I have only seen a three cougars in my wandering and each time it was without dogs.

[sawmill]

On the serious side. I have lived and worked in lion and bear

country all of my life. Never carried a gun or wasted 5 minutes even

worrying about getting attacked. I have been within 4 or 5 feet of full

grown lions ,and almost got ran over by a young one. Not one of them

even showed a tooth,just checked me out and went about their business.

Running into bears while cutting logs or working in the woods is just part

of the job. I have had them almost bump heads while falling timber and

checking the undercut. Met a couple coming down the same tree while

bucking logs. I have had them peek over a log while I was setting chokers.

Had one that tagged after me for two summers ,and was gentle as a dog.

She would sit and watch me fall timber. Sometimes she would walk up and

sit like a dog and watch me file a saw chain or take a break . I would fall

a few trees and while I was limbing and bucking them she would be looking

for ants and grubs where the falling trees broke up rotten windfalls. Sure

didn't have many visits from the Forest Service on those two jobs.

She was not your typical ordinary wild bear. I had rescued her everyday

for two weeks from a culvert trap for a young biologist ,and she was in poor

condition. We figured someone had raised her for a pet and dumped her.

The second day I released her,she followed me to my pickup. That happened

every day until they moved the trap. Then she just moved in on my timber

sale and followed me around.

Most animal attacks happen near towns,camp grounds,and areas that have

been developed. Most animals that attack are young animals ,just learning to

hunt . Running,riding a bike, or stooping over will trigger the instinct to attack

with a young hungry cat. Its like dragging string past a kitten.

Older Cats unless they are sick will try to stay out of sight and avoid contact

in a populated area. Out in the wild they like to stalk and watch like a game.

They are curious,and just checking you out. An old Cat out in the wild is the king

of hunters. They don't have to munch on crusty old coots ,and would rather eat

venison.

Bears are like people,no two are the same,and each have a different personality.

If you run across a cub,make sure you are not between it and Mama,and ease out

of there. If you meet a bear don't panic or run. Act calm ,don't stare it in the eyes,

just back away. It don't hurt to talk to it in a calm low voice either. Bears will some

times make a short run at you and chuff and pop their teeth. They are just telling

you to leave and there won't be any trouble. If a bear is within 60 feet and wants

to ruin your day ,he will. They can cover 60 feet before you can blink. Also they

can out run a horse and keep it up for miles. Brush and hills don't slow them down

either. Very few black bears are mean, but don't push your luck,give them their

space.

[gotgold]

An old Cat out in the wild is the king of hunters. They don't have to munch on crusty old coots, and would rather eat venison.

"crusty old coots" .....Yea, I heard those old "coots" were tough and stringy and, would just ball up in your mouth! (kinda like "mystery meat" did when I was in the military).....and Thank God there isn't a "meat tenderiser" on the face of this planet today to change it's taste on ones pallet.

I love the post Sawmill, experience and wisdom says alot and thanks!

Gary

[srferjo714]

I do a lot of nugget hunting around Anza Califorina and yes there are a lot of mountain lions, you will see one almost every trip out. But never had a problem with them. And yes I do wear a HK 45 cal with two high cap clips.

[Hawkeye]

Sawmill

Great post. I agree with you about the bears and lions. Most of the bears I've run into while detecting have usually seen or smelled me first and were beaten feet in the opposite direction. When I worked for the youth authority at Washington Ridge Camp outside of Nevada City we had bears come into the camp all the time. They were usually after the trash in the dumpsters. You could almost set your watch to them at night. Every night within 15 minutes of 10pm you could here dogs barking from the neighbors that lived around the camp as the bears would make there way to the camp for the garbage. They new the time when we threw out all the goodies from what the inmates would throw in the garbage. We use to threaten some of them with handcuffing them to the dumpsters if they gave us any trouble during our shift. It was a lot of fun watching city boys, especially the big bad gang bangers, just scared to death of all the critters.

You ever run into any growers or cookers out in the woods? I would think you would have run in to where they were.

take care, Wes

[sawmill]

Hammer

I hate to be the bust your bubble. Lions come into town here just

to eat little dogs. They will come on the front porch and snack on

poodles,and terriers while you watch. Taking small dogs into lion

country works as well as packing your hip pockets full of tuna sandwiches.

Believe it or not bears don't like to hang around ,if there is a small

dog or two. A couple little terriers or bulldogs will put a bear on the

run.

Hawkeye

I worked out of Quincey in 1967 fighting fires. We were working out

of the old Boulder Creek fire camp most of the time. Know what you mean

about tough city gangster types.

One small black bear caused a bunch to steal a charter Greyhound bus

and skip out in the middle of the night.

Back when they used to really fight a fire we worked all night on the fire

lines. Bumping into a bear in the dark kept you awake,and there wasn't

any shortage of bears either. There was lots of big really upset rattlesnakes

lurking around too. Between the open mine shafts,hot stump holes,snakes

or stepping on burned decomposed granite and sliding off of a cliff,meeting

a bear wasn't all that bad.

For the last few years I usually work above 10,000 feet in Spruce timber.

Not too good for growers at that elevation. But they busted two big operations

down in the pine country,not too far out of town. There is a creek that runs

right through where they made the biggest bust. I darn near went up there

to pan a week before they made the raid. Glad I missed that panning trip.

The drug runners here usually fly the canyons and make their drops in the

sagebrush country. Makes you wonder why all those backpackers and enviro

types like the canyons so much.

Gary Coot don't taste like chicken,and I have heard tell that a helping of

Old Coot really gives critters the runs.

[gotgold]

Gary, Coot don't taste like chicken and I have heard tell that a helping of

Old Coot really gives critters the runs.

Thanks Greg, for giving me a case of ROFLMAO .....just`goes to show that the "runs" are going to be the status quo when messing with that unsavery "chicken" taste of Old Coot!.....unless, hummm

Old Coots Rock

Gary

[shep]

My .02 worth; It's a helluva lot easier and lighter, to smear some bacon grease on your detecting partners boots (when he ain't look'n) and add a couple of rocks in his backpack; and then carry a .45 w/ one clip.

Shep

[Tony Teixeira]

My .02 worth; It's a helluva lot easier and lighter, to smear some bacon grease on your detecting partners boots (when he ain't look'n) and add a couple of rocks in his backpack; and then carry a .45 w/ one clip.

Shep

LOL, That sure is funny. You boy's in the Mariposa area sure play rough, But what about the guys whose's detecting partners are also their wifes? Ohhh...uh....never mind.

Tony Teixeira

[Ridge Runner]

You guys are making it harder than it is.All you got to do is make sure you can out run your detecting partner and it will help you if you don't like him anyway.

Here Kitty Kitty I got some dinner for you.

Chuck Anders

PS Don't forget to go back later to get his detector.

[Hammer]

Sawmill: Bubble didn't burst---notice I said two dogs and a gun-- the dogs I have had will always get between you and your enemy so while kitty is eating the first dog you can blast him with your cannon--I lived in southern oregon and worked in the woods and saw mill pulling green chain and can say that was some tough work back in the early 1950's. I now live in Yorba Linda, CA and about fifteen years ago a small cat (about 60 Lbs) walked right down the middle of our street at about 2 AM at night--probably looking to snatch some dog.

[sawmill]

Hammer

That sounds like a good plan. :lol:

Wonder if house cats would work too? I have a couple house cats,

and if I thought a lion would eat them,I would track down a lion and tease

him just for the heck of it.

Yeah I pulled some green chain too. Anything to do with a sawmill is

hard work. I have done everything from building them to running the

head rig. Owned a couple mills,actually I still have a scragg mill,planers,

and a circle mill. I got tired of fighting the enviros and stacked out my

mills.

Ever take a midnight swim in the mill pond in January? Loose bark on

a big log will put you right in there. Don't know which was worse,freezing,

or the stinking pond water.

Thanks to sawmills my back goes Snap Crackle Pop.

The Pop may have came from logging ,ain't real sure.

[montana]

Sawmill. I put in 17 years in the sawmills and started like everyone else on the green chain. Eventually ran every machine and then millwright and shift foreman. Hard, cold work but it toughened me up for this detecting thing. We have a mountain lion who spends a lot of time here in town. It has never bothered any pets or anybody in the years it has been around. The local lion hunter says to leave it be since it has been harmless for so many years. If he was to kill it , it may be replaced by one that isn't so nice.---Bob

[cp90macs]

I carry a .44Mag and yes it may be no use if a cat pounce on my back! I think the best thing to do, is not to go out detecting alone. Always go with a partner, or partners and keep each other in sight! My partner also carry, but if you get out of site of one another, the odd tip to the lion, or bear. A year ago while I was working a dry wash, I got out of sight from my partner, while digging a target on my hand and knee's, I heard some stone's tumbles. I looked around and saw notting! After recovering the target, I continued working the wash, about 20 yards latter, around another bend, there in the sand was a big pile, still hot, cat scat! Scince that time, we always keep each other in sight.

More Au to you, Robert