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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: yekrut on May 11, 2009, 06:20:00 PM
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How many of you walk in to your stand when it is dark out, in the time before daylight. Do you feel a bit nervous? Do you get at all worried about getting attacked by a cougar or mountain lion , as we call them here. I get a little nervous, my heart beats faster and my hands shake until I am up in my stand. That is if you have them in your area!! There has been alot of sightings here, and were I hunt there were 2 sighted during the deer season right on the property we hunt!! So just wondering how you huys deal with tis and is there anything I can do to make myself not worrie about it , when I am walking in.Thanks
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I don't know what the hunting laws are where you're from but if you can, carry a "back-up" handgun with you in nothing smaller than .45 caliber.
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It is something to think about, but that's about as much as I do about it.
I saw a lion about a month ago while hog hunting, then saw his tracks in the mud that had dried.
As I was back packing about 45lb pounds of boned out pork after dark to my vehicle about a mile and half away, I did think, what would I do if I got attacked by that lion.
#1 I will fight like hell to make it think twice about what it got into ( they can't afford to get hurt ether) before I die.
#2 I'm pulling my knife and going gensu on it.
California's Mountain Lion are protected, because my state is full of wackos, that don't understand that Lions only kill to eat.
My son, his friend and I where hog hunting and he had a lion bale out of a tree over his head, a big tom about 120-130lb.
Could you imagine that lion hitting you from above!!!! pile-driving you to the ground, your done, that's all.
It's much safer to sit on the couch or watch it on TV, me, I want to live it, and having Lions around just makes it a little better.
I believe this is a Walt Frances Pic I kept.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/mountainLion003.jpg)
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A concealed carry permit supersedes game laws. As the firearm will only be used for self-defense, I have no qualms about carrying.
Killdeer
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If I felt endangered in anyway I would carry a backup. Heck I carry every day in the urban wilderness I work! If I thought something was gonna jump out and eat me I would carry it in hand! Be safe!! Take care of your safety yourself, or some official will write about it in some report!!
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That is a beautiful pic.!
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Right Now on Discovery Health is a story about a mountain biker that was attacked by a cougar...
... mike ...
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Here kitty kitty lol. Some people have seen them around here also, but the game wardends deny them (don't know why).
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Not so much the cougars in our area that I worry about....it's walking up on a Grizzly. We have both in plentiful numbers and it seems that every year they just keep getting bigger and bigger.
I was away fishing this past week and the wife told me there were two black bears at the same time looking in the back door window and one on the stairwell window looking in.....scared the crap right out of her.
We live in the wilderness and I would not have it any other way. I would far rather worry about walking up on a cougar or grizzly than having to dodge bullets from some gang banger in a major city.....LOL
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A concealed carry permit supersedes game laws. As the firearm will only be used for self-defense, I have no qualms about carrying.
Not in NC it doesn't.
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I'm with Norseman. I don't really "worry" about the Griz, but I think about them. If you're gonna live with 'em, you gotta live with 'em.
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When I lived in Montana I carried the S&W .44 Mag Mountain Gun. We had a lot bigger things to worry about than pussy cats though...Yogi was more of a concern where I hunted... :scared: Carry a gun if you are allowed and I second the nothing less than a .45 caliber.
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The danger is in the trips to the hunt and back home in your vehicle.
Yes mt lions LOVE to follow hunters to see what they are up too- but if they were like leopards or lions or tigers --- there would be few of us left alive.
I have been attacked by a lion; by bears; and even had an elk wrapped in my fence go after me and beat me half to death.
But the biggest dangers to us are the smallest things; like ticks; and mosquitoes and .....panic.
Me- I hope it is an angry bear or lion that ends up taking me out. I have volunteered for hospice a lot; and laying in a bed while your relatives talk about how much: 'he used to love hunting'... is not really a 'good death'.
So why worry about it?
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I guess I won't retire to NC! :eek:
I would be more leery of big predators in state parks where they are not hunted, than out where guns keep me at the top of the food chain. The bears in the National Forest get the heck out of Dodge when they wind you, but those in Shenandoah NP look at you as a food source.
Yes, I feel more at risk in my own neighborhood than I do in camp. But I keep my buddy handy! Stuff happens.
Killdeer
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Quote:
A concealed carry permit supersedes game laws. As the firearm will only be used for self-defense, I have no qualms about carrying.
Not in NY State either!
At least not during the bow hunting season.
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I'm a little north/west of you Killie and our ccw permit is the same as yours. We can leaglly carry for self defense only while bow hunting.
BC
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OK, I see the raised eyebrows.
Here are excerpts from the VDGIF site;
"Legal Methods and Restrictions During Archery Deer Seasons
Special restrictions may apply during this season. See Legal Use of Firearms and Archery Equipment and Local Firearms Ordinances for details.
* Archery tackle (including crossbows) only.
* Broadhead widths must be at least 7/8-inch wide or expand upon impact to 7/8-inch.
* Bows must be capable of propelling a broadhead arrow at least 125 yards.
* It is unlawful to use arrows to which any drug, chemical or toxic substance has been added or explosive head arrows.
* It is unlawful to have a firearm in possession (see exception for concealed handguns).
* It is unlawful to use dogs."
And under those exceptions:
"Concealed handguns may be in the possession of hunters during the archery and muzzleloading seasons when they also possess a valid concealed handgun permit. Such handguns may not be used to shoot wild animals during these seasons."
So, maybe your states are different, but in Virginia, at least, we are not denied the defensive use of firearms merely because we are hunting. If you have a concealed carry permit, you may wish to review your game laws in depth, consult your state's pro-gun organizations and the NRA, or push for revisions to your laws and regain your ability to exercise your right to self-defense.
Killdeer
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Killy, you're my kind of gal :campfire:
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I open my Case pocketknife if I get really nervous.
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It is illegal in sd, from what I understand. To carry a gun while you are bowhunting!!!! BUt I could be wrong?? But last fall I was a little nervous waking in, but once in my stand I was happy!! I guess I would rather walk in in the dark, thanout, but thats just me!! :)
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It is illegal in sd, from what I understand. To carry a gun while you are bowhunting!!!! BUt I could be wrong?? But last fall I was a little nervous waking in, but once in my stand I was happy!! I guess I would rather walk in in the dark, thanout, but thats just me!! :)
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Don't have much of an issue with cougars, etc, but down here the snakes can scare the willies out of you. I know, I stepped on one once in the pitch black dark. Also, I got treed by a pack of dogs lead by a huge Rottweiler once. I think, but am not sure, that a self-defense handgun can be carried during archery season if you have a concealed carry permit. Since I hunt only on my own land, I often carry! Regarding the snakes, I don't know if I would be in more danger from snakebite or shooting my foot off in the dark.
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Went to a seminar on bear hunting one time.. He was asked about being nervous walking out after dark knowing their were most likely bears in the area, and if he would "Carry".
His reply was he felt that to carry was violating the spirit of bow hunting.
He did however say he liked to hunt with someone he could outrun,
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You are talking about walking in to your stand in the dark, if a Mountain Lion feels the need to attack, you will never get the gun out of the holster. But if it makes you feel better carry one for confidence.
I have backpacked, and hunted in Bear (Black Bear) and Lion Country for 30 years. Never felt the need for a gun. I have had a few close encounters, guess I just never met a real hungry one, also these are wild critters not used to seeing or smelling humans.
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Im with Tater. By the time you figure out(USUALLY) that you may be on a cougar's menu, a gun-or anything else- isn't gonna give you a real big advantage. They are a stealthy predator.
They dont exist here in NY, "officially" speaking. I do get a bit twitchy walking in to my stands though...man just the idea of a grizz at oh dark thirty gives me a shiver.
I try to get ready early, and give my eyes atleast a half hour to adjust after I shut off the lights.
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I have checked, Killie....and actually won $100 from someone who thought they new our game laws.
You'd better not be packing heat during bow season in NC. Good for you in VA.
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When I get :scared: I keep this Bad Boy by my side. :readit: Haven't had a encounter with a cougar bear yet! They know I'm packin :D
Just to compare how small this bad boy is. 5 in feather.
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I feel much safer in the dark then I do in the day....I feel sooo much safer in the woods then I do in any city
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I'm more concerned about the backwoods "herbalists' and "chemists" than the natural predators.
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I didn't feel nervous about walking to my treestand in the dark with nothing but my longbow until I was growled at by a mt. lion... here in Iowa. Yep, true story. The landowner has huuuuuge plaster casts of its paw prints. I didn't see it because it was still dark but I estimate that it was only 20 yards or so away. Not pleasant. I was reassured by the fact that if I was on the breakfast menu that I wouldn't have received the warning growls. yikes. You are not allowed to carry a gun during bow season in Iowa. But man, that experience makes me want to bend the law.
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Not legal to carry a gun during bow season in KY either. I can't carry a handgun during deer bow season, even though I have a concealed carry permit. (Although I think I read where that law is being considered for changing) But, we ain't got no cougars or bears here neither! Although we do have a few bears in the eastern part of KY. Heck, I know several people who are spooked about coyotes gettin' them in the early morning hours on their way to the stand.
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We have them here in Texas, alot of them. Last season I was sneaking into my little spot when I looked over to my right and saw a black one. Very large, big round head, long tail. I made a shot (open season here) and hit just under his chest. I'd love to say I just missed the distance and hit low, but the truth is, I dropped my bow arm a tad just trying to see if I had hit him. He jumped up and smoked out of there. A few minutes later I'm in my ground blind when I hear it scream. Kind of a growl/scream..........(hair straight up)
I decided right then I wanted to be in the tripod, and I made it up there in one step.........
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We dont have many cougars or big bears in MO. ButI have been put in the back of my truck once by a pack of dogs while bowhunting and surrounded by the same pack in the woods with a longbow and judos. I carry a pistol on that place but no where else. I don't know why anyone would say that you won't have a chance to use a gun if attacked by a cougar since people survive all kinds of attacks all the time, my chances are better with it. I also don't understand dieing because of some self imposed idea that it takes away from the bowhunt if you have protection with you. I will use it and go home and tell my family how I was almost killed by a cougar.
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Scariest thing where I hunt... skunk or rabid tree rat! :help:
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Last year I carried a .45 for my solo elk hunt in Colorado. During the day I didn't feel like I needed it, but felt much better with it by my side when in my solo tent at night. 1/2" holes have a way of changing the demeanor of wild animals pretty quickly;) I'm glad I brought it.
I remember reading about a father and son who were hunting elk in a Wyoming backcountry area. The son was attacked by a grizzly. The father got a quick arrow into the bear as it ran at the son. As the bear was on top of the son, the father started hitting the bear with his bow(no pistol). Fortunately the bear quickly felt the effects of the arrow and died after running down the hill. The son lived with minor injuries, but it could have been much much worse. Prior to this, carrying was illegal while bowhunting in Wyoming. Thankfully, they just changed that.
Something to think about. Matt
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Usually cougars and mountain lions do not attack. Most of the animals you will ever meet in the wild - if not 99% - only attack when they feel threatened or cornered. If you are ever attacked by a cougar anyways, you just do as this fellow:
:)
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The more the hunting ground shrinks, and food source shrinks, the more ya have to worry...If they let ya pack firearm Id take my 357 6inch colt python....my way thinking they get hungry, ur whats for dinner :scared: :readit: on the menue... :saywhat: :goldtooth:
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We have all of the above plus rattle snakes. I hate Rattle snakes. Last season I ran into 2 of them. The main thing that I worry about when sitting in a ground/brush blind is having a rattle snake try and snuggle up next to me. I do get a little nervous when Im heading out in the morning darkness but thats all part of hunting, for me. After I ask God to watch over me and bless the hunt. I head out, still a little nervous but I love to see the stars and hear all the sounds as im walking to my stand. Just love it, and grateful to be out.
Gilbert
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gun?I hardly even use a flashlight...lol...You can bet no gun law would discourage me from carrying 1 in the woods or anywhere if I was afraid for my life and we all have the right to self protection...The 2nd amendment is a RIGHT!!!NOT a privledge...SO ACT LIKE IT!!!
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Alot of my deer hunting is done on a small public chunk of land. There are always lots of people through there , so do ya think since its a busy place that mountain lions would not be hanging around in there?? Deer do though!! and turkeys!! thanks!! :)
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gun?I hardly even use a flashlight...lol...You can bet no gun law would discourage me from carrying 1 in the woods or anywhere if I was afraid for my life and we all have the right to self protection...The 2nd amendment is a RIGHT!!!NOT a privledge...SO ACT LIKE IT!!!
The law against carrying firearms in a NC bow season is really no different than the laws prohibiting carrying in a courthouse, airport or any other place deemed unlawful.
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I have come across Bears, been followed by cougars (and even scared one off its kill), been stalked by wolves, threatened by a pine marten, sprayed by a skunk, glared at by forest grouse, and had squirrels drop pine cones on my head. The biggest danger for me is doing something stupid like falling out of a tree stand, slipping and breaking a leg in the back country, stabbing myself with an arrow, running out of gas in the middle of nowhere (ask Brian Krebs about this).
I do carry when hunting, mainly because of the 2 legged drunk animals that appear from time to time.
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We had a old saying when I worked in the prison, it is better to be judged by 12 than to be carried by six. Carry your pistol if you are that worried. :readit:
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I have never seen one or been growled at, but there are mountain lions where I hunt in Western Iowa. I wish the law would allow me to carry while bowhunting. I am not so concerned while walking, but I'm afraid that sitting scruntched down on the ground behind a burlap ground blind and blowing a fawn bleat makes me sound like lunch.
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I worry about 2 things walking to my stand at night(or daytime). Yellow Jackets that nest underground and rattlesnakes. Handgun is no defense for the Yellow Jackets and the snake has already bit you before you can kill it ;) But really your chances of getting hurt climbing up the tree is far greater. In fact driving to your hunting area is the real danger :p ...Van
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The way I see it is the lions, bears, wolves, coyotes etc. gotta eat too...
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I think it just takes alot of guts, to do what we do. Some people think I am crazy , when I tell them what I do and what I see!!! Like walking around in the dark in the woods alone!! :)
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I don't worry to much about the woods, now the city and the highways that is were I feel unsafe and I want a firearm.Blake
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It is not that uncommon for me to be in a hunting bear camp where at least one grown man is afraid of the dark.. They will not admit it; but it is common.
I am more afraid of the two legged animals that I might encounter on my way to the woods than any animal. At least no predator would kill you for the $50 in your wallet or to steal your car for a joyride... Yes, the wild is safe compared to that. I carry everywhere except in the woods. LOL
John III
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If it is legal to carry a concealed pistol, then do yourself a favor, get the training, get the permit, and get a gun you can be comfortable with.
It is a ton of responsibility, but WELL worth it
There are no cougars where I hunt and live, but my thinking is, if you are scared while walking to and fro, I believe an apex predator such as a cougar can sense it, possibly making you more of a target. Afterall, the fear is a weakness, and these fantastic animals have survived by being able to easily find the weak.
Possibly...just possibly, the confidence you have while carrying may be the deciding factor in what triggers or repels an attack... it works with lowlife people.
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Personally, I don't worry much about the mountain lions while hunting, even though there are lots of them in my hunting areas. Grizzlies are a different concern; I always consider them when hunting the mountains. Don't get me wrong the kitties can and are dangerous but the grizzlies are more likely to attack you. Here is the link to an encounter I had with a mountain lion while hunting elk:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=055765
I have been charged by two different sow grizzlies (one stopping at 10 yards and the other at 10 feet), for me there in no comparison regarding the pucker factor between kitties and bears.
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Wow, What a story. I red it and it sent chills down my spine!! Thats amazing!! :)
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Originally posted by bill langer:
The way I see it is the lions, bears, wolves, coyotes etc. gotta eat too... [/QUOTE
Yes they do, but not me! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Here we are allowed to CCW during bow season because we have several large meat eaters in most areas. Frank
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"The law against carrying firearms in a NC bow season is really no different than the laws prohibiting carrying in a courthouse, airport or any other place deemed unlawful."....And you can can bet if I get shot or have my life threatened in those places I would sue the hell out of them for not protecting me...In vermont you can still carry in the court house or anywhere and they also have the least crime in america...But the 2nd amendment is a RIGHT...I don't need a permit or permission to protect my self and neither do you...I will say again its a RIGHT SO ACT LIKE IT!
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Last fall a guy was sitting on a stand on the land we hunt, and a lion ran chaseing a deer right under him , he freaked out!! I have hunted there since and had no problems, but who's to say someday when I am walking in I won't get attacked!!!!
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I just feel like I'm not bowhunting if I'm carrying a firearm. It cheapens the whole experience.
It's only sane to have a gun in camp where griz is a problem but to carry one is to admit that the bow and arrow you carry isn't a sufficient weapon and that's simply false.
Man up!
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Depends on where you're hunting. Here in MO, there have been several confirmed mountain lion sightings in my area. We have quite a few bobcats and coyotes (too many actually) and there is always the chance of encountering a smaller but rabid animal.
Generally, I enjoy being in the woods in the dark and seldom use a flashlight unless it is so that other hunters can see it and know I'm not an animal.
I think the odds of NEEDING a firearm are about slim to none most of the time but I strongly believe in the right to have one in my possesion.
A friend of mine was varmint hunting with a bow a few years back and was trying to call in a coyote. Instead, he called in a bobcat to a REALLY close distance. Something like about 15 ft. He did manage to shoot it with his recurve but it was able to penetrate a nearby massive brush pile before it died. We couldn't "dissasemble" the pile enough to get to it. I had another friend call one in by accident when he was calling turkeys. Point is, while mountain lions are super scarce here, bobcats seem to be common and evidently come in to calls intended for other animals. And when they do, I'm pretty certain that they come in looking for food. I expect 99% of them would flee once they figured out you were a human but I have a hard time being certain of that. I doubt the b'cat that got within feet of my friend DIDN'T know he wasn't a dying rabbit but he stalked in anyway. That raises questions. Where does curiosity end and where does actualy instinctive hunger take over? Would a bobcat attack a human? They aren't all that big but they evidently do kill deer fairly regularly.
For now, where I hunt I don't feel a need to carry but maybe someday. Out west in big bear country or where mountain lions are common, I'd probably at least want a gun in camp. My 45-70 Marlin would be a great camp gun.
p.s. Fatboy, the link you posted about the guy ripping the leopards toungue out during an attack was kinda interesting but the way it was written was totally inappropriate for this site. We have quite a few younger readers here. I'd suggest you go back and delete it.
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I don't want to carry a gun, I am an archer! Plain and simple! But I would like to know I am safe from lions? You never know? But something was chaseing a deer down the trail last fall but it was to dark to see what it was , it made me a little nervous!!
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hehehe to each his own I guess.
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I never hunted where lions and bears were a problem so I can`t say. I do know wading a slew to get to a honey hole and hearing a gator slide in will make you forget about being quiet.
If a bear did show up I think I`d slap`m and make him catch me a fish...RC
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During the Indiana Firearms opener I get that nervouse feeling. You never really know which nutjob is going to tresspass and decide to sit in your stand. You never really know who has all his marbles and who doesn't. You never really know if someone is going to identify a target before they shoot, or shoot first then ask questions later. Thats why I usually stay in bed that weekend. But if there was a chance to see a Mtn Lion in the wild doing the same thing I was doing, hunting, you bet your bottom dollar, id call it beatiful and be amazed. (Until it was hunting me, then id have to stand over its dead carcass and think, how beautiful this thing was)
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From what I understand, most of the time that laws prohibiting possession of a firearm during hunting season have been challenged, the laws have ended up being amended to allow concealed carry.
I have toted a pistol a few times while bowhunting. We had a pretty agressive pack of feral dogs on a piece of property that I hunted that I had a few encounters with...
Usually, I get tired of the agravation of carrying a pistol and end up carrying it in my backpack. Then it becomes an issue of why am i toting this extra weight around.
Personally, the two legged varmint issue is one that has caused me more concern for my personal safety than any critters that I have hunted. I was gun hunting a WMA one time when I was about 17 or 18 and I had my girlfriend with me. When we came out to the parking area at dusk, there were about three rough looking guys that had obviously been drinking all day long. We were way back in the woods and a few looks and stage whispered comments on their part made me glad that I had the gun with me. We kept our distance as we got in the truck and I had her drive out so that I could keep an eye on them.
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In 2000, I had 2 hair raising grizzly encounters in Wyoming on consecutive days. My can of bear spray didn't offer much comfort and caused me to retreat south to Colorado for all of my elk hunting since. The second encounter was so close that I could feel the vibration in the ground from her roar.(sow with cub) It really put a damper in my desire and ability to move in darkness. Now, it's still tough to travel in darkness in Colorado cause I know a mountain lion or black bear could make a turd out of me just the same.
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No grizzlys or mountain lions but in my neck of the woods you have to be aware of walking up on a meth lab.
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Yeah , I guess ya never really know what you are gonna run into out there. But just need to be prepared, and ready for it...