bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 15, 2014 2:15:49 GMT -5
Was out in British Columbia last week checking out a new placer claim I bought last winter and decided to stop in at a nice gravel pit on the way home that has agates. I pull in and see that I was not the only one there. I yelled at them and they took off. So i strap on my Bear spray and start my hunt. After about ten minutes or so I find my first agate. Ever have that feeling that your being watched. Yep I look over my shoulder and their back. about 50 yards away. 20 yards to the pickup. I yell at them again and the sow and here cub leave again. I continue hunting all the while in the back of my mind thinking about the sow. I found a few more agates and a nice piece of jasper and sure enough she's back. I figured I pushed my luck long enough and did not what to unpack my 870. So I let her have turf and continue eating the fresh grass around the pit. And called it a day. If its not raining tomorrow I will get some pictures of the other finds.
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1nickthegreek
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2014
Posts: 383
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Jun 15, 2014 5:34:04 GMT -5
bushmanbilly You are so lucky to get to see bears in the wild, I have lived 90 minutes from Yellowstone and been through the park numerous times in my 38 years, along with archery hunting all around Southeast Idaho and still have NEVER seen a bear in situ. Even sat in tree stands with my bow for a full archery season above bait, and once again never bad the honor of seeing any, listened to them chuffing and stuff within 100 yards many a time, but they never would come in....talk about spooky when walking out from the stands after dark with no flashlights or anything and still being able to smell them!!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2014 5:44:06 GMT -5
That's really cool.unnerving a bit I'm sure .never ran across a bear,but I have walked up on large hogs.a 4-5 hundred pound hog breaking the brush in your direction can be a underwear soiling experience. Dave
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Post by snowmom on Jun 15, 2014 7:46:12 GMT -5
I live in bear country now, but have not seen any yet. Spouse wants to pack into a wilderness site this summer and the brochures warn of what to do in case of (rare) bear attack. I want to wait until late summer when mom might not be quite so protective of her little ones. They are cool, but I wouldn't want to know one personally! agates are one thing, wise decision you made.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Jun 15, 2014 8:19:47 GMT -5
My brother lives in bear country too,in Alaska....They just pack up when they see bears in the area,He has several photos of sows and cubs..
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Jun 15, 2014 22:39:34 GMT -5
Bushman, it appears your video has a bug attached to it, I got a security warning when I started it up.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jun 16, 2014 1:33:37 GMT -5
quartz I can't make any guarantees but you might try the page again, generally security warning on pages like these come from the ads (which load automatically and should change from one visit to the page to the next) Mostly it is because either the ad server claims to be secure but the certificate it uses is mismatched OR because the page that loads the ad is secure and the ad itself is not. Any hosts that load ads are annoying but the free hosting option allows folks to share photos and videos without paying for hosting themselves.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 16, 2014 11:31:51 GMT -5
Bushman, it appears your video has a bug attached to it, I got a security warning when I started it up. Hmmm... thats weird. The vid went from my phone to photobucket. I removed it for everyone's safety.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Jun 16, 2014 11:43:55 GMT -5
Hoping I didn't cause frustration to members here, but we have gotten two really nasty and very hard to kill bugs in the last couple months attached to seemingly benign downloads from friends.
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aimeesrockworks
spending too much on rocks
I really do look like my avatar... it kinda freaks me out.
Member since December 2010
Posts: 458
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Post by aimeesrockworks on Jun 16, 2014 11:59:50 GMT -5
Beary cool.
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 16, 2014 12:24:07 GMT -5
I live in bear country now, but have not seen any yet. Spouse wants to pack into a wilderness site this summer and the brochures warn of what to do in case of (rare) bear attack. I want to wait until late summer when mom might not be quite so protective of her little ones. They are cool, but I wouldn't want to know one personally! agates are one thing, wise decision you made. Mamma bears never relax their aggressive protection for their cubs until they are at least 2 year old and on their own. As they get over a year they will help mamma defend and hunt food. My advice for you is get some bear spray (large can) and learn how to use it. I would also say have a GOOD dog, but most dogs will bring the bear right to you, as you are their form of protection. Unless your really really really!!!!!!!!! good with a shotgun and will not flinch when a 400 lb+ set of jaws and teeth come at you. I recommend the spray. Keep it handy not in your back pack. When I'm in thick bush its in my HAND. Also if you see a lot of scavenger birds in one spot. Good chance a bear or cougar has a cache near by. Avoid these area's at all costs, they will defend them very aggressively. Bear bells are for tourists wallets. Do not!!!! go into bear country smelling like a fruit salad. So no fancy shampoo's and perfumes. Do not spray it around camp thinking it will protect you. The opposite will happen. Do!!!! leave the I-pod at home. As big as they are they can be ninja quiet. I would recommend these books for anyone who hikes or travels in bear country. A really good video. The reason I stayed so long was that the bears never showed any aggressive posture towards me. That does not mean I let my guard down either. I also had my radio turned to a talk show. More human voices the better.
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Post by snowmom on Jun 16, 2014 12:34:21 GMT -5
thanks for the info, didn't mean to steal the thread, bet a lot of other folks will find this useful too! : )
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 16, 2014 12:57:01 GMT -5
No worries snowmom, just glad I could help. The three books are very interesting and informative and in my opinion they are the best out there. Buy the first one as it describes the different postures of aggression. The last one is all about real attacks and interviews with the survivors and fatality reports.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 18, 2014 0:45:17 GMT -5
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swiper
having dreams about rocks
Member since June 2014
Posts: 64
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Post by swiper on Jun 19, 2014 20:51:53 GMT -5
Nice looking area. Thanks for posting pics of your rough agate. Helps me know what I'm looking for!!
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,019
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Post by gemfeller on Jun 19, 2014 22:38:12 GMT -5
Quite a few years ago, before the nightmarish old Tioga Pass road from LeeVining to Yosemite was improved from one-lane, my wife and I drove up it with an overloaded station wagon and three kids. We finally reached the top after terrifying problems with the car conking out on several switchbacks, and we gratefully took the first camping spot we could find at Tuolemne Meadows to unwind from the scary drive. I made camp, cooked dinner and all seemed well until about dusk when a Forest Service truck towing a trailer made of a length of corrugated metal culvert drove past us. They parked about 300 yards from our camp, unhitched the "trailer," and left again.
Uh-oh! What they were towing was a bear trap, and that meant a renegade Ursus americanus was on the prowl. I didn't tell the family, figuring there was no need to frighten them, but before bedtime I made sure all food items, including secret treats hidden in my kids' pockets, were securely locked inside the car. We'd collected a paper grocery sack full of huge Ponderosa pine cones for future Christmas decorations and I left it leaning against a tree a few yards from our tent.
In the middle of the night I woke to an unmistakable snuffling sound a few feet from the tent. Next I heard the click of big claws on metal as Mr. Bear checked out the groceries in the car. Silence again. Then the sound of a ferocious ripping and tearing then silence again. I was the only one awake and I didn't have a rifle. I lay anxiously, wondering what to do. After about 15 minutes I heard a metallic "clank" as the bear trap door dropped down and I was finally able to drift off to sleep again. The next morning I found the bag of pine cones had been ripped to shreds, with cones scattered everywhere. As we cooked breakfast the truck returned, hooked up the bear trap, and hauled the prowler off to a remote part of Yosemite. There was probably no real danger but I decided then and there to upgrade from a tent to a pick-up camper.
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