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I had to compete with a black bear for a cache a few weeks ago, so just curious how many carry a firearm for protection when caching in the woods for protection from predators (obviously does not apply in all regions). Do you carry pistol or long gun, or do you prefer to carry bells and pepper spray, or a combination of all the above? Or do you just go nekid and hope for the best?

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I had to compete with a black bear for a cache a few weeks ago, so just curious how many carry a firearm for protection when caching in the woods for protection from predators (obviously does not apply in all regions). Do you carry pistol or long gun, or do you prefer to carry bells and pepper spray, or a combination of all the above? Or do you just go nekid and hope for the best?

 

We carry a 12 guage marine flare pistol. 100% legal and sure to 'warm up' someones day :rolleyes:

 

.... oh and it fits well in a small pack.

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I had to compete with a black bear for a cache a few weeks ago, so just curious how many carry a firearm for protection when caching in the woods for protection from predators (obviously does not apply in all regions). Do you carry pistol or long gun, or do you prefer to carry bells and pepper spray, or a combination of all the above? Or do you just go nekid and hope for the best?

 

We carry a 12 guage marine flare pistol. 100% legal and sure to 'warm up' someones day :rolleyes:

 

.... oh and it fits well in a small pack.

What about a small taser gun is that legal out in cali

Me and my brother go hiking and if we ran into trouble i wouldn't like to kill someone or an animal but a stun gun might be in order?

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Here it is.... I found it.

 

The best bear defence is noise. Most bears, particularly bears in hunting areas, avoid man at all costs. There are just three really unpredictable bears: 1.) A sow with cubs. 2.) A bear on a kill and 3.) All the rest of 'em.

 

The JOKE goes like this: Ranger tells everyone to wear bells around their neck and carry pepper spray to ward off bear attack. The bells alert the bears to your presence and the spray is a last ditch, ten feet, "hail Mary", when all else fails. He tells the hikers that there are two kinds of bears in the area: Grizzlies and Black bears. He then tells them that they need to recognize the bear's scat so they can tell the two species apart. He sez that black bears are much less likely to attack, so when they see black bear scat, they may continue. But if they encounter grizzly scat, they should give the area a wide berth.

 

A tourist asks how to tell the difference. The ranger replies," Easy, black bears are grazers, more than fish eaters. The black bear scat is usually full of blackberry seeds, hackberrys and acorns and other plant life and it smells like almonds. Grizzly scat is larger and it is full of bells and smells like pepper spray....

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What about a small taser gun is that legal out in cali

Me and my brother go hiking and if we ran into trouble i wouldn't like to kill someone or an animal but a stun gun might be in order?

 

How close do you want to get to a bear, so you can tase them? :rolleyes:

 

Carry pepper spray and bells?

Obviously you haven't heard the story about the Grizzly bears....

No, I haven't

But is there really grizzely bears in San Diego?

 

Sure, haven't you seen our California Flag? :rolleyes:

 

The only legal way to carry in California, is to be out during legal hunting season, with a permissable firearm (based on species being hunted), and be sure to carry the correct ammunition (if you "hunt" in an area affected by the new "Condor law." If you live in the Condor Zone, you can only carry "lead free" ammo approved by DFG. Other restrictions include firearm bans in State / County parks, or no-shooting areas.

 

Thanks to Commifornia's draconian laws, you would be better off buying bear spray.

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Getting a carry permit isn't impossible in California, only two states IL and WI have blanket bans on concealed carry.

 

I had one when I was living in the hellhole of Barstow (stationed at ft.Irwin), but it sure as heck wasn't easy to get. Not to mention all the silly laws to go with it, and that the state has no preemption on gun laws.

 

I'm just glad I'm in PA now.. :sad::sad:

Despite being a blue state we have some of the least stringent gun laws in the country.

 

EDIT

Kit Fox...

 

I noticed your profile says your occuaption is a "Custody Officer", so do you fall under the LEOSA act then? You shouldn't need to worry about a carry permit if you do.

Edited by Limhi
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I feel safer in the woods than I do in the city. If I were to carry a firearm, the city is where I would be more inclined to do so.

 

The only bear we have in my area are black bear. They tend to take off when approached by humans. We have no grizzlies in NJ and supposedly no mountain lion, even though some people have insisted they have seen them.

 

If the presence of mountain lion is ever confirmed here, I may reconsider my choice not to carry a firearm (though in NJ getting a carry permit is not an easy task). I'm not thrilled at the idea of being prey.

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I feel safer in the woods than I do in the city. If I were to carry a firearm, the city is where I would be more inclined to do so.

 

The only bear we have in my area are black bear. They tend to take off when approached by humans. We have no grizzlies in NJ and supposedly no mountain lion, even though some people have insisted they have seen them.

 

If the presence of mountain lion is ever confirmed here, I may reconsider my choice not to carry a firearm (though in NJ getting a carry permit is not an easy task). I'm not thrilled at the idea of being prey.

 

Bear sightings are not unheard in the NW, bear attacks are rare. Mountain lions are sighted, I don't recall any reported attacks in the past few years. I would be more afraid of a mountain lion attack in the fringes of suburbia than in the deep woods. Did anyone mention coyotes?

 

Jim

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What about a small taser gun is that legal out in cali

 

No.

 

(Taser instructor here.)

 

The T-wave was developed for the human nervous system. It's doesn't work on most animals. Sure, they'll react to the noise and the pain of the barbs, but the taser does nothing at all to stop them.

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I have something thats about two inches long and fires flairs.

I don't consider it deadly for large animals but if I fire 6 flairs in their face after being treed or cornered, I hope they will leave me alone. I know a human will laugh, hurt then run.

Unfortunately a mutual fight with my brother landed us both domestic violence records so we can't get a CCW in Michigan.

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I feel safer in the woods than I do in the city. If I were to carry a firearm, the city is where I would be more inclined to do so.

 

The only bear we have in my area are black bear. They tend to take off when approached by humans. We have no grizzlies in NJ and supposedly no mountain lion, even though some people have insisted they have seen them.

 

If the presence of mountain lion is ever confirmed here, I may reconsider my choice not to carry a firearm (though in NJ getting a carry permit is not an easy task). I'm not thrilled at the idea of being prey.

 

Bear sightings are not unheard in the NW, bear attacks are rare. Mountain lions are sighted, I don't recall any reported attacks in the past few years. I would be more afraid of a mountain lion attack in the fringes of suburbia than in the deep woods. Did anyone mention coyotes?

 

Jim

 

You got to worry about the Human factor in the woods too,Like the meth labs and the pot growers ,never know if you will stumple across one (I never have yet) So if i'm caching alone I carry a 380 on me,indiana has a open carry law with permit, and I always carry a cell phone.

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What about a small taser gun is that legal out in cali

 

No.

 

(Taser instructor here.)

 

The T-wave was developed for the human nervous system. It's doesn't work on most animals. Sure, they'll react to the noise and the pain of the barbs, but the taser does nothing at all to stop them.

Works on

big time. In our department it's against policy to tase a subject while the handler and K-9 is subduing a subject. A hit on the K-9 is likely to set training back greatly if not make it useless for bite-work. The result could be termination of the officer who fired the Taser.

 

I don't really buy the "doesn't work on non-humans" either. A shock is a shock. How effective it is may depend on other factors than species: size, musculature, fur/clothing, chemicals in a system, area hit, etc. While you already know this, other don't, a Taser is not merely a stun gun, but also a neural disruptor. In fact, I felt little pain during my ride other than the same thing I feel during any shock I've received in my past lives of an electrician and electronics technician.

 

What also raised an eye brow was where our department placed the Taser on the force continuum: along side pepper spray and below hard weapon strikes!

 

That said, I wouldn't carry a Taser for protection unless there was absolutely no alternatives. Even if the Taser works 100% on a bear or other wild animal, consider this video. Who would want to be in front of that bull after the shock? Not me.

 

Also, how fast can you "reload" if you miss? I have alternatives on my belt, plus additional training with the Taser that involves getting closer.

 

No, Tasers are fine for folks with 25lbs of duty gear and armor. I wouldn't recommend it for the trails.

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whenever i go west into the mountains and i going to be in the woods then a carry my S & W 357 mag. not just for bears and mountain lions but also for the human factor as well. there have been a few cases of hikers and campers attacked by lunatics wandering around in the hills.

 

i hunt so i also, year round, have a small game license that allows me to carry it legally to and from my house thru other cities which don't allow hand guns. the city and the county in which i life also allows me the carry my handgun in my vehicle, loaded and in plain sight. since the county i live in is in a large portion of the mountains i'm not only protecting myself but i'm also doing it legally and if i leave my county well the next allows it also( heading farther west ). most mountain towns here do.

 

i'm not a john wayne or wyatt earpe type of person but i've encountered both black bears and mountain lions. luckily we both were high tailling it in opposite directions. i have been in these hills for 35 yrs. and know when things become quiet something eerie may happen and i am going to be prepared.

 

lately because of the drought problem in the mountains most of the communities along the foothills has seen a large amounts of both black bears and mountain lions in peoples back yards. so when you see them this low then your more likely to see them in the areas you spend time in.

 

unfortunately for both species they are killed more then they are relocated. that makes me sad for them. too many people are moving into their habitat and are forcing they wild life out. i heard this comment on the news lately from someone who had a bear killed in his back yard. " well ,we moved here into the mountains to enjoy the wild life but we don't want them around here where we life, we need to get rid of them" what an idiot. most people that have lived in these mountains and have cabins here know part of it's beauy is to see the bears, mountian lions, elk, and moosewhich. are ALWAYS roaming thru their yards. and everyone is prepared for an unfreindly encounter, which rarely happens.

 

 

edited for missed spelling

Edited by jmythng
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It has been years since a bear attack occurred in SE AZ. When it has happened the idiot who was attacked was not practicing "Bear Aware." The campsite was a disaster with food all over and in the tent etc. I have never heard of a hiker or cacher being attacked.

 

I live 12 miles from the US-Mexican Border. Illegals are like bears. Leave them alone and they leave you alone. I never hike or cache alone. In 13 years I have had only two bump ins and we stayed far enough away from each other. I put my GPS away so they didn't confuse it for a cell phone or radio. Fortunately, a troop of Boy Scouts create enough noise to scare most anything away.

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I had to compete with a black bear for a cache a few weeks ago, so just curious how many carry a firearm for protection when caching in the woods for protection from predators (obviously does not apply in all regions). Do you carry pistol or long gun, or do you prefer to carry bells and pepper spray, or a combination of all the above? Or do you just go nekid and hope for the best?

 

Mostly I cache with friends. We make enough noise to scare away most wildlife.

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...Mountain lions are sighted, I don't recall any reported attacks in the past few years. I would be more afraid of a mountain lion attack in the fringes of suburbia than in the deep woods....

 

I read about Mountain Lion attacks in WA every summer when I was working in Wenatchee. Now my current community is having Mountain Lion alerts on campus. I've never seen one in the wild (that's by design I recon) though I'm sure more than a few have seen me.

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I carry pretty much everywhere anyway, so caching is no different.

 

Right now however in NC the game laws state that on game lands (most NF land in NC) you can only carry a .22 outside of hunting season. That law is being hopefully revised however to allow CCW holders to carry anything.

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Bear sightings are not unheard in the NW, bear attacks are rare. Mountain lions are sighted, I don't recall any reported attacks in the past few years. I would be more afraid of a mountain lion attack in the fringes of suburbia than in the deep woods. Did anyone mention coyotes?

 

Bear attacks here in the NW are rare, but do happen. Even black bears have been known to attack. As to mountain lion attacks here in the NW, they do occur. Not often, but you do hear about them. (Google mountain lion attacks, you might be surprised)

 

Just last night I caught the tail end of a news story about a mountain lion treeing a couple of people in a park near Olympia. (Tried to find it today and can't find the story anywhere.)

 

Although my 357 mag. pistol would probably be useless against a bear, just make him mad, I sometimes take it with me. With my limited mobility, running or climbing a tree is out of the question. When I do remember to take it, I feel a little safer. However, I almost never remember it, and really don't feel too exposed without it.

Edited by uxorious
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We carry a 12 guage marine flare pistol. 100% legal and sure to 'warm up' someones day :unsure:

 

.... oh and it fits well in a small pack.

 

and does an excellent job of starting forest fires.

 

Jim

First of all please excuse my spelling. I have thought of that. What's the horizontal trajectary like? I quess it would have a range of about a dozen feet. I know if somebody pulled one on me I would run like hell. It should work pretty well on animals. Even if you miss your first shot the pyrotecnics would probably make quite an impression. I would use such an infernal (literally!) device in only the most desparate of situations. That said I would feel terrible if I started a wildfire but I would pick living with what I had done over not living.

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Got my CHL in large part so I could carry while caching. I carry a .38 Special - where depends on what gear I happen to have along. But it's accessible, no matter where I have it stowed. If you can't get to it when you need it, what good is it?

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i carry a 500 s&w it works wonders on muggles and bears also it seems every time Im out caching someone walks up and ask's me how to get somewhere like I know im in the middle of the woods on a dear trail that i dont know how i got down and here comes some ya who asking me if i Know how to get to wal-mart in a town 65 miles away it works good on them also

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The woods? I carry a concealed pistol when I go Geocaching every where. I have not been in the woods yet. But when I am doing my urban hunts I carry. Of course I am licensed to carry though. It is a Kahr CW9 9mm in case any gun enthusiast wants to know.

Edited by gr8johnson
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What about a small taser gun is that legal out in cali

Me and my brother go hiking and if we ran into trouble i wouldn't like to kill someone or an animal but a stun gun might be in order?

 

How close do you want to get to a bear, so you can tase them? ;)

 

Carry pepper spray and bells?

Obviously you haven't heard the story about the Grizzly bears....

No, I haven't

But is there really grizzely bears in San Diego?

 

Sure, haven't you seen our California Flag? :D

 

The only legal way to carry in California, is to be out during legal hunting season, with a permissable firearm (based on species being hunted), and be sure to carry the correct ammunition (if you "hunt" in an area affected by the new "Condor law." If you live in the Condor Zone, you can only carry "lead free" ammo approved by DFG. Other restrictions include firearm bans in State / County parks, or no-shooting areas.

 

Thanks to Commifornia's draconian laws, you would be better off buying bear spray.

 

Really sucks to live in the People's Republic of California huh? Don't worry about the bears...as soon as they figure out what's going on there they will all migrate to Nevada!

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i carry a 500 s&w it works wonders on muggles and bears also it seems every time Im out caching someone walks up and ask's me how to get somewhere like I know im in the middle of the woods on a dear trail that i dont know how i got down and here comes some ya who asking me if i Know how to get to wal-mart in a town 65 miles away it works good on them also

 

Couldn't you find anything bigger? ;)

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I had to compete with a black bear for a cache a few weeks ago, so just curious how many carry a firearm for protection when caching in the woods for protection from predators (obviously does not apply in all regions). Do you carry pistol or long gun, or do you prefer to carry bells and pepper spray, or a combination of all the above? Or do you just go nekid and hope for the best?

 

We carry a 12 guage marine flare pistol. 100% legal and sure to 'warm up' someones day :D

 

.... oh and it fits well in a small pack.

What about a small taser gun is that legal out in cali

Me and my brother go hiking and if we ran into trouble i wouldn't like to kill someone or an animal but a stun gun might be in order?

 

I have not read the whole thread but the first problem I can see with that is bear fur is thick, the second problem is you have to be able to touch the bear to use it, if you can touch the bear your pretty much done. Personally I think the flare gun is a good idea, but I see a problem with that too. You have to stick around long enough to put out any fires it might start, as well as chasing down a flaming black bear. ;)

Edited by Bluestonecrew
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Not yet, but I will be soon. Once I have to start going up into the hills, that's the time. Nice thing about living in Idaho as I understand it, is that you can open carry with no problem. It seems all you need is a driver's license and are breathing. Planning on a Bersa Thunder 9 mm.

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i carry a 500 s&w it works wonders on muggles and bears also it seems every time Im out caching someone walks up and ask's me how to get somewhere like I know im in the middle of the woods on a dear trail that i dont know how i got down and here comes some ya who asking me if i Know how to get to wal-mart in a town 65 miles away it works good on them also

 

Couldn't you find anything bigger? ;)

THE CHEYTAC 408 BUT ITS A BIT ON THE HEAVY SIDE JUST TO BE WALKING AROUND THE WOODS

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The primary maker of bear spray, www.udap.com, has several testimonials about how effective it is. They've also designed it to spray in a cone pattern, instead of a stream like traditional pepper spray is sold. The advantage with the cone pattern is you just have to point it in the right direction and the bear will get hit with hit.

 

If I had a choice I'd take ber spray over a gun, fewer legal issues and a lot easier to aim when you adrenaline starts pumping.

 

In five years I have only had one close encounter with a dangerous animal. An aggressive off leash dog whose owner would not put it on a leash so I could pass on a hiking trail. I wanted to pepper spray the owner not the dog. As the owner was clearly the bigger idiot of the pair.

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The primary maker of bear spray, www.udap.com, has several testimonials about how effective it is. They've also designed it to spray in a cone pattern, instead of a stream like traditional pepper spray is sold. The advantage with the cone pattern is you just have to point it in the right direction and the bear will get hit with hit.

 

If I had a choice I'd take ber spray over a gun, fewer legal issues and a lot easier to aim when you adrenaline starts pumping.

 

In five years I have only had one close encounter with a dangerous animal. An aggressive off leash dog whose owner would not put it on a leash so I could pass on a hiking trail. I wanted to pepper spray the owner not the dog. As the owner was clearly the bigger idiot of the pair.

 

I'm a staunch defender to the 2nd amendment, and I agree with your assesment. From a legal standpoint, a ramped escalation of force (or self defence) is far easier to justify in court. Mtn Lions are common in the areas I hike, and they are my biggest safety concern. My second safety concern are human attackers. Heaven forbid I ever encounter an aggresive mtn lion, but if I do, i'm not going down without a fight. Since they are a protected species here in California, I like having options. Using Bear Spray first, and a firearm as a last resort, gives you a true legal edge.

 

Since many of the places I hike are also "gun free" zones, bear spray and a sharp, full tang, knife are my best options.

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Glock 20 here. 10mm auto with hollow points. Plenty of stopping power for whatever is after you. ;-)

 

Although I wouldn't want to test it against a bear. But there are no bears that I know of in eastern SD. But since the midwest has plenty of meth labs around, I make sure I carry when caching out in the country. Around town, no worries.

Edited by MorganCoke
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I would be concerned about FTF hounds shooting it out for dibs on FTF.

 

Are there cachers out there named Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Will Bill, Annie Oakley???

 

:unsure::drama::ph34r::o:o

 

There is a cacher named Tonto10.....he might get you with an arrow!

 

In all seriousness, I have a concealed carry permit, but never cary when caching. I just don't expose myself to situations when it might be needed. Our meth labs and some urban caches pose a bigger problem than a bear sandwich.

 

Some caches in urban environments I can't believe people put them there.

 

I suppose if I was really in the wilds I might carry, but much better protection is playing it smart.

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The primary maker of bear spray, www.udap.com, has several testimonials about how effective it is. They've also designed it to spray in a cone pattern, instead of a stream like traditional pepper spray is sold. The advantage with the cone pattern is you just have to point it in the right direction and the bear will get hit with hit.

 

If I had a choice I'd take ber spray over a gun, fewer legal issues and a lot easier to aim when you adrenaline starts pumping.

 

In five years I have only had one close encounter with a dangerous animal. An aggressive off leash dog whose owner would not put it on a leash so I could pass on a hiking trail. I wanted to pepper spray the owner not the dog. As the owner was clearly the bigger idiot of the pair.

I'm a staunch defender to the 2nd amendment, and I agree with your assesment. From a legal standpoint, a ramped escalation of force (or self defence) is far easier to justify in court. Mtn Lions are common in the areas I hike, and they are my biggest safety concern. My second safety concern are human attackers. Heaven forbid I ever encounter an aggresive mtn lion, but if I do, i'm not going down without a fight. Since they are a protected species here in California, I like having options. Using Bear Spray first, and a firearm as a last resort, gives you a true legal edge.

 

Since many of the places I hike are also "gun free" zones, bear spray and a sharp, full tang, knife are my best options.

Before I endorsed that plan, I would have to know that I would have plenty of time to initiate both defenses. If the bear spray didn't do the trick (perhaps because I missed the mark by nervously pointing the cone in the wrong direction), I would need the time to protect myself with my handgun. Since I would have no way of knowing from the start that this would be the case, I'll stick with the gun and worry about court if I live to be present.
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....If the bear spray didn't do the trick (perhaps because I missed the mark by nervously pointing the cone in the wrong direction),...

 

Well, the wild man dance, wailing and screaming you would be doing from having tagged yourself with bear spray would probably confuse the bear. He would either run away in shrieking terror, or it would be quick and painless for you. :unsure:

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