MOguy
Explorer
I apologize, I am on a small tablet and read things wrong. Again I apologize for making that remark to you.
Do you feel the need to have a weapon when camping
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Well the wikipedia article, which you based your argument on, contained a paragraph which described there being more Moose-related injuries than Bear-related injuries; that paragraph used the following citation to substantiate its claim:
I based my own argument off of the Alaska Fish and Game website because that seems to be one of the few credible sources which offers details on this subject and because there is a sizable Moose population there. If you want to argue that the cause of all Moose-related injuries, throughout the entire US, differs significantly from what we see in Alaska, go right ahead...good luck finding any type of verified source material for that argument.
Sidenote: You and jeep-n-montero seem more focused on flaming me than you are on having a civilized conversation...heck you got so worked up that you flamed him by accident!
Maybe both of you should just take a deep breath and take some time to review some factual sources before you resort to petty bickering.
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MOguy
Explorer
nope, to busy looking out for bears
jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
I didn't cite any sources, I simply stated my own damn experience from spending about 500 hours in the back country each year hunting and fishing.
GregSplett
Adventurer
Unfortunately your ignorance is the stink that is attracting all the flies here.You made the mistake of calling out others credentials when you have 0.
Thank you for proving my point about your desire to engage in petty bickering.
We can all argue till we're blue, but we should realized due to the vastness of North America, every region presents a different situation. Animal populations differ, human activities differ, and animal responses differ.
Here in BC, the bear danger is very real, much higher than say, Yellowstone, where lightning kills more than grizzs.
I posted a story 2 months ago about a grizzly walking right INTO a BC home to steal food. Shot dead by the father only couple feet from his son's bedroom door. A couple weeks ago two hunters were critically injured when they startled a mama grizzly and her cubs. Had to be airlifted across the province (1.4x size of Texas) to Vancouver for surgery. And these are only the high profile cases in the last 2 months.
Do I live in fear? No. But not a minute goes by in the wilderness without me thinking about bear encounters and protection.
Here in BC, the bear danger is very real, much higher than say, Yellowstone, where lightning kills more than grizzs.
I posted a story 2 months ago about a grizzly walking right INTO a BC home to steal food. Shot dead by the father only couple feet from his son's bedroom door. A couple weeks ago two hunters were critically injured when they startled a mama grizzly and her cubs. Had to be airlifted across the province (1.4x size of Texas) to Vancouver for surgery. And these are only the high profile cases in the last 2 months.
Do I live in fear? No. But not a minute goes by in the wilderness without me thinking about bear encounters and protection.
jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
We just spent a few days hiking deep in black bear country looking for elk and saw plenty of berry-filled scat and rocks turned over from looking for grubs/insects, but unfortunately no bears came out to say hi or try to steal my trail snacks. We did however startle what we are pretty sure was a cougar while we were hiking out to camp in the dark last night.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Didn't really read my post very carefully did you? Or put it in the context as a response to a previous post, huh? And what makes you think after a lifetime of backcountry travel (sans luxury 4x4) that I lack the wilderness acumen to stay alive?
I responded to a post asserting that a gun can be used as a survival device beyond a violent encounter, which is true. I suggested also including a two-way communicator like an inReach, which sure as hell beats sitting in the woods for days unable to communicate to the rescue resources probably already dispatched to go find you. I specifically use an inReach so I can communicate to ANYONE, not just SAR to come assist. I could contact my wife, neighbor, friends, tow-service...etc. It just seems to me that if you're going to justify carrying a gun as a survival tool, why stop there. Add a communicator. Fer Christsake, even a whistle.
And not to turn your own argument against you, but by having a two-way "electric gizmo," people have the chance to AVERT the dispatch of SAR resources and in turn reducing the strain on those resources. I heard of a story recently whereby two hunters had their truck break down and spent three days walking out. Had they not used an inReach to tell their family of the delay, you better bet an emergency response would have been deployed - unnecessarily.
We are talking about the use of a gun as a tool, and I'm only pointing out it isn't the best do-all tool for everything. It's one of many available tools.
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It was my post you were responding to. I wasn't trying to claim that a firearm can be used in lieu of a GPS or Satellite communicator. I was saying that a firearm has its given role to fulfill, just like many other tools that are used out in the wild....this is a thread about carrying firearms while camping after all.
As to highdesertranger's point...perhaps he will chime in soon enough, but my own opinion is that carrying a firearm in remote areas gives you the ability to defend and extricate yourself from potentially lethal situations...it allows a traveler to be more self-reliant (which sounded to me to be highdesertranger's main point). If you want to carry a GPS/Sat communicator, that's certainly a smart move (whether you're armed or unarmed), but it still leaves you reliant on the rescue effort getting to your location in time to help you. Rescue/assistance for someone in the back country is likely to be a far ways off in whatever time-critical situation you're encountering. Those who chose to carry a firearm do so in order to increase their odds of survival until the situation subsides or rescue arrives.
As I said earlier, 2 different tools fulfilling 2 different roles.
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jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
Want to bet on your life that you can kill a pissed off grizzly with a firearm from 10 feet away before it gets to you? Numerous tests have proven that bear mace is more effective at close range than a firearm. If you so choose that you wish to test your thinking/theory/ASSumption we can take a trip to Alaska and see if you are right....
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
I'd take that bet. You get the mace in unknown wind conditions, and I'll take a shotgun with a slug.
This thread is about camping with a firearm for security purposes. While bear defense falls within that discussion, I think most posters on this thread, myself included, are focused on security/survival in the broader sense (self-defense, hunting, deterring would-be aggressors).
There is a whole a separate thread focused on bear-defense and firearms where I'm sure your comments would be much appreciated.
highdesertranger
Adventurer
yes that was my main point is to be self sufficient. I grew up before any of those electronic gizmo and our family traveled the back country a lot. now I didn't say don't use those gizmos, but don't rely on them. I feel that if you can't navigate the back country without them then you should stay home. I carry a gps, so it's not like I don't use them. I use gps when sampling gold prospects. when I get back to camp I pan the samples and mark them out on a map.
when I am up in Oregon during the summer on the radio news it's almost nonstop all summer how this party is lost or that person is lost. not all, but almost all say their batteries went dead or they lost their signal on their smart phone. I once ran into a group that was backpacking and they were lost, turns out they were walking south for 2 days when they should have been going north. I mean how out of touch can you be. the sunrise is always in the east and sunset is always in the west. they had a gps but didn't know how to use it. I gave them a ride of about 40 miles to get them back to their cars. I have more stories but I will spare you all.
as far as guns go I carry a couple. for me they are just another tool in the tool box. I will not get into the argument about bear spray vs a gun. when I go to grizz country I carry both, bear steaks taste good with a little pepper on them. highdesertranger
when I am up in Oregon during the summer on the radio news it's almost nonstop all summer how this party is lost or that person is lost. not all, but almost all say their batteries went dead or they lost their signal on their smart phone. I once ran into a group that was backpacking and they were lost, turns out they were walking south for 2 days when they should have been going north. I mean how out of touch can you be. the sunrise is always in the east and sunset is always in the west. they had a gps but didn't know how to use it. I gave them a ride of about 40 miles to get them back to their cars. I have more stories but I will spare you all.
as far as guns go I carry a couple. for me they are just another tool in the tool box. I will not get into the argument about bear spray vs a gun. when I go to grizz country I carry both, bear steaks taste good with a little pepper on them. highdesertranger
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