Own a handgun?
- Thread starter seadogontheland
- Start date
.gif)
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
Congrats on your imminent retirement and thanks for your service. I was in the Army from 87-93, and right now, I'm in the process of getting back into the military. Evidently, I am "age critical." LMAO
It's good to be the "old guy."
Good luck to you!
It's good to be the "old guy."
Good luck to you!
Aerosol Taco Sauce.
I've encountered quite a few black bear in my time. Most were a good distance away (100 yards or more), and either didn't know that I was there, or chose to ignore me. A couple of times, I've come upon them at a much closer distance, much to our mutual surprise, and my fright. It's (in hindsight) funny to see them give a little jolt, turn and walk away as fast as possible. More times than not, they've smelled me before I see them. I know a guy who literally bumped into a big black bear while picking blueberries in northern Ontario. The bear was doing the same thing, and they backed into each other, turned, looked and slowly backed off, both scared to death.
They are damned fast swimmers, too. While canoeing, I once snuck up on what I thought was a swimming beaver, only to discover, at about 6' away, that it was half of a bear's head poking out of the water! I backed off and watched her swim for a mile or so...just beautiful.
Then, two years ago, I went outside at my house to see what the dogs were barking at, only to discover a young black bear watching them go crazy. He quickly walked away and quickly vanished into the woods.
Bears are wonderful to see, but they don't consider us as warm and fuzzy as we do them. I think that they they see us as a threat that could possibly be a meal.
I've encountered quite a few black bear in my time. Most were a good distance away (100 yards or more), and either didn't know that I was there, or chose to ignore me. A couple of times, I've come upon them at a much closer distance, much to our mutual surprise, and my fright. It's (in hindsight) funny to see them give a little jolt, turn and walk away as fast as possible. More times than not, they've smelled me before I see them. I know a guy who literally bumped into a big black bear while picking blueberries in northern Ontario. The bear was doing the same thing, and they backed into each other, turned, looked and slowly backed off, both scared to death.
They are damned fast swimmers, too. While canoeing, I once snuck up on what I thought was a swimming beaver, only to discover, at about 6' away, that it was half of a bear's head poking out of the water! I backed off and watched her swim for a mile or so...just beautiful.
Then, two years ago, I went outside at my house to see what the dogs were barking at, only to discover a young black bear watching them go crazy. He quickly walked away and quickly vanished into the woods.
Bears are wonderful to see, but they don't consider us as warm and fuzzy as we do them. I think that they they see us as a threat that could possibly be a meal.
Thanks! Just waiting on my "over 40" bloodwork to come back, and then the recruiter and I will sit down and talk turkey. It'll be nice to be back in uniform again. I've missed it.
I used to have many including a S&W Sigma 9mm like the OP, but now I only have four handguns. A GI model 1911, a modded kel-tec PF9, my wife's .380 and the judge. One for the house, one for the car, and one on me; seems to do the trick and don't see the need for any more.
woodsroad, something similar happened to a friend, went outside in his boxers because he heard something on his deck, looked to one side & felt something wet & cold touch his leg, was a cub & mom was right behind. Cub wanted to come in the house! He closed the sliding glass door rather quickly, scared the heck out of him. I forgot to ask him if he had to change his underwear, don't think I want to know but would have loved to see it.
Warren, I heard that a brown will most like come after your ass & do whatever it wants to, but if a black comes after you, it probably want to eat you. Just what I heard, don't know if its true. We have them several times a year right off our deck & outside our bedroom window, 8 - 15 ft away.
But I don't have any guns either.
But I don't have any guns either.
"Colt model 1911. Good then, good now."
I just noticed a typographical error in my post as quoted above. The second-to-last word should read "gone."
I just noticed a typographical error in my post as quoted above. The second-to-last word should read "gone."
Instyimp, that's a Walther aluminum alloy flare pistol, introduced prior to WWII, in production, I believe, through the 70's. It evolved from a much larger and heavier model, the Hebel, that was introduced in the late 1800's and used by the Germans in WWI.
The guy on the far right has a Model 1894 Hebel Flare Pistol tucked into his belt.
I have one of these, and they are a hoot to fire off!
Black bears in the Anchorage have come to look on humans as caterers. They know what day the garbage is put out for pickup in their territory. So far only one trashcan designed has proved to be impervious to bears. And, most people never bother to cover the trash, much less use the appropriate receptacle, so bears know when and where the chow is.
There are few proven instances of bears eating a human, black or brown. But, numerous attacks are recorded and more than a few deaths over the years. Black bears up here seem to be very unpredictable and are not as shy of humans as the ones I've seen down in America. While they generally avoid humans in the wild, when given a chance, the familiarity with humans, intentional and unintentional feeding of the critters and routine close contact make for sometime tragic circumstances.
I am, however, one of those sick individuals that root for the critter when humans are acting stupid. Remember that show years ago where the hunter was flailed at by a deer? I rooted for the deer! The dingbat deserved what he got. Unfortunately, humans are apparently very tasty, so the State of Alaska demands that one strike and it's the death penalty for the offending bear. That's a pretty serious penalty for natural behavior.
There are few proven instances of bears eating a human, black or brown. But, numerous attacks are recorded and more than a few deaths over the years. Black bears up here seem to be very unpredictable and are not as shy of humans as the ones I've seen down in America. While they generally avoid humans in the wild, when given a chance, the familiarity with humans, intentional and unintentional feeding of the critters and routine close contact make for sometime tragic circumstances.
I am, however, one of those sick individuals that root for the critter when humans are acting stupid. Remember that show years ago where the hunter was flailed at by a deer? I rooted for the deer! The dingbat deserved what he got. Unfortunately, humans are apparently very tasty, so the State of Alaska demands that one strike and it's the death penalty for the offending bear. That's a pretty serious penalty for natural behavior.
Yeah, it happens. We had a case where the bear cached the body. Spent a lot of time in a search and rescue situation, overturned boat no operator, when we should have just asked the bear. Autopsy didn't show if the boater arrived on shore dead or alive.
I guess it depends how hungry the critter is. Maybe it's all in the presentation.
I guess it depends how hungry the critter is. Maybe it's all in the presentation.
A few years back, I used to teach new search/rescue pilots about survival kits. I told them that, if they cross the border into Canada, they need to carry pistol of .357 or better, in case you go down, for bears. If they fly further north, into Alaska, they then need to also carry a rifle, .30-06 or better, in case you go down, for the mosquitoes.
- Status