Smoking Buddy

[alaskanpiper]

alaskanmpiper Not too sure I want a bear coming around whilst I'm smoking, not that there is any chance of that in Aus. My only experience with a moose is when I was cycling (that is a pedal bike not a motor bike) through New England for the Fall (1989 if I recall correctly). I was slogging up the Kancamagus Hwy when I became aware of a very large antlered head watching me pass. He was just standing chewing and watching me sweat up the hill. I was just praying that he didn't decide to investigate as my only thought was that I couldn't out run it going up hill and I sure as hell didn't wan't to back to the bottom and have to climb it again! Fortunately he just stood their and watched me carry on.

Most bears mind their own business unless you threaten their kids, space, or food. Keeping in mind that all food is their food (even your food). Sounds like a memorable experience with the moose on your bike. We encounter them daily here, and they live amongst us, even in town. Mostly mind their own business, but it is always wise to steer clear, especially if it is a female with a calf/calves. Most dangerous animal in Alaska by a long shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhODbr1Cp7Q

 

[timelord]

msg Yes the relationship between animals can be quite surprising at times. The same garden that had the peacocks had a breeding pair of pheasants, a breeding pair of foxes and quite a few wild rabbits in addition to the chickens and two cats. The cats didn't interfere with any of the wildlife (I guess the pheasants were just a bit too large and feisty for the cats and that the foxes would be too high risk; not sure why they didn't go for the rabbits though). Interestingly the foxes didn't seem to bother the rabbits and pheasants either; the chickens were a different matter though. The foxes had plenty of chicken suppers!
There was an article in the local paper last year (or possibly the year before) about a man who keeps chickens (keeping chooks as we call them over here is surprisingly common in Sydney) not too far to the north of me (still in the Northern Beaches area. One morning shortly after they were installed in their coop and run he found a 2m python in the run (carpet pythons have quite slim bodies). In he went and picked it up and after a bit of struggle he moved it to some local bushland. Couple of days later it was back; repeat the process. He was saying in the paper that it is now almost a daily ritual to pick and move the snake; but the snake no longer bothers to struggle and just seems to accept this is part of the daily routine!

 

[mso489]

That's a well-traveled snake! A good while back, a member reported an encounter with a moose during rutting season, while he and his wife were out walking with their dog, a big bear-hunting breed as I recall. Without bidding, the dog went right to work to shoulder the moose out of their way, a significant hazard to the dog, but part of its breeding. I think that dog was well-fed that evening.

 

[alaskanpiper]

A good while back, a member reported an encounter with a moose during rutting season, while he and his wife were out walking with their dog, a big bear-hunting breed as I recall. Without bidding, the dog went right to work to shoulder the moose out of their way, a significant hazard to the dog, but part of its breeding. I think that dog was well-fed that evening.

Dogs can be invaluable during both moose and bear encounters, particularly in alerting you to their presence in the first place, which with bears can be all the difference, as you never want to surprise one. Unfortunately, if not well trained, they can seek out, engage, and anger the animal and then run back to their owners.....not great. Most of the time though, even an untrained dog will chase a moose off, moose hate dogs. I've seen jack russell terriers run them off before. Bears are a little less predictable, but I've had dogs run them off on occasion too. It really depends on why the bear is there in the first place. If it is just a random encounter usually they scoot. If they are after food, they are a little less inclined to depart.
The bottom line is you should always be prepared to handle it yourself with both bear spray and an appropriate firearm on had if you are going to be outdoors, in addition to taking every preventative measure possible to avoid an encounter in the first place. But if you ask me, outside of hunting, I would rather have a dog around than not in either case.

 

[mso489]

No experience with bears at all. N.C. has them, but the populations are in the mountains and in the coastal swamp areas. They turn up in small towns and rarely at the edges of big cities. I always wondered what the utility of large-caliber handguns is as bear defense. I think these are sold for people who don't want to, or can't, always have a long gun at hand. I surmise that someone who had regularly hunted bear and also had spent a lot of time at the range or in practice with a handgun might have success as a last resort, but getting off a good shot under that pressure would be a tall order. I hear bears move fast. I think the young males go wandering in the spring and sometimes see people as a good dining idea. Also females with cubs are not good to find. Hikers wear "bear bells," big sleigh bells rigged to fasten to your pack or belt loop, so the bears can hear them, move off, and not be surprised.

 

[briarbuck]

Looks just like my first wife.

 

[alaskanpiper]

No experience with bears at all. N.C. has them, but the populations are in the mountains and in the coastal swamp areas. They turn up in small towns and rarely at the edges of big cities. I always wondered what the utility of large-caliber handguns is as bear defense. I think these are sold for people who don't want to, or can't, always have a long gun at hand. I surmise that someone who had regularly hunted bear and also had spent a lot of time at the range or in practice with a handgun might have success as a last resort, but getting off a good shot under that pressure would be a tall order. I hear bears move fast. I think the young males go wandering in the spring and sometimes see people as a good dining idea. Also females with cubs are not good to find. Hikers wear "bear bells," big sleigh bells rigged to fasten to your pack or belt loop, so the bears can hear them, move off, and not be surprised.

A handgun will work fine if you know how to use it. I prefer an open site rifle for bear protection, but in some situations carry a handgun, mostly when fly fishing so it isn't in the way. Bear bells and other noise are a very common means of avoiding encounters here as well, and statistically speaking bear spray is more effective than any gun. Although that is likely because many people don't know how to use them correctly, or don't realize that they need to have them OUT AND READY. When I encounter a bear the first thing I do is make sure my gun is loaded and in my hands ready to be aimed. All while slowly backing away of course. Because as you mention, bears are MUCH MUCH faster than humans. They can sprint up to 35 MPH and they are used to running through brush and over uneven surfaces, unlike humans. Bears do not often target humans as prey, they most often attack when threatened or surprised, or in defense/acquisition of food. They will target you if they are extremely hungry though, particularly polar bears, but this is very very rare. Normally they want to avoid you as much as you do them.

 

[mso489]

alaska, good bear lore. Thanks.

 

[timelord]

Not quite out of winter here in the Southern Hemisphere but my smoking buddy managed to drag himself out of bed to join me in the afternoon sun yesterday...

Puff the Australian Eastern Water Dragon

 

[verporchting]

He'd probably like a Group 1 pipe with something tasty to smoke and is wondering how many times he will have to appear before you offer him a bowl!

 

[didimauw]

Hahahaha he's back!! That's so cool!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This fella was hanging out by my studio, waiting to catch me smoking my pipe. I never tell my wife when I see or kill a snake in the yard, because then she refuses to leave the house. But, finally getting a little rain the other day, and finally some water in the creek that runs by my house, this guy must have been chasing the squirrels into the bamboo grove next to my studio. I know, I know, I will get some saying that I shouldn't kill smoking buddies. It will weigh heavily on my conscious. But, we have many other non-venomous snakes that are more than welcome... except to my wife. ::

 

[mau1]

Can't see the picture Cosmic.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Can't see the picture Cosmic.

Hmmm... I'm not sure why. I put in on my server, and I can see my website. Does anyone else not see it?

I'll try again.

 

[mso489]

It always bothered me in the woods and mountains that I never saw snakes. Because I know very well they were there. Occasionally someone would point them out to me, especially water snakes, but I rarely spotted them on my own. I must have been like Mr. Magoo, bumbling over the hazards with some guardian angel providing the near misses.

 

[mso489]

One of my windmills and soap boxes is that people should take communing with other creatures as a natural fact. People in science have spent much of two centuries scoffing at the feeling of common attachment between people and a vast assortment of other non-human creatures, complaining about anthropomorphism. As badly as it makes me feel, being a carnivore, I think the connections we feel are legitimate and complex, yes, the product of the human imagination, but also the product of other creatures mental processes. Notice how I avoided saying imagination? Science has influenced me. That lizard knows a person with whom he can share some time. As a counterpoint, I feel people who lean heavily against anthropomorphism have had distinct difficulty anthropomorphizing other people. It takes a minute, but when you get there, you'll see what I mean.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Alaska: No snakes, No poisonous spiders, No ticks...........bears though. A lot of bears.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I can kill a snake by grabbing its head and slinging it like I'm cracking a whip. A bear requires too much upper body strength. ::

 

[alaskanpiper]

A bear requires too much upper body strength.

If you consider a light pull with your index finger upper body strength, then yes :D

 

[mso489]

I don't think I'd want to share my smoking bench with either a venomous snake or a bear of almost any kind. Ask your smart speaker to play "Waltzing With Bears," speaking of socializing with creatures, high whimsy that.