[timberghost]

Dave that will go over as well as a turd in the pool with some people on here

[Dave Workman]

It's that time of year, again. Archery seasons are opening up but grouse hunting has been delayed until Sept. 15 this year. The general deer hunting opener is Oct. 16. For those who might be interested whether they will run into a hunter, stop at the local hardware or sporting goods store where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and pick up a copy of the hunting regulations. Stay safe, let people know where you're going and when you expect to return. This time of year I always chuckle a bit remembering all the people who thought my fluorescent orange pack was silly. Not if you want to be seen, especially from a great distance.

[Dave Workman]

[Dave Workman]

Hunted and hiked the burn area north of Sugarloaf lookout northeast of Leavenworth. Heartbreaking to see the burn damage but encouraging to see how well the reprod is growing. We went all the way north to Maverick Saddle. Still very dry up there despite the rain. For those heading to higher elevations, prep for early snow. It's likely to come fast, stay long.

[HikerJohn]

Another Darwin award candidate. Surprised we haven't lost more people off of Rattlesnake Ledges... https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/hiker-death-selfie-arizona

[Dave Workman]

[Vertec]

[Vertec]

Reposting from elsewhere: Flawed comparison: Bear Spray vs Guns "studies". Invalidates the "Bear spray is more effective than firearms" argument. I still highly recommend carrying bear spray, but it's important to know its limitations and proper uses. Also (BTW) using bear spray on a human, even when claiming self-defense, can result in a felony assault charge.

[Randito]

Using a firearm for defense against a grizzly can be very effective. My sister supervised the training of field biologists in Alaska, including bear defense. The firearm of choice is a double barrel shotgun with magnum powder loads and slug as the round. The training included a wagon with a bear cutout target towed by cables at the trainee at 35 mph. Most trainees take multiple training sessions before being able to place a "kill shot" with any reliability. It's folly to think that a hand gun can reliably stop a charging bear dead in its tracks, especially without specific training.

Bear spray is far simpler to deploy than a firearm and requires far less perfect aim. Is it a perfect solution no. In Alaska it is also common practice to erect an electric fence around camp and to have a separate cooking, eating and food storage area hundreds of yards away from the sleeping area. One also has a completely separate set of clothes for cooking and eating than all other activities.

[Vertec]

[Dave Workman]

That's no Trail Barbie track!

But...what kind of a track is it? Your quiz for the day (and, yes, tracks like this are why some folks carry firearms in the woods. )

[bccarlso]

Black bear? Bud I'd expect a more distinct pad. Though really I have no idea what I'm talking about haha

[Vertec]

This is frustrating: Prosecutor won't charge... I waited for the prosecutor's decision before posting about this. I've had over 40 hours of night / low light professional defensive pistol training specifically because I go out after dark. I'm not going to discuss the investigation but the article describes many mistakes the shooter made according to the training I received: Of course the main mistake was failing to identify the THREAT, and what was beyond it. During low light conditions you must carry a dedicated tactical flashlight light in addition to, and separate from whatever light is being used for general purposes. This dedicated flashlight is only to be used for threat identification, and cannot be a weapon mounted light. It's ok to have a weapon mounted light, but it can only be used AFTER a threat is identified which justifies drawing and presenting the weapon. If someone points a weapon mounted light at a person they also are pointing the weapon at that person - this is called felony aggravated assault. Hiking with a headlamp is perfectly normal, but relying on it alone is a big mistake. If a threat is suspected while using a headlamp the first/best thing to do is to shut it off and switch to the tactical flashlight, which won't be on all the time because stealth is your friend (this point can differ from law enforcement training). About 1/3 of the training I took was learning proper techniques for moving in the dark and when to have the flashlight on/off. It wasn't about "search & destroy", there were plenty of NO SHOOT exercises. From what the article describes (dog on a leash), the incident was a non threat / no shoot situation, proper technique could have prevented it. Edit: The night / low light training I took required completing 40 hours of prerequisite pistol training with a passing grade.