in the last week...
 

i've seen more wildlife that could potentially kill me, then in the previous 20 years.

i'm renting a place out on 460 acres of desert land east of Lancaster. i see rattlesnakes and black widows all of the time. the coyotes don't concern me...they're just mangy dogs.

today, i went hiking in Devil's Punchbowl. I had my backpack, rambo-style survival knife, boots, etc. as i turned around one of the mountain trail corners, i look up and see about a 400 lb Black bear (he was actually light brown) walking on the trail about 20 feet ahead of me. i was downwind (probably 30 mph gusts up there) and he didnt hear or smell me. i stopped, and slowly walked backwards while it registered what i was looking at.

at that point, i was already 3 miles into the trail and didn't want to go back quite yet. about that time, he turned around saw me, and took off sprinting away. i couldn't believe how fast that boy made it up one of the trees. he sat up there watching me while i walked by.

from then, until the rest of the hike, i was all eyes/ears for bears.

Was this on public land? Please PM the coordinates and I have someone that will help with wildlife management as soon as bear season is up. ;) I hear there are quite a few bears up there that make it to the desert floor. They are really harmless, as you found out.

George

Last year around April, we were in Lake Tahoe out for a walk with my little kids after dark. They were 2 and 4. A black bear jump off a 8' wall to a dumpster about about 15 feet in feet of us. My heart stopped thinking I have to protect my kids if this thing charge at me. We were alone in a parking lot of this time share 20 feet away from an entrance. the bear left to the corner of the building, then he stopped and turned and looked at us. This time, I carped in my pants thinking he wants my little kids. I scream at the top of my lungs. the bare didn't budge. I picked up my little one and all of us ran to the door.

The smell coming from your pants would disuade anything from coming near you.

I don't know about that tabs, bears like fish and if he had carp in his pants, it could have gotten real ugly.

I took an 'acquiantance' kayaking in the swamp the other day. When we got to the launch, I took my p238 out of my pocket and threw it in the glovebox. She said 'dont you want to keep that with us in cause we see a really big gator??l. I told her 'if we see a gator big enough that it merits shooting should it charge, that. 380 is only gonna piss it off. We did see quite a few large gators and she even stopped screaming after the first 4 or 5.

When I go..............
 

into the woods or hiking, I carry a .357 with hot loads or a .44 mag with the same! When we lived in N. Ga., I had to shoot a wild dog (large German Shepard) that was after my dogs. I'd rather have to explain why I'm carrying than be without and need it!

Could have gotten ugly, it was an ugly mess in his pants. Whew I can smell it from here.