- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The point I was trying to get across was that you need to be aware of your surroundings. This can be difficult after a long hard day on the trail, and I know this is when I am the most vulnerable, because instead of thinking about what's behind that rock, I'm thinking about camp and grub. Chances are that if you are attending to matters after shooting a big game animal, or if you are prospecting, or timber cruising, your mind might not be on your immediate security. It comes down to the proper mindset, and if you are taken by surprise by a bear, or anything else, you will need to have a conversation with yourself before you can act, "Hey, am I really in trouble here?" and by then it might be too late. where as the proper state of mind is, "Ahh, I thought that might happen, and I know what to do about it!"
Pounder, a very bear savy individual, had an exciting one last week, and if he chooses to join in he can tell the story, but the bottom line is that he was thinking about other things and walked up on a large bear that was feeding, and which took exception to having it's meal interrupted. Both parties survived, but he tells me it was a close thing. He always carries his .458 in hand, not slung, so he was in good shape that way. My rifle is mostly slung, because if I am less fatigued carrying a slung rifle, so I am more aware of my surroundings, but clearly rifle in hand was better that day.
Pounder, a very bear savy individual, had an exciting one last week, and if he chooses to join in he can tell the story, but the bottom line is that he was thinking about other things and walked up on a large bear that was feeding, and which took exception to having it's meal interrupted. Both parties survived, but he tells me it was a close thing. He always carries his .458 in hand, not slung, so he was in good shape that way. My rifle is mostly slung, because if I am less fatigued carrying a slung rifle, so I am more aware of my surroundings, but clearly rifle in hand was better that day.
