Colorado Hunting - Safety Tips
04-21-2010 | 07:47 AM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,320
Likes: 0
Dude just because we don't get our panties all in a bunch over something that most likly will never happen to us, doesn't mean we are (lackadaisical) or tolerable....it just means that most of us go out in the woods and are aware of our surroundings...if U check out a bunch of them folks that ended up as cat lunch you'll probably see they were out there with they Ipods in they ear, running or riding a bike looking straight ahead and not once lookin back.... I don't care what ya say but as we get more and more folks a runnin around in the boonies that don't have a friggin clue..we gonna get more of them ate!!!!
I spend a few weeks every year hunting mountain lions and you'd be amazed at what they can do. They are best at avoiding humans though.
04-21-2010 | 09:27 AM
#22
Spike
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
I agree with you finbear, and I think that we're on the same side here. I don't worry about cats or bears. I buy a general tag for both bear and cougar every year and I carry a firearm that is capable of killing one every time I go in the woods. I'm #1 when it comes to predators. IMHO- There is generally nothing to worry about in life in general, but things happen and it is best to be armed or able to defend yourself no matter where you are or what you're doing. I also carry a toolbox in my truck, even though I've never broken down.
Please excuse my ranting but I think that this is an important topic for everyone that loves to hunt and spend time outdoors because times are changing and predators are returning. It is more like the 1700's out there now than the 1970's.
What has my panties in a bunch is that people have come to believe that large predators are safe. Where I disagree with you is that the victims of cat attacks are to be blamed for their own death or injury. For me the reality is that we as hunters have failed to protect our heritage and stand up for predator control. Our forefathers put in a lot of work to get rid of large predators and most of us have grown up enjoying the results of all that work. But in the last 20 years predators have come back stronger than ever and there are more deaths because of them than ever before. The first confirmed cougar attack in the east since 1751 occurred in 2001 in eastern Ontario. Another fatality occurred in Arkansas in 2003, and another attack in Oklahoma. Cats have been reported throughout the Midwest and even as far east as Virginia and New York. They are confirmed in Manitoba now as well. Throughout most of their range in the west there are probably more cats now than there ever have been because of the absence of wolves and human hunting pressure, not to mention their protected status in states like California. You can rest assured that if a cat killed someone 100 years ago, people would be turning over every rock in the country to kill every cat they could find and no one would go outside without a weapon for months-- nowadays we just blame the victim and sympathize with the cat. I think that's wrong.
In the last 40 years, hundreds of years of predator control has been severely eroded throughout North America. You're chances of seeing a cat or encountering a cat are better today than they probably ever have been. And chances are that that cat you run into has been acclimated to humans and does not fear them because humans have grown to tolerate them. No matter how you look at it, that is a dangerous situation.
The same is true of bears. When I was growing up bears just raided camps, stole picnic baskets and ate garbage. There was nothing to fear from a black bear. I've had 9 bear encounters in the Appalachians, Rocky's and Sierra's and have never been afraid of them. But in the past 20 years they have started to eat people and that changes things. There have been 17 confirmed deaths from black bears since 2000. Compare that to only 1 in the 1980's. In fact, just last year a young woman was killed while taking a walk in Ontario by a pack of coyotes-- A place were historically Coyotes never even existed. Coyotes killing people? WTF. You're kidding me right? Who in their right mind would be concerned about a coyote attack?
We grew up and have known the rewards of predator control, now that they are coming back we are starting to see why our ancestors were so adamant about killing them. Unfortunately we seem to have lost the respect for them that they had and think that they are harmless. I don't think anyone is less of a man for being aware of danger and protecting himself against it.
Anyway I'm sorry for the rant. There is in fact nothing to be afraid of only something to be done. That the victom is at fault is exactly what the anti-hunters want us to believe and have conditioned us to believe with their peace and love, whole mother earth BS.
Please excuse my ranting but I think that this is an important topic for everyone that loves to hunt and spend time outdoors because times are changing and predators are returning. It is more like the 1700's out there now than the 1970's.
What has my panties in a bunch is that people have come to believe that large predators are safe. Where I disagree with you is that the victims of cat attacks are to be blamed for their own death or injury. For me the reality is that we as hunters have failed to protect our heritage and stand up for predator control. Our forefathers put in a lot of work to get rid of large predators and most of us have grown up enjoying the results of all that work. But in the last 20 years predators have come back stronger than ever and there are more deaths because of them than ever before. The first confirmed cougar attack in the east since 1751 occurred in 2001 in eastern Ontario. Another fatality occurred in Arkansas in 2003, and another attack in Oklahoma. Cats have been reported throughout the Midwest and even as far east as Virginia and New York. They are confirmed in Manitoba now as well. Throughout most of their range in the west there are probably more cats now than there ever have been because of the absence of wolves and human hunting pressure, not to mention their protected status in states like California. You can rest assured that if a cat killed someone 100 years ago, people would be turning over every rock in the country to kill every cat they could find and no one would go outside without a weapon for months-- nowadays we just blame the victim and sympathize with the cat. I think that's wrong.
In the last 40 years, hundreds of years of predator control has been severely eroded throughout North America. You're chances of seeing a cat or encountering a cat are better today than they probably ever have been. And chances are that that cat you run into has been acclimated to humans and does not fear them because humans have grown to tolerate them. No matter how you look at it, that is a dangerous situation.
The same is true of bears. When I was growing up bears just raided camps, stole picnic baskets and ate garbage. There was nothing to fear from a black bear. I've had 9 bear encounters in the Appalachians, Rocky's and Sierra's and have never been afraid of them. But in the past 20 years they have started to eat people and that changes things. There have been 17 confirmed deaths from black bears since 2000. Compare that to only 1 in the 1980's. In fact, just last year a young woman was killed while taking a walk in Ontario by a pack of coyotes-- A place were historically Coyotes never even existed. Coyotes killing people? WTF. You're kidding me right? Who in their right mind would be concerned about a coyote attack?
We grew up and have known the rewards of predator control, now that they are coming back we are starting to see why our ancestors were so adamant about killing them. Unfortunately we seem to have lost the respect for them that they had and think that they are harmless. I don't think anyone is less of a man for being aware of danger and protecting himself against it.
Anyway I'm sorry for the rant. There is in fact nothing to be afraid of only something to be done. That the victom is at fault is exactly what the anti-hunters want us to believe and have conditioned us to believe with their peace and love, whole mother earth BS.
Last edited by cataraft; 04-21-2010 at 11:08 AM.
