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There's grizzlies in Colorado? Man, there all over now.
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Real world animal threats
- Thread Starter druiseeker
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I met a guy that had just lain down on his cot in Costa Rica, heard a scuffle above and opened his eyes to see a large scorpion land on his chest!
Followed an instant later by an oversized rat that calmly grabbed the scorpion and bit its head off! That was the end of the drama as far as he was concerned, the poor fellow dismounted his bed, as we said in Asia, most riki tick!!! I'm reasonably leery of scorpions but big rodents freak the hell outa me! Ugggghh (shiver!)
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Didn't really read the whole thread but maybe just consider a deeper basement?
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"...orangutans, gibbons and lemurs are among the few I don't have a considerable dislike for).
These critters aren't monkeys, so no wonder your dislike doesn't include them.
Orangs and gibbons are pongids: any anthropoid primate of the family Pongidae, comprising the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan. (Looks like this omitted the gibbons)
Lemur
1) any Madagascan prosimian primate of the family Lemuridae
2) any similar or closely related animal, such as a loris or indris
I share your disgust for monkeys - have always thought that I would love to blast a monkey with a shotgun. My mother had one that I despised - no chance I could introduce it to my 12 ga. They are nasty creatures, good only for research.
These critters aren't monkeys, so no wonder your dislike doesn't include them.
Orangs and gibbons are pongids: any anthropoid primate of the family Pongidae, comprising the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan. (Looks like this omitted the gibbons)
Lemur
1) any Madagascan prosimian primate of the family Lemuridae
2) any similar or closely related animal, such as a loris or indris
I share your disgust for monkeys - have always thought that I would love to blast a monkey with a shotgun. My mother had one that I despised - no chance I could introduce it to my 12 ga. They are nasty creatures, good only for research.
Got nailed by a yellow jacket again yesterday. Never been stung by any other kind of bee or wasp, always yellow jackets. Turns out the little f#$kers built a nest right under the step to my back patio - didn't see them there. Went out to do some work on the back patio and felt a sharp pain in my ankle - thought maybe I had a thorn or sticker in my sock, kind of passed it off. Then I felt another sharp stick and looked down and saw the little ba$tard sting me a 2nd time. Got me a 3rd time before I could finally get to him. Thankfully I'm not allergic, but it sucks getting stung.
I had no idea the nest was there. I've stepped over the front door of that thing almost every day for a while and never saw it. But I spent some time this morning looking for activity and now I know where they are. Sprayed some Delta Dust at the entrance. Should help get rid of them.
Last year, they were in the attic, right above another entrance to the house. Just can't seem to stay ahead of these things. I kill every nest I can see, it's the ones you don't see, in the ground, logs, wood piles, etc. that cause the most problems. I'm just glad they didn't get my daughter. Seems they only manage to sting me.
I had no idea the nest was there. I've stepped over the front door of that thing almost every day for a while and never saw it. But I spent some time this morning looking for activity and now I know where they are. Sprayed some Delta Dust at the entrance. Should help get rid of them.
Last year, they were in the attic, right above another entrance to the house. Just can't seem to stay ahead of these things. I kill every nest I can see, it's the ones you don't see, in the ground, logs, wood piles, etc. that cause the most problems. I'm just glad they didn't get my daughter. Seems they only manage to sting me.
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We seem to have more of the little beasties this year, between the yellow jackets and wasps, we have had about 8 or 9 nests. I found one inside the BBQ, easy fix, light the BBQ, 5 nests in the eve' s and the rest in the lawn. Wasps are the easier to deal with, wait till about midnight and knock the nests down, squirt a little lighter fluid on the nest and light it up. Yellow jackets are best done after a good dose of soap and water mixed in a squirt bottle or one of the kids super soakers, squirt them a couple times and knock the next down, collect in a black bag and let it sit for a couple days in the hot summer sun. For the lawn, garden hose left to run for a while usually does the trick! The darn wasps keep conning back to the exact same spot and start building nests every season, many times two of three times on one season, Kilz paint is about the only thing that stops them, then you have to paint over it to match what ya already have!
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Oddly this year we had less wasps, Ive been stung maybe a few hundred times, once about 20 at once when I stepped in a ground nest. Why this one is funny is they started stinging me so I killed the ones stinging me and the hive came alive so my truck was close and I hopped in, none got in the truck, so I figure that job would have to wait to be cleared. So I drove about a mile and felt a jab in my ankle. Guess when I wipe one I shoved it down my sock and now it was in my sock jammed against my boot and ankle I was driving and there was no place to pull over besides I was hauling a huge trailer, so I had to drive about 2 miles with it stinging me until I pulled over and well that jacket I flipped the sock and set it free. I could have smashed after I could get to it, but figured he earned his stripes that day. True Story..
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Unfair. We don't know that any of those who "unloaded their sidearms" actually hit the bear, let alone hit it solidly. Or what ammo they were carrying. Specifically, whether a .44mag or heavier caliber revolver with a hardcast flat nose bullet that can shoot all the way through a grizzly, or a lighter or JHP bullet, which generally won't.
We seem to have more of the little beasties this year, between the yellow jackets and wasps, we have had about 8 or 9 nests. I found one inside the BBQ, easy fix, light the BBQ, 5 nests in the eve' s and the rest in the lawn. Wasps are the easier to deal with, wait till about midnight and knock the nests down, squirt a little lighter fluid on the nest and light it up. Yellow jackets are best done after a good dose of soap and water mixed in a squirt bottle or one of the kids super soakers, squirt them a couple times and knock the next down, collect in a black bag and let it sit for a couple days in the hot summer sun. For the lawn, garden hose left to run for a while usually does the trick! The darn wasps keep conning back to the exact same spot and start building nests every season, many times two of three times on one season, Kilz paint is about the only thing that stops them, then you have to paint over it to match what ya already have!
For nests that are underground, in wood, in siding, etc., Delta Dust (pyrethroid) seems to work pretty well. Just use a bulb sprayer to spray inside/around the next opening (best at night or early morning when they're not active). They track it into the nest and spread it around. When they go to clean it off themselves, they ingest it and it kills them. The stuff I put on the nest this morning seems to have already done the trick - haven't seen a single one in about 2 hours, even after I went out and intentionally disturbed the nest to try and get some activity. It's especially good when you can't get direct access to the nest like you can up in an eve.
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I haven't used them, but my understanding is that the CCI shot shells in .38 or bigger are effective at the ten or twelve foot range, but not much more. Traditionally, in some areas of the South with lots of poisonous snakes, many carry revolvers with the first two cylinder holes loaded with the CCI shotshells.
When I was a kid I spent a lot of time (alone and unarmed) in swamps in Florida and Georgia. I ran across cottonmouths and rattlers pretty regularly, and learned to see them first and just politely go around. (Though there was one huge cottonmouth on the path with water and probably quicksand on both sides I couldn't get around. And it wouldn't get off the path, either. I had to backtrack and find another way out. I was only about ten, and of course wasn't supposed to be in the swamp.)
Once I became a "gun totin' young broad", I still took the same approach to poisonous snakes. Say a few polite words and go around. However, part of my "woodswoman gun practice routine" was and is practicing to shoot a snake in the brain at distances of about ten to twelve feet, as sometimes one might need to kill the snake. Such as if it turns up in your camp after you have made it or it is somewhere where it is going to endanger people, livestock, or your dogs. (If you surprise the snake closer than ten feet you're jumping backward, not drawing.)
A big snake's brain is roughly dime size. To practice I make dime size circles on a paper plate. I shoot SA. The skill is in learning the proper holdover to use with the specific gun and load. Usually for a revolver sighted in at 25 yards, holding up half the sight would be dead on at 6 feet and holding up one fourth the front sight would be dead on at ten to twelve feet--snake range. And holding up just a touch of the front sight would be dead on at fifty feet. It's now been decades since I've hiked anywhere with poisonous snakes, but my Florida and Georgia trained brain still sees the local garter snakes way ahead of time.
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accidently cut off part of quote. The problem was .22 did not put the racoons down immediately.
Back when I had a duck flock, I shot a number of racoons, possums, and skunks that were after my ducks. Generally a .22 does not put them down immediately, even with hps, unless it is a brain shot, which is hard to do on a moving target at night. I used a snubby .357 with corbon 125gr jhp, and that worked fine. But I suspect any full .357 load would work. A poultry-keeping friend of mine reported that his 9mm didn't put such animals down immediately either, and he switched to .45acp for small predator control. On small light predators, the jhps can fail to open up at all and act just like round nose bullets. My .357 jhps didnt seem to open up much either. Presumably it was their hitting much harder that mattered. With the .45acp, the bullet is presumably just so fat it doesn't matter if it opens up.
I commonly use 44 mag and 45 LC shot shells. They are great snake and barn critter deterrence. Smaller than that become less effective but adaquate.
The shot cups easily loosen in a revolver so it requires care. I use this a lot with 410 shells and bird shot in serious snake country. It is always handy. Off course, the most dangerous "animal" threat to humans are microscopic in the form of virus and bacterial infections.
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Once I was hiking in the Coastal Mountains just above Alsea, Oregon accompanied by my half-Chow b!tch. As we walked along a dirt logging road bordered by a blackberry patch, there was suddenly a loud thrashing sound from the berry patch. There was something huge in there. I retreated across the road and drew my woods gun of that era, a Ruger .357 mag Security 6 with 6-inch barrel. The dog moved quietly between me and the noise, silent, ears forward. The wind was a strong cross breeze.
Suddenly a black bear emerged from the berries, saw us, and froze. The dog was a mere 12 feet from the bear. I was a mere 22 feet from the bear. We had surprised the bear well within its attack distance. We three stood frozen in utter silence in a straight line, me with the gun aimed at the bear, bear motionless, dog motionless and a mere leap from bear, for a full 30 second I would say. Then suddenly the bear was gone, and moving back through the berries with more loud thrashing. At that point the dog chased after the bear, barking excitedly. I immediately yelled "Out!", and the dog ceased her attack immediately and came back to my side.
I think if either the dog or I had moved or made any noisy in that critical 30 seconds, the bear would have attacked us rather than retreating. This is actually the only time this dog was quiet rather than noisy when in protection mode. I would guess the bear to have been about 250 pounds, about typical for Coastal Mts. I do not really understand how the bear managed to move through the berries at all, let alone so quickly. They were high, dense, and seemingly impenetrable with no game trails for anything bigger than a rabbit.
At the time, my revolver was loaded with 158gr jhp bullets more suited for hunting deer or defending against people than against bears. I would have been much better off with something like a Buffalo Bore 180gr hardcast round nose flat point. However, I always considered bad humans the biggest danger in the woods. I really never expected to need to point a gun at a bear. And when I had to, I felt decidedly undergunned. (And don't tell me to make noise in the woods. If I wanted noise I wouldn't have been out in the woods.)
That day was the beginning of my interest in .44mag revolvers.
Suddenly a black bear emerged from the berries, saw us, and froze. The dog was a mere 12 feet from the bear. I was a mere 22 feet from the bear. We had surprised the bear well within its attack distance. We three stood frozen in utter silence in a straight line, me with the gun aimed at the bear, bear motionless, dog motionless and a mere leap from bear, for a full 30 second I would say. Then suddenly the bear was gone, and moving back through the berries with more loud thrashing. At that point the dog chased after the bear, barking excitedly. I immediately yelled "Out!", and the dog ceased her attack immediately and came back to my side.
I think if either the dog or I had moved or made any noisy in that critical 30 seconds, the bear would have attacked us rather than retreating. This is actually the only time this dog was quiet rather than noisy when in protection mode. I would guess the bear to have been about 250 pounds, about typical for Coastal Mts. I do not really understand how the bear managed to move through the berries at all, let alone so quickly. They were high, dense, and seemingly impenetrable with no game trails for anything bigger than a rabbit.
At the time, my revolver was loaded with 158gr jhp bullets more suited for hunting deer or defending against people than against bears. I would have been much better off with something like a Buffalo Bore 180gr hardcast round nose flat point. However, I always considered bad humans the biggest danger in the woods. I really never expected to need to point a gun at a bear. And when I had to, I felt decidedly undergunned. (And don't tell me to make noise in the woods. If I wanted noise I wouldn't have been out in the woods.)
That day was the beginning of my interest in .44mag revolvers.
Great story, I have never been afraid of a Black Bear with the lone exception of when I perused a wounded one into the woods after I shot it. They don't like people or dogs. I love the 44 magnum caliber. Bought my first one after my afternoon with Elmer Keith. It just does everything well. Overpowered for some applications but always works. By far the most popular handgun cartridge in Alaska. Used by both weekend warriors and professionals alike although still not up to the effectiveness of a 12 gauge shotgun for defense work.
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Have had minor dealings with bear and cougar, most notable was as a child. Stepdad found himself between cougar and cub. Ended fine, but was unsettling. Bear are around often on larch, but are mostly indifferent to humans in that area, in my experience.
Least favorite insect encounter was with bald faced hornets. Mean little sumbubblegumes.
Least favorite insect encounter was with bald faced hornets. Mean little sumbubblegumes.
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We had a wasp nest under the porch right where our kids play My Gent was kind enough to take care of that. 
In the past, we have had black bear wander through our property. We also literally just saw a fox sitting in our back yard.
In the past, we have had black bear wander through our property. We also literally just saw a fox sitting in our back yard.
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Indeed, I've seen and/or heard black bear here on several occasion. Foxes, skunks, bobcats, and coyotes visit the acreage too. Though there are rattlers in this county, fortunately, I have yet to see any evidence of a venomous snake on our property. I've seen scorpions too, albeit very few, and normally dead.
And there was the time when the better half was pregnant with babyhead number two, I went up the hill to shoot, and then got drilled with a half dozen or so wasp stings, including one right on top of the noggin. A long trip up to the city for emergency care and later the acquisition of EpiPens followed.
And there was the time when the better half was pregnant with babyhead number two, I went up the hill to shoot, and then got drilled with a half dozen or so wasp stings, including one right on top of the noggin. A long trip up to the city for emergency care and later the acquisition of EpiPens followed.
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The pictures above remind me that I would like to acquire a derringer in the .410-bore sometime for the dispatching of various vermin. I saw one up at the farm supply not too long ago that would work, though it has been said American Derringer is better than the Bond Arms I saw.
Beyond that, considering the little shotgun shown, we have a very compact scattergun along those lines. It was mainly acquired just for the grins: a Serbu Super Short in 12-gauge (2¾ and 3"). (Shown next to playing cards to indicate size.)
In case there is any doubt, I can report, it is indeed a handful to shoot.
Beyond that, considering the little shotgun shown, we have a very compact scattergun along those lines. It was mainly acquired just for the grins: a Serbu Super Short in 12-gauge (2¾ and 3"). (Shown next to playing cards to indicate size.)
In case there is any doubt, I can report, it is indeed a handful to shoot.
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