So there I was...

[corbanzo]

So I went out shooting today, just me, my M38, and my single six.  Out walking through the woods, went to a pond of my which is a favorite for target shooting, cause there are lots of lilly pads with yellow flowers which are great targets, cause they pop really good when you shoot them.  Shot 28/30 rounds out of what I had for the M38, had two left for the just in case.  Shot a bunch of .22's out there, and then decided to do the iditarod loop to get home (yeah, the sled dog one, the original trail starts in seward)

I'm hiking, paying a little big of attention to what is going on, cause I'm also looking for some spruce chickens  cause they are tasty.

Now here is the situation - I'm not really paying attention to the trail in front of me.  I have an M38, which safety is a pain in the rear, so I dont use it, which means I dont have a round in the chamber, I only have two rounds in the magazine.  I have a .22mag as a sidearm and I'm wearing a bright orange sleeveless t-shirt.  Quite a hunter right?

The just in case?  It happened.  I look up in front of me, and 25 feet out there is a 250lb very nice looking adult black bear.  Right there, I mean I look him in the eye, oh crap.

He starts running, I slam a cartridge in the chamber and walk around the corner of the trail, he sees me.  (Of course he sees me, I look like a lit up pumpkin, it's a bright shirt) and then starts running again, so I can't get a shot on him, and then he turns into the brush.  I go down the trail, and turn in after him, about five feet in, some sticks break under my feet, and I hear him start to run again.  When I look up in front of me, I see nothing, there is eight foot tall devils club and alders, that is it.  Screw that.  There is about 0 chance of me following a black bear into brush I can't see through with 2 - 7.62x54R rounds.

So I tried to go around and found a small trail that went back, and took it back to where the brush got thick again, nothing, came around and took the main trail down the other side - nothing.  On the walk home I started to realize that living in Alaska, and especially since I haven't got my spring bear yet, I might want to be a little more prepared when I "go out shooting" and maybe a little bit less noticeable. 

Same time tomorrow in camo and a 458? 

I think so.

[corbanzo]

Oh this just gets better and better!!

So this time I'm prepared.  Dressed in full camo, my .44mag on my side, and my .458lott in my hands.  I dont bring the boots, I bring the shoes cause they are quieter.  Speed loaders, gutting knife, sidearm, all right there on the belt.

I go out onto the trail, hiking slower and more cautious this time, hike all the way to the lake, and see nothing.  I decide to check what time it is on my phone, and notice I had missed a call, it was my house?  I check the message, and this is what I hear:

         I called the troppers to see what was going on because there was a helicopter flying around and patrol cars in the neighborhood.  The said they had a report of a man with multiple firearms totally dressed in camo heading into the woods. 

I'm in disbelief, think its a joke, so I call my house.  Nope, it wasnt.  They had a report of me walking into the woods armed in camo and the sent a helicopter?  We are in Alaska, if we sent a helicopter after every guy in camo with guns, we would need about 400,000.  And it turns out it was a guy I know that called, because some kids in his yard saw me walk by and said something, they don't know me.

So my family told the troppers who I was, and I was only back bear hunting, they said that is fine, they had the copter in town because of the 4th celebration, so they sent it just in case.  And then they called everything off. 

I dont know if you guys know how much it is to send a helicopter up... but.... They could of bought our middle school new books instead of being idiots.

Well after that little conversation, I found a good spot part way up a hill to look, sat for a couple of hours, and saw nothing.  When it started to dim out, I headed home, and here I am.  Lots of preparation, lots of commotion, no bears.  I think I'm going to sit on my deck and drink beer and shoot the pellet gun tomorrow, see if they call in the national guard.

[akchuck]

458Lott? Don't guess you were out to take any prisoners!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dusty Miller]

Maybe there were rumors of T. Rex wandering thru the woods?

[corbanzo]

After the night before, where I was feeling undergunned looking into the brush, I decided I didnt like that feeling, so yeah, .458lott.     I have the .458 winmags right next to the .458 lotts in the ammo safe.... but the brass cases of the lotts were just a little bit shinier than the nickel cases of the winmags for some reason.


So last night, I decided to put up the tree stand, and then irony whacks me right in the face.  There I am, 25 feet off the ground, waiting for mr. bear I've been looking for, and the grouse which I was ready for on day one lands about ten feet above me in the tree right in front of me.  He stays there for ten minutes, doing nothing, while I can't shoot him, cause I have an 06 and a .44mag, and don't want to make any noise anyways.  The whole time I'm thinking, why, oh why tonight?

Didn't see anything, hear a loud log crack a few hundred yards off, but that could've been a branch or dead tree falling, cause that was it.  Rather relaxing all by yourself with a birdseye view though.

[akchuck]

Bear stands have to be one of the most relaxing past times for me. Even if I don't get a shot i can sit there are watch all kinds of critters do their thing.