Bear on the water

[jeffro]

Any you guys have worry about Bears or big cats while fishing?
are you ready for em as you fish?

[kbproctor]

I don't. They will avoid you if they can 99.9% of the time. If one wants your fish, I do recommend letting him have it.

[rainbowchaser]

Darn bears are too quick. By the time I get the camera out they are gone. As for cougars there is only one verified cougar in the state and it's in the U.P. There are a lot of unconfirmed sightings around Le Roy but it's all glimpses of "something" that "must be the cougar."

[dryfly2010]

i think he is more refering to taking care of the beasts if they bother you, in which case i suggest a conceiled carry permit and a judge taurus 3" revolver. u can load it with .45 colt, or .410 shotgun shells. either would be a wonderful detterent if the occasion arose.

if i mistook ur intent of the thread i appologize jeffro

my two cents

jordan

[jeffro]

No Sir dryfly2010...thats what I was wondering about.....I had an encounter with a Black Panter at Texoma spillway one time at 3:00am in a heavy fog and he rattled my cage believe me.....the only person crazy enough to be out there was me but I was stickin Striper every cast till he walked up on me.
He couldn't see me cuz I was standin up ontop of of a large rock about five foot tall and was on the oklahoma side of red river and as I climbed down to land a striper there he was, 7 feet long and about 125 pounds of Black kitty cat was slithering away.
I had no clue on what ta do......so the gentleman I was,

I stood my ground and kept on fishin for another 4 or five fish and got to thinkin how I was gonna ge tto my tackle box without gettin malled....but he took his self on home without incident...shook me up perty much.

My reason for this post was to make everyone aware of these kind of encounters ....cuz its sompthin we need to take under consideration at all times......
i am a nighttime fisherman and have many times been alone out in the middle of nowhere-with no phone and now that i have aged,I feel perty lucky....
My total encounters with big cats is 3 ...i was lucky each time and very un-prepared all 3 times....No bears yet...knock on wood

[aged_sage]

A can of wasp spray, that is quite accurate out to at least 20 feet, should work better than the the 'Bear' spray with it's limited range. I have heard that many guides in grizzly country are now recommending it ove bear spray, for this very reason. Remember, this is 'hearsay'. Having used wasp spray for wasps for 40 years, I can attest to it's range and efficacy on wasps and definitely irritate a bear's eyes beyond belief.

aged sage

[Icemanxxxv]

Marlin 45-70 with modern loads. It handles fast, points good and with 300fps less than a 458 magnum Mr. bear aint gonna know what the difference between them. Thank god I don't fish in Big Bear Country it would be just one more thing that I'd have to carry with me. Slung over my back muzzle down. Cougar Country S&W 686 357 mag. Can you say Hello kitty good bye? Sure I knew you could.

[maodiver]

i think he is more refering to taking care of the beasts if they bother you, in which case i suggest a conceiled carry permit and a judge taurus 3" revolver. u can load it with .45 colt, or .410 shotgun shells. either would be a wonderful detterent if the occasion arose.

if i mistook ur intent of the thread i appologize jeffro

my two cents

jordan

In CA, don't need the concealed carry when fishing. Can carry in the open.

[jszymczyk]

I am much more concerned about 2 legged predators than anything. I was only ever concerned about four-legged critters when I lived in interior Alaska. I carried a big-*** stainless 44 Mag revolver. After a while, 2 things got me to wondering what the use was of carrying that big anchor around with me.
1) every time I actually SAW a bear, I was able to stay far enough away from it so there was no issue. Typical streams are very brushy right up to the water and by the time you knew about an attack, it would be pretty much too late to draw and do anything about it. Probably.
2) went grayling fishing with a buddy, and all he carried was a light little 22 pistol. I asked what good that was for bears, and he said "A lot. If a bear charges, I shoot you in the leg, and I'm safe!"

[modocdan]

I live in So. Oregon... fish mostly here and in N. CA. Lots of bear all around, mostly smaller blacks. Plenty Cougar as well, but they're seldom seen. I get out to pretty remote country several times a year. Have had bear encounters, and cougar sightings, a couple of them close - up. I carry a .357 most of the time, but I believe diligence, and paying attention are your best defense for both. However, face to face, either of them look big, and usually make a fella nervous, if not actually scared. Trouble from other predators, of the two - legged variety, are more of a concern, especially when out in the true remote areas. Again, pay attention and be diligent. Don't act or make yourself look, like a victim. Whether two or four legged, predators aren't looking for a fight, they prefer easy pickins.............ModocDan