Why I carry a gun when I go collecting....

that pic was and is the center of ALOT of internet wildlife hoaxes!

I live in the wild west of Arizona but I don't have a need to carry a gun while collecting during the day. However, we camp out a lot in remote locations on our field trips and I always sleep with Natasha, no not my wife or girlfriend, my AK-47 side folding assault rife. Remote areas of Southern Arizona are becoming very dangerous due to desperate illegal aliens and their "coyotes" (their guides into the U.S.) plus thousands of backpacking drug runners, often also illegal aliens paying for their trip North. Many remote areas of Arizona are out of cell phone range so you have to be ready to take care of yourself. An AK plus thirty rounds of ammunition in four magazines should go a long ways in resolving any "international incidents". Thankfully, I have never had to use Natasha except for target practice but I sleep better knowing she is right beside me.

I have encountered illegal aliens during the daytime and I have shared my food and water with them. Most are just good hard working people trying to find a better life, who am I to complain, they take care of my lawn and landscaping. But now we are getting more and more Mexican criminals and drug runners as the jobs in the U.S. dry up. Homeland Security is really trying but people can still bring almost anything into the U.S. that they can carry in a backpack through the remote areas of the Arizona/Mexico border. You don't want to encounter a meth toting drug runner in the middle of the night who may have sampled too much of his cargo without being able to protect yourself.

Still the wild west in AZ,

Steve

Stephen

I just have 1 clip with 40 rounds (ak-47). Just the sight is scary enough to scare anybody away.


Mike

Steve....also true here in Southern New Mexico.....on a number of occassions we've seen on the back trails large SUVs, w/ completly tinted windows & Chihuahuan licence plates speeding along in front of a significent dust cloud.....they're NOT Homeland Security, Border Patrol, or Illegal immigrants!!! Hence, I say again, we don't hunt South of I-10 unless we're armed....and there many great micro locations in that desert!!

Don S.

I would rather go rockhounding in areas where an AK-47 is not one of the required tools.
Somehow that does not seem like an enjoyable trip.
Crystals not pistols "Thanks Rock"

AK
those are really my initials

Alysson Rowan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The worst we have here in the UK is adders - a
> venomous bite but rarely fatal.
> The next level down the scale of nasties is the
> local land-owner (with/without
> dogs/shotguns/lawyers).
>
> Beyond that it's the odd stinging insect (bees &
> wasps) and some of the most vicious stinging
> nettles I've ever met.
>
> Unfortunately, we're beginning to see a few
> imported nasties. I've encountered False Widow
> Spider (venomous) and Mediterranean scorpion (very
> painful) over the last few years.
>
> It kind of pales into the distance when compared
> with puma and bears.

You must have been unlucky with the Adders, Alysson, i find them to be quite timid, occasionly i come across a feisty one that will hiss and make strikes at me, but always give me fair warning to keep away, even the Adders that i have handled dont seem to grumpy, as long as you can read the signs they have had enough, then you let them go!
been bitten by many smooth snakes though, just as well they arnt venemous!
There are plenty of false widows here, infact i made the first report of them in my town! and now i see them all the time
What scares me most is ticks, shudders, i dont fancy getting lymes disease

Actually you were very lucky, Juveniles cannot control how much venom they give, an adult might only use a small amount, or you might even get a dry bite, a juvenile will inject all its venom

Now that I think about it a couple years ago I was coming out of a wash from collecting when I heard gunshots and bullets flying over my head. It seems these fools were shooting blindly up the wash which I was in and is a common hiking trail. Fortunately I can remotely set off my truck alarm from a quarter mile away. These boneheads thought they had shot a vehicle and took off fast. Believe me I was more scared by having bullets flying 10 feet over my head than by any wild creature I've encountered. dave

Being mineral collectors, infected with Rock Pox and virtually unstopable, we find ourselves at the mercy of the current occupants of our favorite haunts all too often. Of course we need to protect ourselves from these dangers, at whatever level, and some areas would certainly allow for some artillery. I seem to get along well in natural setting by remembering that Im in their home. Most agressive animals are either very hungry or protecting their young and without protection, you may not be enjoying any minerals found for long. Personally I think swarms of insects are the worst, the little buggers can really mess you up!! Larger critters can sometimes be dealt with by confusing them. Most curious animals, including large cat family, will flee if you make yourself as large as possible and start to circle them. A hungry cat will most likely follow your circle, prefering to attack you from behind. Good time to have a handgun. Havent encountered a bear yet and not likely to here in N. Central Ohio. There is a pair of nesting Bald Eagles at my favorite collecting area that have become somewhat comfortable havin me around. Attached is a shot of the female in a tree over the river, she's fishing! Her mate was flying over-head as I came up on her, somewhat noisily in the water. She let me get right across the river from her, sit down and admire, and snap a few photos. She seemed to be peeking at me through the leaves that never moved so I could see her head! After a few minutes of this a grasshopper jumped onto my cheek, I swatted at it, spooked the eagle and she took flight. Gotta love nature.

Pretty cool thread, we all get to learn what its like collecting in locales we may never get a chance to visit... Will

Jc holmes claim last friday.

Michael, as a Scotsman living in a land where the scariest and most dangerous creature I might come across would be the Adder (although I never saw one in my life and am unlikely to due to it's scarcity) I have to say I would have been panic stricken if I had come upon such a creature as you pictured without a gun! lol

Did you give it the old Clint Eastwood/Harry Callaghan "Well... Do you feel lucky Punk?" get out before you filled it full of lead?

It took a full clip to stop the beast!
He was at least 3 cm long! I finally had to bludgen him with a teetering 2 ton boulder!
I couldn't sleep for 2 days!
God forbid we should run into something bigger like a tarantula or whiptail scorpion.I don't think I have a big enough weapon to stop em.

Your a funny man Gordon-

Michael,
Both the tarantula & the whip-tail scorpion (vinageroon) are harmless to humans.....just ugly as sin!!! The vinageroon is a wonderful predator for REAL scorpions....I've watched in my yard battles between scorpions and vinageroons and the whip-tail ALWAYS wins!!! I've seen the vinageroon battle (and then eat) scorpions, Black Widows, recluses, and one tarantula (before I could save it). That whip-like tail serves ONLY to sling a drop af acetic acid at it's attacker - hence the name"vinageroon". Even our hardiest avian predator, the roadrunner, will steer clear of the drop of acetic!!!

The tarantula's venom can be and is deadly to it's prey, but it's mouth parts are too small to inject enough into a human to really inflict any damage....unless you happen to be allergic....and the vinageroon will try to pinch you with those crab-like pincers, but only when cornered or threatened.

Relax and enjoy!!!

Don S.

I think you may have your spiders crossed. Daddy long legs are the ones with the small mouth parts. Tarantulas can and have bitten people but their bite is little more than a bee sting. I lived in Arizona, Sierra Vista, for 17 years and have caught Rattle Snakes, Scorpians, Centipedes, Vinageroons, sunspiders etc. Oh man those were the good old days. I went caving once with some freinds and as I was sitting down my brother gave me a big shove. I clocked my head on the cave wall and I was pissed until I looked down and saw the coiled rattle snake I almost sat on.

Here's a friend we found walking up the path as we were walking down at Blue Lady Mine near Warner Springs a few months ago.

Yes, we had guns, but what came out of my mouth was "TARANTULA!!! GET THE CAMERA!!"

Corie

Michael....my mistake, you are right about the "Daddy Long-Legs" and also about the Tarantula but the bite is not significant unless you're allergic....I just hate to see really friendly and useful predators in the "small critter" world feared. Same w/ rattlers...if it's on my back step I'll probably shoot it but if I am on it's back step I'll move!!

Don S.

check out this; [news.yahoo.com]

Juan

Read the story Juan. Shame about that. Its very unusual that coyotes would do that but now that they did they are a threat and need to be killed, cant let that happen to anyone else. I guess its always best to be hiking with another person and be at least lightly armed with a knife. Nature is savage, we must not ever forget that be always prepared. May Mitchell rest in peace.

Michal.

Yes, that is a shame and so young. Very odd for Coyotes to attack humans but they are WILD animals. I think the most nervous I get is collecting in the Spring and early summer in Ontario. Bears have their cubs and at times will attack to defend their cubs. Luckily I have yet to come across this situation. I've heard Moose can attack during their mating season as well. I wouldn't want to get trampled by a 1000lb Moose that's for sure. Collecting in pairs/groups is definitely the way to go along with some sort of protection although in Ontario I think a gun is unnecessary. The best protection is still being aware and alert.

Andrew..

Andrew is correct about collecting in forested areas. It is extremely rare for healthy coyotes or wolves for that matter to attack humans. They tend to go out of their way to avoid humans and for good reason ( they are often the prey). I spend a lot of time in the bush and tend to be more concerned about other humans with guns and crossbows than I am about the local wolf or bear population. On more than one occation I have been followed by wolves which are more curious about me than a danger. However, as with any wild creature, you must give them their due respect.

If you have a dog to go along that is as good as anything for protection in most cases. I am not against carrying a firearm for protection against bears, but that is not my first choice. So as a rule of thumb: a- try to stay out of areas in the spring with bear populations, b- stay out of the bush in hunting season. If you do venture into the bush be sure to wear your blaze orange clothing. Some say it makes you a better target. It may keep you from getting shot.