The amount "best bear protection", "best bear rifles" , "best bear avoidance" threads I have seen on many different internet sites over the last few years makes me think some people are scared of bears for some reason.
Here in BC we are blessed with some of the highest bear populations in the world but it may come as a surprize that they are no where near the deadliest critter we deal with. GO HERE for the true story. Once on the site scroll down until you see the link leading to animal involved fatalities 1969 - 1997
Posts: 277 | Location: McLeese Lake, B. C. Canada | Registered: 06 June 2003
Based on my past experiences, the 1st thing that popped up in my thoughts was - Pack Animals. When I was a kid I always managed to get a lot more out of a horse than it got out of me but that all changed when using them as pack animals and mountain transport. Somewhere along the line, I must have pissed off the horse gods cause payback, over the years, ain't been fun.
Dungbeetle
Posts: 1370 | Location: Home but going back. | Registered: 15 December 2003
Oh Crap, I just booked a hunt on horseback for bear.....I am royally screwed. Do you think the outfitter will mind if I keep the barrel of my rifle pressed to my horses head?
Posts: 333 | Location: Columbus GA | Registered: 21 October 2003
Pretty interesting but humans interact with horses thousands of hours more per 100,000 than the wild animals. I bet if the data were normalized reagrding exposure raleative to time the actual risks would be dramatically different. Info, where are you when I need you?
Posts: 11142 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003
Hello Oskar: I wouldn't tell too many people about putting the poor deer out of it's misery. I've been tempted myself at several times to do the same, but it is a fact that in Alberta you can be charged. You are supposed to wait for a Fish cop or a police officer. Of course, they may not get there for a week, but that don't matter. I even knew some people a few years ago, being new to this country and not knowing the rules, they carved a few coice roast off a road kill {fresh]. Someone reported them and they got off with a severe tongue lashing. Grizz
Grizzly, I knew that, but said the hell with it, poor thing was trying to pull itself away with its front legs one of which was broke off at the knee, intestines starting to come out, hindquarters totally smashed. If they want to charge me then thats up to them. I think they have more important things to worry about.
Posts: 372 | Location: Alberta | Registered: 13 December 2001
Feller here in animal-lovin' California had a couple of high-end ridin' horses. Old boy from next door wanted t'help care for the pretty beasties so the owner let him clean out the stable and try to groom them. One horse would let the poor ol' guy put a blanket on it and then turn around and bite the Hell out of him. Ol' guy complained to the owner who got a right unfriendly look in his eye and went out to the barn. 'reached into a drawer in the tack room and pulled out a pair of heavy motor cycle gloves with metal studs right over the knuckles and went into the stall, flipped the blanket over the nag and when the brute turned around to bite, punched it full-bore in the mouth! Then he picked up the blanket and tried again, stupid horse tried again, a little more hesitently, and got the same treatment. Then the owner made his elderly helper put on the gloves and put the blanket over the horse. Not a twitch. Fust, yer gotta get they attention!
Posts: 2690 | Location: Lakewood, CA. USA | Registered: 07 January 2001
My mother grew up on a Missouri farm and tells the story of a neighbor whose mule got "mulish" on him. The mule was hitched to a wooden wagon that he thought was too heavy and refused to move. After trying the usual, the farmer thought he'd try what we've all heard about; lit a fire under the mule.
The mule moved, all right. Moved just enough to pull the wagon over the fire, and stopped again. Stood there until the traces burned through, and walked away, leaving the wagon to burn to the ground.
I support the right to arm bears. I rescued an 30 something horse from an utter idiot. He managed to get expelled from college and lose an affirmative action job on the same day. He was given this mare and tried to go jumping because "thats what rich people do." He called the people who gave the horse and announced he was abandoning her. I went up during El Nino, found her hock deep in mud trying to RUN from him. Idiot hit her in the face with a halter. " Shes hard to catch." I said "let me show you how to catch a horse," took halter and hit him. That horse settled down into a painfully slow, but real babysitter. My maiden mare foaled a filly. Less than a week later we saw 5 coy-dogs make a rush for the baby. Mom backed her into a corner and crouched into a cutting horse stance. Meanwhile old Wildflower is slipping up behind the pack and kicked 2 to eternity. My mare killed a third and crippled a 4th. I finally had to put Wildflower down and cried like a baby. Only then did I get to see her papers. She was one of your Canadian horses, rare as rare can be down here.
God I love em...but they got one fault, they
Always enjoyed them at Christmas too 
