Carry while prospecting

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I was thinking of going gold panning in western Mass later this summer and have heard in some of the better areas there are rattlers and black bears. I have a no restrictions LTC-A and was wondering what are the rules on carry while prospecting, mostly public land and state land.
Also if you have to shoot a black bear to save yourself are you going to be in the deep stuff? I know in this state they would rather have you be lunch that hurt anything.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I know in this state they would rather have you be lunch that hurt anything.

You answered your own question

 

[ToddDubya]

I've lived in Western MA for 12 years and never seen a rattler. I spend a lot of time in the woods and people say they've seen them, but I don't see them as a problem. As for black bears, just clap your hands or bang your gold pan and they'll leave you alone.

If you're worried about the rattlers, how about a .22 with shot shells? Heck, they might work double duty for scaring off the bears.

When you're done I'd like to know which you found: gold, snakes or bears?

 

[bill o]

I'm guessing it would fall under the same rules that cover carrying while spelunking or engaging in haberdashery.

What caliber will you be using for black bear?

 

[MisterHappy]

OK....no matter what you do, it will be wrong.

IIRC, a couple of years back, a Mass resident shot a bear that was coming in through their back door, and was cited for it.

There's BS in them thar hills!

 

[ARV]

I was thinking of going gold panning in western Mass later this summer and have heard in some of the better areas there are rattlers and black bears. I have a no restrictions LTC-A and was wondering what are the rules on carry while prospecting, mostly public land and state land.
Also if you have to shoot a black bear to save yourself are you going to be in the deep stuff? I know in this state they would rather have you be lunch that hurt anything.

I know two spots (they can be found on the web, I live not too far away) and have
never seen a rattler there, or anywhere around here for that matter. Bears, yeah they're around but I haven't seen or heard of any in those areas. Let me know when you go, I'll go with ya.

As to carrying, FWIW the few times I've gone out, I have.

 

[drgrant]

If a black bear wants to eat you, you really ****ed something up. Most of them don't hang around very long if they detect a human.

-Mike

 

[inerlogic]

I'm guessing it would fall under the same rules that cover carrying while spelunking or engaging in haberdashery.

What caliber will you be using for black bear?

9mm, duh.....

 

[ARV]

If a black bear wants to eat you, you really ****ed something up. Most of them don't hang around very long if they detect a human.

-Mike

I agree with that. Only time I know of someone seeing a bear in the woods around here way my friend hunting just over the border by Sweet Pond Vt. It was following him, probably smelled the jerky in his pocket or something, it was deer season, so food availability being what it is out there.... It way maybe 60' away, and stopped when he turned around. Wasn't being threatening to him so I'm told. He put a few rounds in a tree with his Glock and it took off like its @ss was on fire.

 

[herdbull]

If you come face to face with a bear that refuses to back down and have to shoot it then it will be your word vs the bear's....don't tell anyone if it happens and you will be fine.

 

[TZCHRIS]

I ran into a rattle snake in western Mass hiking a few years back, it was very small, I took a picture of it because I couldn't believe it and wanted proof. I had to get down pretty close to get the picture. Like I said it was small, about 14". If you can shoot one of those before you can step away I would be impressed! Kind of like a cop stepping in front of a car and then shooting? Just dont step in fron of it? I pan for gold in ME and ALWAYS have my .40

 

[el duderino]

If you come face to face with a bear that refuses to back down and have to shoot it then it will be your word vs the bear's....don't tell anyone if it happens and you will be fine.

What about other wildlife witnesses? You going to kill them too?

 

[bbarer]

I want to know more about panning for gold!!! Oddly enough I am heading to alaska in 2 weeks and one of the things we are doing is panning for gold (on a guided tour). Crap they have grizzlies in the Klondike don't they!!! probably going to need more than a .22 shotshell huh...

 

[TZCHRIS]

We used to drink Goldschlager in college and joke about 'going panning' the next day!

No, but really, check out the Swift River in Maine, I will warn you, you need lots of patience to pan.

 

[SkuaSeptember]

Panned on the Swift River in ME a couple of years ago, didn't get much but it was a nice camping trip! I've never even seen a reference to panning for gold in MA. Best of luck!

 

[Independence Arms]

Wow, that title caught my attention. "Prospecting" to me has an entirely different meaning!

 

[MisterHappy]

What about other wildlife witnesses? You going to kill them too?

It's always a good policy.

I was driving to work once, and hit a pig (technically not wildlife, I know)

I thought I was going to get away with it.....but the pic squealed.

 

[Navy Moose]

Let us know if you see one of these while panning for gold.

 

[MAGG]

yea I was expecting a motorcycle propsectng thread. i have zero knowledge on either topic tho. but good luck panning

 

[BOBKATT]

I can't think of why anyone would need to shoot a rattler in self-defense. If you see one, avoid it. He isn't coming right for you all south park style. You'll get bit if you don't see it, or if you do see it and decide to mess with it. But if you do see it in time, you just avoid it.

I'd revise my thought process to defend myself from two leggers and four leggers. Zero leggers aren't something you need to defend yourself from with your ccw.

 

[BOBKATT]

Sound advice BOBKATT. But snakes freak me out big time. I think I need the (false) sense of security that a ccw would give me against snakes. Dragons on the other hand, are a whole different story.......

Dragons would require a 9mm.

I used to shoot snakes when I worked on a ranch in Montana. But, we only shot the ones on the trails. The only reason was because we rode through very thick sage brush where the rattlesnakes loved to hide out, and you couldn't see them until you were right on top of them. if they spooked a horse that one of the kids was on, it might end up very bad for the kid and the horse. I never shot one hiking. I always saw or heard them and went around.

One of the reasons I made the above post was because when I was riding I carried a couple rounds of snake shot. But, hiking there was no need to carry snake shot because there is no way that I would need to shoot one. And that is important to consider, because not carrying snake shot allowed me to fill the cylinder with all hard-cast bear loads. Although, I never had to use it. And I am thankful for that because the brown bears out there are quite a bit more dangerous than the blackies in New England.

I feel that the OP would be limiting himself severely if he carried snake shot, in anticipating (mistakenly) that he would have to defend himself from a snake, and ever wound up in a situation where he had to defend himself from a bear or another creature.

That is the background for my opinion

 

[bbarer]

Sound advice BOBKATT. But snakes freak me out big time. I think I need the (false) sense of security that a ccw would give me against snakes. Dragons on the other hand, are a whole different story.......

I thought dragons could only be slain by a sword.....they are real tough to CCW....

 

[herdbull]

What about other wildlife witnesses? You going to kill them too?

If I was that worried about witnesses then I would just stay home. Hunted in California for two years and the likelyhood of crossing paths with a mountain lion existed, I was prepared to shoot first and deal with "witnesses" and the law afterwards, otherwise I would have just stayed home and hunted deer on my xbox.

 

[Racenet]

I feel that the OP would be limiting himself severely if he carried snake shot, in anticipating (mistakenly) that he would have to defend himself from a snake, and ever wound up in a situation where he had to defend himself from a bear or another creature.

 

[namedpipes]

 

[BOBKATT]

Question:

How common is it for the rattlers to bite the leg of a horse while you are at a slow pace through the brush?

It honestly never happened to me or anyone that I worked with when I was out there. People tell you it happens from time to time, or people have stories about it, but it wasn't my experience. Everyone has a story. Snakes feel the vibration and want to move out of the way for the most part. I would assume that if you are going slow, you are less likely to have it happen (I may be wrong). But, I would assume that because of the fact that snakes feel the vibration and often tend to want to move, if you're going slow they would have time to move.

But, people do say that it happens and we did see them and hear them from time to time. A lot of the time I would ride in the early morning before work. Out there, it could be in the thirties in August even though it got up to the nineties during the day. Because of this, the snakes were not very active at that time of day. They like to sun themselves on the rocks to warm up in the morning, but they're not very active at all when it is cold.

 

[ARV]

What about other wildlife witnesses? You going to kill them too?

Add 'em to the plate next to the potatoes.

 

[warwickben]

Loved the cougar pic , she made a believable Sarah palin......

I've gone panning in mass before...
I wish I had the links saved but if your new to it .don't waste all your money on smelting chemicals . Most of it really is powder Clorox believe it or not.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

ARV
I will try to PM you before I go, I would like to get out there this fall just to check the areas out.

I will carry my Grizzley killing BIG S&W 22A with 10 rounds of bear killing .22's, they will work if I dip them in some headhunter poison and then wait for it to take effect.

 

[ccm75]

I was thinking of going gold panning in western Mass later this summer and have heard in some of the better areas there are rattlers and black bears. I have a no restrictions LTC-A and was wondering what are the rules on carry while prospecting, mostly public land and state land.
Also if you have to shoot a black bear to save yourself are you going to be in the deep stuff? I know in this state they would rather have you be lunch that hurt anything.

I think your odds of seeing a bear or rattle snake in western mass or finding gold are all about the same. Slim to none.......