# Dangers of the mountains



## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

Hey guys, 
I'm used to hunting swamp land in louisiana. I'll be hunting Utah soon and was wanting to know some pointers on staying safe. I usually have to worry about sink holes or quicksand, snakes, gators, boar hogs and snapping turtles. 
All lf these things are not man eaters like cougars or bears, snakes and gators don't hunt you!!

Have any of you ever had any close calls? What do I need to do in order to stay safe?
Thanks


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Truthfully, I think that the dangers of hunting alone out weigh those of predators. The chance that you get lost or break an ankle are, in my opinion scarier than the other things in the hills. I have seen a couple of lions and one bear while hunting but they have all been going the other way. Luckily while hunting, we carry weapons to protect our selves. Keep a clean camp, hunt with others, take what you need and just be mindful of your surrounding and you should be fine.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

You biggest worry up in the mountains will be getting lost, having an accident (fall, etc) or being caught in a storm. Carry a GPS that you know how to operate and maybe a few small items to make a overnight stay a little more tolerable plus a first aid kit.

You will not likely have any trouble out of bears or cougars, if you even see them. At any rate while hunting you're gonna have a weapon right???? :wink:

I blew out my knee out a couple of years ago about 2 1/2 miles from the truck; it was an _interesting_ hike out that day. -)O(-


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## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

The biggest danger you have in the mountains around here is the elements.... Depending on the time of year you can get wiped out by a flash flood....... Get hypothermia or frostbite or in the summer heat stroke and dehydration.......... Lions and Bears are more afraid of you than you are of them............ The best advice is to dress for the elements.... layer up in the winter and purchase high quality boots...... We do have rattlesnakes that you have to watch for but unlike water moccasins you can here them.....


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

The "most dangerous thing" I've run into in the mountains is some idiot that fails to identify a possible harvest and takes a wild shot. :twisted:


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## curlyjo (Sep 14, 2007)

Single handedly, The Weather.

the extremes of hot and cold. The quickly changing weather, from 'T' shirt hot to insulated coveralls cold in just minutes. sunny nice day to snowy/sleety crappy cold in the blink of an eye.

Prepare as much as possible for the weather conditions-they can and do kill, and you do not have to be that far away from shelter or a vehicle to get into serious jeapardy either.


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## Spry Yellowdog (Sep 8, 2007)

One critter not to get between is a Cow Moose and her calf. 
They will chase you off and possably stomp you if you don't
give them there space.
And hunt with a partner who can't run as fast is a good idea.

Also don't trip on a porcupine on the hike in the dark
that hurts too.
And skunks well you know about those I'm sure.
All the bears I have ran into were as scared as me.
We both ran in differant directions.

Happy Hunting
Spry


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## 4x4 Bronco (Sep 7, 2007)

+ 1 on the getting lost as well as the inclement weather. It seem to sneak up on you very quickly. Last year when one of the snow storms hit my brother and law and myself were about 30 minutes from camp. That thing hit use hard quickly. We were quite fortunate that we knew the area very well. I was also glad that I had grown my anual beard. When we got back to the trailer it was a ball of ice. So make sure you know your are well and dress appropriately.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Al Hansen said:


> The "most dangerous thing" I've run into in the mountains is some idiot that fails to identify a possible harvest and takes a wild shot. :twisted:


Reminds me of my hunting! When a feller walks up on me and asks if I have seen anything, I say I have had some SOUND SHOTS, I heard a sound over there and I shot, must have missed, then I heard a sound over there, two shots there.... Shhhhssshhhhhh did you hear that!!!! Works Perfecto!


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## jhunter (Dec 14, 2007)

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


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## nochawk (Oct 26, 2007)

During archery season... Black Angus Range Bulls...


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Just rember if youa re bow hunting you cant carry inless you have your CWP.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

TAK said:


> Al Hansen said:
> 
> 
> > The "most dangerous thing" I've run into in the mountains is some idiot that fails to identify a possible harvest and takes a wild shot. :twisted:
> ...


That sounds about like the hunters in Pearl River down here!! They are INSANE a 12 year old boy was shot out of his boat while fishing with his granpaw!! The hunter was in a tree stand and said he thought he was a hog on the bank!! Hit the kid in the neck and killed him!! I would say that is proly the most dangerous thing around here, other hunters!!


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

dkhntrdstn said:


> Just rember if youa re bow hunting you cant carry inless you have your CWP.


This is proly stupid but, what can't I carry? and what is a CWP? I do plan on bow hunting.

Thanks


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

CWP is a Concealed Weapons Permit. I guess the DWR just doesn't trust everyone out bowhunting to actually use their bow to kill the animals. Thanks to the bad apples, you have to have a CWP to carry a firearm during bow season.


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## skull krazy (Jan 5, 2008)

I have a lot of respect for lions, but i also hate them. :evil: 

I was guiding an archery elk hunter one evening and was working a bull trying to get my client a shot.

The elk just vanished and i couldn't imagine it was anything we had done wrong, wind was in our faces everything seemed perfect. :shock: 

Something caught my eye right behind me in the timber, so i turnred around very slowly thinking we had another bull sneaking in.

It wasn't another bull, i was about to be dinner for big female lion that had elk meat on her mind. *-HELP!-* 

I immediately jumped up and waved my arms and called her a few choice names, she didn't care and she just kept coming my way, she had already made her mind up that i was dinner for her and her two kittens.

A lot of rock thowing, yelling and 3 arrows flung at her from the extremely shaken up hunter seemed to change her mind at a mere 20-30 feet away. O*-- 

That's an event i play out in my mind everytime i'm cow calling in the evenings now.

I guess you could call it "post traumatic syndrome".


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

I would agree with most on here that the terrain and elements will get you way before the critters. The worst I have hurt myself so far is slipping and hitting my tail bone good on the rocks. I have also been in some bad lightning and snow storms. They are far more stressful than the critters. I am actually more worried about getting trampled by a moma moose than getting eaten by a lion. These dang moose will let you get mighty close in the dark without letting you know they are there -)O(-


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

It is an eerie feeling to be in the woods alone. Especially in the dark. For the most part predators shouldn’t be too much of a concern. I have had bears “bark” at me in the dark. I have been tracked by mountain lions. But the worst animal in the woods here IMO is the moose. I get chased by a rutty bull almost every hunting season. I have been chased by cows before but not to the same extent. I think unless a cougar gets you by the neck you can probably fight it off, and bears aren’t very sneaky… and they stink.


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## Nueces (Jul 22, 2008)

> [quote:1ihxodb1] :twisted:


Reminds me of my hunting! When a feller walks up on me and asks if I have seen anything, I say I have had some SOUND SHOTS, I heard a sound over there and I shot, must have missed, then I heard a sound over there, two shots there.... Shhhhssshhhhhh did you hear that!!!! Works Perfecto![/quote:1ihxodb1]

Sound shots! I love it. :lol:


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

ChaserOfAllBirds said:


> CWP is a Concealed Weapons Permit. I guess the DWR just doesn't trust everyone out bowhunting to actually use their bow to kill the animals. Thanks to the bad apples, you have to have a CWP to carry a firearm during bow season.


That is GREAT!!! You can't even carry a handgun while bow hunting PERIOD down here!! All you can carry is a .22 pistol loaded with rat shot for snakes. 
Ok, I think I shouldn't have asked about lions and bears, after hearing these stories I'm already getting spooked!!

I have to fight with myself every morning to make myself walk to my stand in Honey Island Swamp. Thoughts of maybe that monster story being true start to pass through my mind, then I'll think maybe cougars have made it to Louiaiana or I'm going to walk up a big 500 lb boar which is going to trample me. I hate it, my hands are shaking so bad I can hardly even get my climber clamped to the tree!!! Call me a wimp but until you have hunted that swamp you can't talk!!


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## HunterDavid (Sep 10, 2007)

> Call me a wimp but until you have hunted that swamp you can't talk!!


WIMP!

I grew up in Shreveport, La. and love it here in Utah! Is hunting different, you bet! Would I like to go home and shoot 6 deer in a season and have about 21 days where I can shoot either a buck or a doe, you bet! Would I like to go there and pay only $21.00 for small and big game licenses combines, you bet! Would I rather be here in Utah and hunt Elk and Mule deer, YOU BET!

:wink:


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## wapati (Nov 29, 2007)

It is not very "natural" for us humans to be out in the woods after dark. It is very simple; Get yourself lost while hunting, just know how to get yourself out at any given time - which way to go. I carry three compasses, One around my neck, another readily accessible in case the one on my neck gets lost, and another in my emergency kit. I always know what way I need to head in order to get my butt out. Walk carefully day or night. Learn how to make a fire, make shelter in order to keep warm and dry. If you need to practice, go off the road a little ways staying over night with what is in your pack; see if you can spend the night in the woods with what you packed with you. If you are not able to stay, make a list of the things you would change, do, or take with you. Don't rely Solely on electronics; GPS, etc. Hike often in the dark, both early and late. If you are hiking in the dark, stay calm. If you feel panicky, sit. Get comfortable and get use to your surroundings; your worst enemy is you, not the critters. Hike slow and walk careful. Be careful no sticks poke you in the eyes; you don't trip, and watch your compass to make sure you are continually heading in the right direction. It’s fun!


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Speaking of, do you guys remember a few years back when those two women from the east coast went out for an afternoon hike in the Uintas in september, got stuck in a surprise snowstorm, and then weren't found until the next spring when the snow melted? And that poor boy scout that wandered off and was never found? I think I agree with those of you that have said getting lost/exposed in the wilderness is the biggest threat. This is big country, even for those of us that have called it home all our lives, and its easy to go missing.


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## soules2007 (Oct 29, 2007)

hog LA hunter i am writing from where Katrina really hit, (not the media spin NO) yeah MS ! Being from both areas (biloxi,gulfport) and Logan utah. if you can handle the south, UT is not an issue. No machs, corral snakes, or gator gars! (clean air, better living)your post make just a bit envious, wish i was moving out west. Nothing in utah is quite as wild as pumping gas on clayborne past the superdome with kids, going to the zoo. wow that will get the blood pressure up!!! If you are not packing heat, you are a moron! and a friend told me thats one of the nicer areas. Have attended alot of the parades(family oriented) and a few games, Enough for me! However the the food is second to none, but once the mudbug season ends, its kinda downhill for a while. Great luck on your new western adventure. Pm me and i can steer you toward some great bird hunting near clarkston UT, (pheasant,quail,dove) Whats the term? Lanyap, just a bit more . And last but not least in UT they are called scones, not beignets, and you get them from the scone cutter no cafe du monde! HA good luck! Dave


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

Soules

Thanks for the info, I'll pm you when I get some time!!
Yeah Katrina hit you guys for sure, but the thing is you guys didn't put on a good show during the storm and that is why ya'll didn't get air time. Next time start looting and shooting old people and standing on roof tops!! Or try standing out in the sun with your baby in hand with no water, instead of walking 10 minutes away to the Miss. River and boiling water and sitting under some willow trees ( I still can't figure that out)!!

Oh and yes, I am packing some serious fire power!! Reminton 12 guage tactical shotgun, 18.5" barrel with a pistol grip loaded down with 7 000 buck shot!! I am a bad aim when I get nervous so I figure this way I can't miss!! :twisted:


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

HunterDavid said:


> > Call me a wimp but until you have hunted that swamp you can't talk!!
> 
> 
> WIMP!
> ...


Great I knew some cajun was going to call me a wimp after I said that!! 
Did you hunt Pearl River before? That is a different swamp all together. I'll hunt Maurepas swamp and manchac with never even a thought of fear crossing my mind. Soon as I get to Pearl River I have a totally different feeling.

Yeah, Louisiana sounds great to hunt in and I''m sure all of the Utah guys are saying wow, six deer in one season and only about 20 bucks, that is great!!!
The problem I have found is that all of the land in Louisiana is private so you have to hunt wildlife management areas or pay for a lease. I hunt WMA's and it is tough, so many hunters and then the seasons on those WMA's are much shorter. I hunt like a maniac at Pearl River and have never shot a deer. Maurepas would be better but so many hunters that I worry about getting shot!!


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

If you think about it for a minute, this entire thread is kind of silly. I mean, it's all in our minds, ain't it? Danger is relative, and most of us are far safer on the mountain than we are in town. But we take the very real dangers of daily living without a thought.

Statistically speaking, you stand a better chance of being injured by a domestic dog, horse or even a cow than by a wild predator.

Some of us love to tell scary stories about lions and bears, but the truth probably is that if we knew how many times we've been within a few yards of one of these critters, clueless that they were there, those stories would be pretty boring. Some feel a need to carry a side arm for protection, not realizing that we're naturally protected - we stink to high hell and we taste terrible.

Fact - other humans (using the term generously) are more dangerous than any animal and the highest concentration of them is, of course, in town.

A kid gets lost in the wilds and it makes a big news story and parents get all anxious about it. They should, but did you ever notice the number of missing child posters you see hanging on walls in the city?

I spend a lot of time in the mountains by myself. It worries my aging mom something fierce. But like I tell her, if you really want to worry about me, worry about me getting to work in the morning. Now *that's* dangerous!


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

"I spend a lot of time in the mountains by myself. It worries my aging mom something fierce. But like I tell her, if you really want to worry about me, worry about me getting to work in the morning. Now that's dangerous!"

I agree 100%. I usually have more scares with critters on my drive to the mountains than when I am in them. I feel much more in control in the hills. Animals are much easier to predict than the animals in cars and buildings.


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## quakeycrazy (Sep 18, 2007)

Things I am worried about most in order when hunting:
1. severe weather
2. getting lost/injured
3. getting inadventantly shot at or end up looking down someone's barrel while they use their scope as bino's
4. shooting something and walking up to it to think "I should have held out for something bigger"
5. having to take a crap and having to use my tube sock as toilet paper

Trust me, that list scares me much more than all the cougars, bears, coyotes, and bigfoot combined


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

quakeycrazy said:


> Things I am worried about most in order when hunting:
> 1. severe weather
> 2. getting lost/injured
> 3. getting inadventantly shot at or end up looking down someone's barrel while they use their scope as bino's
> ...


That is awsome!! So what do you guys do to protect against the weather if you are on a mountain and a storm pops up?

Also, how is the hunting pressure in the public areas that I'd be hunting near layton?


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## 4x4 Bronco (Sep 7, 2007)

quakeycrazy said:


> Things I am worried about most in order when hunting:
> 5. having to take a crap and having to use my tube sock as toilet paper
> 
> Trust me, that list scares me much more than all the cougars, bears, coyotes, and bigfoot combined


It wouldn't be hunting if someone didn't lose a sock, pocket liner, a sleve off their shirt or other wipe worthy piece of clothing. THat is just all part of the experience.


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