Slim Randles' Home Country
A practical bear tip – Always carry a rifle!
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[June 27, 2017]
Well,
the bears are out now and will be until late fall, so maybe a bear
tip might be in order. As a guide and outfitter emeritus – and
emeritus is Latin for “I’m too danged old to pack moose meat out on
my back” I’ll talk a bit about ol’ ursus. |
If you’re in dangerous bear country, some people
tell you to wear a little bell that tinkles, and the bear hears this
and says, “Oh, that must be a person, and I’ll bet it’s a nice
person, too, so I’ll just amble off this way.”
Well, when I’m in thick cover that bears might inhabit, and I’m not
looking for one, I make a lot more noise than that!
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Jun/24/images/ads/current/peasleymemorials_lda100213.png)
One time Jim Kershner and I were going through some willow thickets
along a creek at the base of Mt. McKinley … which is a large frozen
rock that is now called Denali, and the salmon were running. I was
in the lead, and Jim was behind me, beating on a gold pan with a
rock. I looked down and saw a four-pound salmon flopping in the
trail in front of me. It had toothmarks about four inches apart.
And, it was on top of a bear track that measured 10 inches across. I
measured it later. Much later. A little guide translation here: A
10-inch-wide bear track means a nine-foot long bear. Well, Jim and I
went up one side of that creek and two big sows and a yearling went
up the other side. Then we sat there snorting at each other.
[to top of second
column]
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Jun/24/images/ads/current/graue_17_malibu_022717.png)
So is that bell a good idea?
Sure, if you don’t have anything as loud as the London Philharmonic
with you.
But the bottom line is: if you’re out messing around in the same
country with grizzlies, or with black bears during small cub season
or a salmon run, you always ALWAYS carry a rifle. A .30-06 is a good
minimum caliber.
[Text from file received from
Slim Randles]
![](../images/LONG%20TERM%20PHOTOS/Ol'%20Jimmy%20Dollar-cover.jpg)
Ol' Jimmy Dollar
is Slim Randles' first children's book. The book is for kids
K-3rd grades and is even better when parents read it with children.
Ol' Jimmy Dollar makes for sweet dreams and if you have a dog
even better. Available now on Amazon.
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