George:
Thanks George, long time no chat. I'd be happy to pass on your regards to the long beard and you are definitely welcome on our doorsteps any time. Hopefully that fireside brewski chat will be out at longbeards camp after we come back from attending the ribbon cutting ceremonies at the New Snap Lake Mine!
I concur with your picks but I would also add Lytton/New Indigo along with Kennicott (although it's not public). The Jericho and its environs seem to hold some interesting potential and with RTZ muscle behind them there is a fair chance of success. I'm pulling for the smaller guys to win 'cause we can relate more closely with them and they have helped us out from time to time, you know, that info sharing thing, prospector bonding I guess. GGL and SUF personnel are quite helpful in that regard and it is usually symbiotic. Great folks.
We have a thing about bears ya know. They are always lurking out there and you have to be alert to their presence. Generally they won't bother you if you don't bother them. When they get into your camp though they can be a downright nuisance. It's when you encounter them on the trail that it can be downright dangerous. We've seen bears before and you are right, they come along, mess up the camp something awful, and then wander off. But when they're gone the camp is still there and most time you've still got your skin. The best part is, even the bears can't mess up a good showing. It's maintenance mode time for those of us holding ground, and cherry picks if can find 'em. Let the bears scratch and piss around for a while and hope the buggers bite into a loose can of pepper spray, that will really get them going. The good outfits will continue to work even while the bears are in camp, because they've planned ahead and carry good bear protection. The bears around in the woods these days haven't really shown themselves yet. We know they are there, we know they are headed toward camp, we can smell 'em, sense 'em, and even catch a glimpse now and then as they get closer. Can't quite tell yet if it's a black or a grizz. Either way I think its a good idea to chamber a round and have several boxes of ammo, cases of pepper spray, four or five air horns, an electric fence, some bear boards, a gross of bear bangers and rubber bullets. Thats just for camp. But the neat thing about bears is they generally move slow, (never underestimate their speed and power, of course!). And as they move through the bush they scatter the smaller creatures and critters as they move, so there is always good hunting on the flanks of a bruins path. I've been potting some great ABZ,s and even surprised some DMM's a couple of weeks back, why heck I got a few A's and B's all in the same clearing. And lo and behold I came across a whole herd of little SUF's, tripping over themselves to get out of Brer Bears way. Bagged the whole lot with a pump action full of SSG. Had ta get outta there quick though the bear smelled blood and started headin' my way.
The only trouble with the bears out and about is it's hard to accumulate any quantity of ammo to go hunting with. But when you feel the hair on the back of yer neck start to rise then ya better pay attention and hope there's a good size tree around, cause if you get caught out on the open tundra there is only one way out and that is to crap yerself a pile tall enough to climb out of harms way.
So... till the cans crack open and fizz over around that roaring campfire under the awesome aurora shining with diamond dust, best of luck, good hunting and see you after bear season.
L8er.
Regards,
TAZ |
