guyser Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Anyone watching this show...er train wreck ? Its about some down on their luck....read broke...Oregon family men who pack up after selling all they could ,leave their families and move to Alaska for the summer to pan for gold. Could there be any worse dolts out there? The first episode has them shooting a black bear for being curious. Ive never seen such wussies in the wilderness. They sure dont seem too bright, and the fat boy who is in charge is downright stupid. He does inherit that from his father who is the miner....30 odd yrs ago. Have to watch though...cant say why really, maybe I like laughing at people who run screaming from a little black bear. (granted the grizzlies in the area might give one a start, but stay away and alert and all is good) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Anyone watching this show...er train wreck ? Its about some down on their luck....read broke...Oregon family men who pack up after selling all they could ,leave their families and move to Alaska for the summer to pan for gold. Could there be any worse dolts out there? The first episode has them shooting a black bear for being curious. Ive never seen such wussies in the wilderness. They sure dont seem too bright, and the fat boy who is in charge is downright stupid. He does inherit that from his father who is the miner....30 odd yrs ago. Have to watch though...cant say why really, maybe I like laughing at people who run screaming from a little black bear. (granted the grizzlies in the area might give one a start, but stay away and alert and all is good) Yeah, I particularly get a kick out of the 'leader'. Every time someone challenges him on an issue his first response is always "Shut up or I will hit you!" That sort of approach would totally lose my confidence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Weber Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Yeah, I particularly get a kick out of the 'leader'. Every time someone challenges him on an issue his first response is always "Shut up or I will hit you!" That sort of approach would totally lose my confidence! He sounds like a "Bill O'Reilly" type... "Eff It!!!...We'll do it live!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TrueMetis Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 I lost all interest when the commercial had them saying things like "you're going to lose everything, but you can't lose hope" or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Is this a reality show? Never heard of it, for which I should apparently be grateful. I'm curious, though, as to why they were able to shoot a bear -- I doubt if people can go around shooting bears on a whim, so I'm wondering why they were able to get away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Is this a reality show? Never heard of it, for which I should apparently be grateful. I'm curious, though, as to why they were able to shoot a bear -- I doubt if people can go around shooting bears on a whim, so I'm wondering why they were able to get away with it. Yes and no....there are protocols to follow for bear threats, mostly depending on the circumstances that bring man and beast together. It is very common to be armed in Alaska when venturing into the wilderness, and not just for hunting. The episode mentioned had uncovered food (boy's cracker box?) in the open which is a no-no. http://www.adn.com/2011/01/03/1629620/state-assures-fans-of-gold-rush.html# I live in a metropolitan area but black bears are not uncommon in the 'burbs. One or two are routinely put down by law enforcement in residential neighborhoods per year, with outcries from the tree huggers. The cops are damned if they shoot and damned if they don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Is this a reality show? Never heard of it, for which I should apparently be grateful. I'm curious, though, as to why they were able to shoot a bear -- I doubt if people can go around shooting bears on a whim, so I'm wondering why they were able to get away with it. You have to understand the situation, AW. This show revolves around a mining camp, with cabins and RVs for the miners and their wives and children to live in. The camp is literally just bulldozed out of the bush and bears can just waltz out of the trees and into their camp whenever they please. Apparently, the local law is such that only one miner can just up and shoot a bear, although if threatened anyone can shoot to defend themselves. The bears aren't stupid and can learn about open garbage very quickly. Black bears are smaller and may seem more of a nuisance but they can and have attacked dogs and small children, even some adults. The larger grizzlies are HUGE! They can tear a man apart with one good swipe of their claws. A child wouldn't have a chance. What's more, bears can be blindingly fast! Turn your eyes away from your child for just a moment and he could be dead. So the last thing you want is for bears to get the idea that you have free garbage food lying around, or that your dogs and kids are potential prey. Once a bear starts coming around he will never likely be deterred. If you have a helicopter you might drop him a hundred miles away but failing that the only practical thing is to shoot him. Much better to never leave garbage out for him to learn about at all! We all love and respect animals but if it's a choice between your children or the bear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 I worked in a number of mining towns in my younger days there were always bears about, to deal with black bears a few well placed stones will drive them off, no need to kill them that's just stupid... grizzlies, that's another matter, you don't want to surprise them...make lots of noise so that they know you're there and they'll stay away, they don't like us any more than we like them... mining with the last of your savings is just about the dumbest thing ever, better odds of success going to Vegas and putting everything on black... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 I worked in a number of mining towns in my younger days there were always bears about, to deal with black bears a few well placed stones will drive them off, no need to kill them that's just stupid... I spent 4 months on a scientific expedition on Baffin Island and they had everyone issued big rifles in case we came across a polar bear. We were supposed to take the weapons with us whenever we left any of the structures in the compound. If you saw a polar bear coming towards you or another person near you, you were supposed to shoot multiple times without hesitation. Fortunately, none of us ever had to, though I saw a few polar bears a ways off across the ice. Those things are enormous and beastly, far more menacing than any grizzly I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Thanks for the link, b_c, it seems to pretty much confirm what I said, that they didn't have the right to shoot the bear. I understand that black bears can pose a problem, but that doesn't mean people have the right to shoot them when they aren't posing a risk. I live in the city limits and I've had a black bear visit my back yard on occasion. It would never have occurred to me to shoot it, even if I did have a gun, and I'm sure I would have been in trouble if I had. Leaving garbage out where there are bears is about as stupid as it gets. If people are going to live in the wilderness, they best learn about survival techniques. Sounds to me like this is just a group of ignorant people put together for the sake of a show. I may be wrong, but my first instinct is that this is just a means for a quick buck for those involved -- and I don't agree with putting that above the lives of wild animals, so I see the death of this bear as due to ignorance for the most part. That's my initial reaction, and I haven't seen any evidence to change it. In other words, it goes without saying that if it comes down to the bear or a child/human that shooting the bear is the only answer WB, but that's a different situation from a bear being curious. I've been walking in the woods in Alaska -- beautiful state! -- and was actually more concerned about running into a charging moose than a grizzly, as we were told that there are more deaths from moose than from grizzlies in Alaska. Luckily we didn't run into either, although we saw fresh grizzly tracks. I've also been walking in the woods in my state, which has black bears, and there's really no question that I'd rather run into a black bear than a grizzly. As for polar bears, I've heard they're the nastiest of the lot. Not sure why you'd be told to shoot them before trying to first get out of their path though, Bonam. Was there a reason given for this policy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 mining with the last of your savings is just about the dumbest thing ever, better odds of success going to Vegas and putting everything on black... You caught that too, eh? It's obvious that like most reality shows, the entire thing is staged! It's all 'Hollywood'. We only see the miners and their families but there is at least an entire film crew on site! Someone has scripted what's gonna happen each episode. Every so often you need some conflict, so one guy will flaunt the safety rules or challenge the leader's authority. The problem with this show is that the writing is really kind of lameass! The conflict situations and the character reactions are too simplistic. Even the bears are poor actors! How they act doesn't jive with what experienced people like yourself know to be true. Deep down everyone knows that it's just a show but the premise is to make it appear real, especially with a reality show. Star Trek pioneered the use of 'technobabble', where they wouldn't just ignore some Law of Physics but would give some technically sounding reason why the warp drive worked. The explanation was in the main bogus but it was enough to support the 'suspension of disbelief' that allows us to accept and enjoy the story. 'Gold Rush' seems to have poor 'technobabble'. The mining and money premises don't jive, the actions of the bears doesn't jive and the personal interaction of the characters doesn't jive. I guess what I'm really talking about is plain old bad writing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleg Bach Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Nice way to spend your old age...just wandering down some beautiful stream....swishing the gravel about, looking for those little yellow blasts of heavenly light......at todays gold prices - even if you were an utter failure you would still make money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 I've been walking in the woods in Alaska -- beautiful state! -- and was actually more concerned about running into a charging moose than a grizzly, as we were told that there are more deaths from moose than from grizzlies in Alaska. Luckily we didn't run into either, although we saw fresh grizzly tracks. I've also been walking in the woods in my state, which has black bears, and there's really no question that I'd rather run into a black bear than a grizzly. As for polar bears, I've heard they're the nastiest of the lot. Not sure why you'd be told to shoot them before trying to first get out of their path though, Bonam. Was there a reason given for this policy? If a Polar Bear is rushing towards you, it is not because you're in its path. There isn't that much to path towards where we were. If it's rushing you, it's because you're most likely its target. Also, apparently, the things are so massive that even being shot at from those rifles would only scare them off and wound them a bit, rarely causing death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Thanks for the link, b_c, it seems to pretty much confirm what I said, that they didn't have the right to shoot the bear. The guy who shot it said he had a tag for bear so my impression is it was legal. Stupid, but legal.They certainly should not have shot it, hell, they could have scared the berries out of the bears poop w a couple of pots and wooden spoons. Leaving garbage out where there are bears is about as stupid as it gets. If people are going to live in the wilderness, they best learn about survival techniques. Sounds to me like this is just a group of ignorant people put together for the sake of a show. Apparently one of the fat guy's sons left a box of crackers near the firepit, which could bring a bear in from a half mile or more. And worse, when someone truied to scold the kid(for the safety of all) fat boy told him to shut up and get out. Smart tubby, real smart. As for polar bears, I've heard they're the nastiest of the lot. Not sure why you'd be told to shoot them before trying to first get out of their path though, Bonam. Was there a reason given for this policy? Well I hope bonam chimes in , but where there are polar bears there is nothing else....and a polar bear intent on getting you, even if you have a 100m head start, will be on top of your before you can say oh shi....munch munch.. But WB is right to. I have no illusions that this is scripted somewhat, however they are real people who cant act so it has to be , in some form, scripted around their own personalites. As for the bears being actors.... ....IIRC, when they set up camp it wasnt til later they found tons of fresh scat....uh oh, prime bear habitat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 The guy who shot it said he had a tag for bear so my impression is it was legal. Stupid, but legal.They certainly should not have shot it, hell, they could have scared the berries out of the bears poop w a couple of pots and wooden spoons. No...the producers wanted that bear dead. Pots and spoons are for cartoons. Apparently one of the fat guy's sons left a box of crackers near the firepit, which could bring a bear in from a half mile or more. And worse, when someone truied to scold the kid(for the safety of all) fat boy told him to shut up and get out. Smart tubby, real smart. But you want to protect tubby bears instead? Well I hope bonam chimes in , but where there are polar bears there is nothing else....and a polar bear intent on getting you, even if you have a 100m head start, will be on top of your before you can say oh shi....munch munch.. Polar bears are not bullet proof. Shoot'em if you have to....live to be scolded by tree bear huggers later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 The guy who shot it said he had a tag for bear so my impression is it was legal. Stupid, but legal.They certainly should not have shot it, hell, they could have scared the berries out of the bears poop w a couple of pots and wooden spoons.yup lot's of noise will work as well, they're actually very timid in the wild the park bears who used to humans less so...Well I hope bonam chimes in , but where there are polar bears there is nothing else....and a polar bear intent on getting you, even if you have a 100m head start, will be on top of your before you can say oh shi....munch munch..I've never seen a polar bear in the wild my understanding is that we're on the menu, much more so than grizzlies who will avoid us, and even more so than black bears...cougars worry me much more than black bears...I have no illusions that this is scripted somewhat, however they are real people who cant act so it has to be , in some form, scripted around their own personalites. that and a lot of extra footage that gets edited out later...in a reality show the editors can manipulate the footage to make people look nastier, nicer than dumber or smarter than they are... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 ...cougars worry me much more than black bears... Hmm...I havent slept with a black bear, on the other hand..... Relax, one leaves you exhausted, the other dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodyminded Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Thanks for the link, b_c, it seems to pretty much confirm what I said, that they didn't have the right to shoot the bear. I understand that black bears can pose a problem, but that doesn't mean people have the right to shoot them when they aren't posing a risk. I live in the city limits and I've had a black bear visit my back yard on occasion. It would never have occurred to me to shoot it, even if I did have a gun, and I'm sure I would have been in trouble if I had. And even aside from any trouble one might get in...like you, AW, it would not even occur to me to shoot the bear. I'm not even faintly opposed to hunting; and I'm sure as hell not opposed to killing anything at all to protect my family. But the sight of a black bear doesn't make me turn to quivering jelly! I'd be delighted just to have watched it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Is this a reality show? Never heard of it, for which I should apparently be grateful. I'm curious, though, as to why they were able to shoot a bear -- I doubt if people can go around shooting bears on a whim, so I'm wondering why they were able to get away with it. Another completely scripted 'reality' show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodyminded Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Another completely scripted 'reality' show. Exactly. These aren't real. I have no doubt some are less scripted--in the traditional sense of that word--than others. But they're all more or less fakeries. They're really just sub-quality fiction, without the artistry. They exist because they're inexpensive to produce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleg Bach Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 The crow is my friend. As a kid I saw this huge gaggle of crows that were either killing one of their own or protecting one of their own...In the midst of what was probably 50 crazed birds was this one crow..it had a big chunk of flesh torn out of it's sholder. I picked it up and nursed the creature back to health..The crow would fly about my back yard wish was on a lake. It became a very fine pet. One day as I was arriving home from school I say a similar sight..Instead of a mob of crows it was a mad mob of young boys...who were down by the lake...They had stoned my crow to death. Now when I hear the call of the crow in spring...I am delighted. It is as if word had gotten out in the crow world that I was their friend...I find the raven comforting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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