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I’m sure this has been done before, but hopefully this is not a nuisance! I’ve collected a few things over the years and of course I look like I’m going on safari for even a short outing. This is my current field gear. First, the wagon: A “new to me” Jeep Commander. 2” lift, Treadwright Wardens. Pretty capable for fire roads and plenty of storage. Next is my “Camera Kit”. Includes: Main camera Nikon D3200. 300mm lens, 50mm lens, cheap kit lens. Sony voice recorder. Backup long zoom camera. Flash. Quad Proof (water, dust, etc) HD video camera. Next is my “Surveillance Kit” Includes: Two game cams Two Cube cams Coleman action cam (2 spare batteries) USB phone/device charger Various charging cables FRS radios SD Card book (about 10 16-32gb cards) Sony voice recorder All of these take power, so batteries: ...and more power. Homemade solar generator using a Rigid storage box. Triple outlet in the front with USB charging ports and remote control for the 800W inverter. Battery is a 100AH gel/closed cell. Two solar panels, 40W each that can charge the main battery or a cell phone/camera in about 40 minutes. (Photo will not upload) Last is the area lighting. 3, 30W LED landscape floodlights. They will light up a football field sized area like day and will run for about 90 minutes on the solar generator. Again, this can be remotely lit (like from inside a tent). Of course...firearms. Home built AR15 w/77gr Barnes Tac-X. G20 with 220 grain hard cast and laser/light combo. Tikka T3 in .270 with 140 gr superformance. Solar generator... Not pictured: DNA sample kit: Includes 2”x 2” ziploc baggies for hair samples. Sterile sampling utensils: Tweezers Forceps scalpel Pliers Surgical masks Sterile gloves Sterile paper bags Sharpieand 1”x2” labels Casting kit: 1 gallon bags with premeasured plaster (not really plaster, I don’t remember the name of it...came i a 20lb bag) Bump helmet with action cam mount Ghillie suit So the question is: What situation am I not prepared for? My primary goal is definitive video, followed by definitive still photography and if possible and safe, to harvest a body. I do have an extensive first aid kit (packet by my wife who used to be an ER nurse). I have camping gear as well as clothing obviously as well as a packed 72hr bugout bag in the vehicle at all times. I carry a Maxpedition Jumbo with a filter straw, trauma kit, water, mainstay survival rations, folding saw and a packable bag (to harvest a body part if necessary) and I always, ALWAYS have a pair of good gloves, Gerber multitool, G20 and general purpose knife on me when more than 50ft from camp.

I actually discovered a Kodiak bear doing this in the mid-90’s to our deer hunting party. He was following us around each day fir our gut piles. I figured it out on a hunch because we’d see his sign, but never him. I left a gutpike one evening, and beeline back to it early the next morn8ng to see if he’d been there. He sure had. This can be a pretty spooky thought. We know cats do this, including lions. We assume sasquatches do it. Now there is growing scientific evidence that grizzly bears shadow people (hunters) in hopes of a meal.........and the hunters never know........ https://www.adn.com/wildlife/article/alaska-hunters-beware-bears-could-be-following-you/2014/11/27/

norseman Wishin' ya the best with the neck surgery, hopefully it also gets rid of the vertigo.

Thank you sir! Still need someone to watch my 6 (or watch theirs) if you are ever near AZ and want to see one,give me a shout!

In my case, the investigator seemed to be out weekly and it was not news to him. In fact there are no new reports since 2017 posted despite the incredibly heavy activity. He stated he has had 3 reports a week for the last year. I think he is trying to keep the squatching activity to a minimum so it does not cause them to relocate.

I filed mine back in 2004. I was contacted and spent about 1.5 hours being interrogated, not merely investigated or questioned. It was .. unpleasant. But my report was published and is on their site. With a bit of familiarity with the area or some good sleuthing, that report has enough personal details to identify me, so I'm not telling which report it is and outing myself here. BFRO, love 'em or hate 'em, "vet" every report they publish via thorough investigation and they do not publish the ones that don't pass muster. If you've submitted a report and it's not published, there are only a few possibilities. Among them, 1) the report appears bogus, 2) there's no contact info or it is obsolete/incorrect so they can't "vet" the report, 3) the report hasn't interested any of their overworked volunteer staff enough to have been looked into, 4) your report has piqued an investigator's curiosity and they're including it in a broader investigation of the area rather than just publishing it as an isolated report. There might be others, but those seem the most likely. MIB

Way better equipped than I am, and your neat packaging and organization blows me away. I'd camp with you any day!

Oh...and sunglasses and my cowboy hat with 50ft of paracord wrapped around it.

Update: Two more people in my area contacted me. Potentially setting up an initial meeting sometime during the October 12th-14th weekend.

Not me.... I would blow a hole clean through one. And for the betterment of the species and its habitat. But with neck surgery looming? Quite possibly with rods and pins inserted. I’m probably going to have to hang up my spurs.... The risk of coming off a Horse or a Mule is too great. I got bucked off last spring and landed on my head for example. Not an easy thing to talk about..... I really had a lot of plans left and even talked about riding the CDT or continental divide trail from Canada to Mexico. I’ll miss my time in the mountains with stock. Its just a timeless romance of simplicity and perfection. All you need is grass and water and some wood and leather to make it all work. I will miss it.

Kinda glad ya haven't found it yet, also kinda hope when you do...the concept that such a magnificent behemoth walkin' the wilds is enough for you to let it keep walkin'.

I’ve missed you, wondering where you went. I guess you got too cheap to hang out with the A-Team.

Frankly, I suspect that may be the attitude of government wildlife and wild lands managers, primatologists, BFRO, and an increasing number of enthusiasts as well. I’ve arrived in that camp myself. Killing one and dragging out into the open isn’t my focus anymore. I want to see co-habitational study.......the Goodall type. Personally, I just want to observe them as much as possible.