How do you protect yourself and your family in the wilderness ?

Situational awareness, that includes; looking, listening and smelling for the signs of large wildlife.

Fresh foot prints may mean that the bear may be close by

Fresh bear poop, can smell. Bears themselves stink, making it possible to smell the presence of bear

Bears can be almost silent in the bush, but be aware of the sounds of breaking or movement of brush.

The other thing to do, is make some noise while walking the trails to let bears know that you are around. Talking, clapping a few claps, these all help.

In addition carry a knife, bear spray is a good back up, and if laws allow, carry a gun. A walking stick helps in two ways, 1) it makes you look bigger to the bear or other threats, and 2) use it as a weapon to fend off the beast.
 
Some string up a temporary electric fence around a campsite using a battery as a power source. I consider that a car camping option only unless you have the ability to carry a lot of heavy stuff.
 
I like Quirt's response. Mostly though I go out in the wilderness because it is the one place where the density of people is small and in fact the density of threads from aggression, man or beast, is small especially when you know something about the landscape you are working with. Why live in fear?
 
Let me add that when I was hunting leased lands is South Texas everyone always carried a sidearm in plain sight, and there was always at least one armed person in camp.

The danger there was not four legged, but being so close to the border the people you encountered where either trafficking in something illegal or Border Patrol Agents.

I will also add that the LEO’s never batted an eye at all the exposed hardware when they stopped by to check activity we might have seen.

In fact, they would often advise us if they knew of possible trouble in the area.


…How I miss the Wild West.




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike

Forest & Stream
 
Illegals were just about an every other day experience in South Texas when I spent a lot of time on the ranches south of San Antonio. It has gotton worse and as a group they are probably more aggressive. Always had a loaded revolver with me however back then. South Texas is not my idea of prime hiking turf due to state laws on trespass. You just can't stop along the highway and take a walk for the most part.

I miss Texas somewhat, but I sure prefer a a more mountainous and greener environment to live in day to day.
 
When hiking, my wife and I are always armed with handguns, a small fixed blade, and our hiking poles. We pay attention to our surroundings, stopping often to just look and listen to what is going on around us. We have hiked where there were cougar and black bear. We have also hiked in border areas where the likelihood of running across illegals was high.

When car camping we always take along a long arm of some kind, like an 870 shotgun.

Andy
 
I was hiking about two months ago with my kids and a strange fellow with a large stick began to shadow us. We were on a clear trail and he waited for us to catch up with him, then began following along about 50 feet behind. When I stopped, he would stop. I was very happy to have a ruger lcp in my pocket with hollow points. 99% that he was innocent, but when you have a 4 year old and an 8 year old with you, nice to have a plan for the 1%.
 
Mentor said:
Now *that* is a region-specific threat! :D It must have been harrowing, but it sounds just a little bit awesome.
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To be honest, I didnt *mean* to jump in the river, I was aiming for the canoe. And it was awesome, at least for my friend, who got to laugh at me for the rest of the trip :D
 
I have used trip wires, but find them more of a pain unless I use them to alert me to animal activity. When I am in a camp ground, I set an inexpensive microwave doorbell inside my tent to deter thieves.
When back packing, I use a high quality bell attached to a short tether under my back pack when it is set down for any length of time, or when I am sleeping, so if it gets picked up the bell will ring. I use it for a warning to bears or animals in areas where it is suggested to make noise while hiking.
I carry a stick, but not for defensive purposes. I might carry an umbrella, but not often. A friend of mine claims he carries an umbrella as an animal deterrent and "coyote shield", and I have confused coyotes once with an umbrella before. I guess an open umbrella could make you look bigger to a bear. But the odds for actually needing one for that purpose are pretty remote for me.
 
Probably larger danger hiking and spending time in the wilderness is injury. One slip or fall and you can be instantly plunged into a real survival situation. Cell phones typically don't work. Keep a first aid kit and fire making tools with you at all times. I see the necessity for such things as I get a bit older and begin seeing what can happen in an instant.
 
I always bring two of these:thumbup:
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Steelnut - I love the pooch! :cool: And two makes it even better. :thumbup: I generally hike alone now, and always with a handgun. Never had a threat or even an issue, but just in case, it is comforting to know it is there, even if it is just for signaling should the need arise. When my kids are with me, I used to worry when they were little, but now at 16 and 19, and twice as fit as I am, The evil doer is the one that will need protection. :cool: I pity the fool as they say!
 
scotchleaf said:
I was hiking about two months ago with my kids and a strange fellow with a large stick began to shadow us.
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I've had a similar situation happen with my daughter and I. I selected a large stick of my own and tucked my shirt inside my pants, clearly showing my belt knife. I made no threatening gestures but I did make eye contact, and I assure you I wasn't smiling. He faded away and my kid never really even noticed it, but it was a little spooky to me.

Not to sound paranoid or chauvinist, but I don't think kids should be out and about without a grown man or a woman who really knows how to carry/take care of herself. A good large dog would count for a lot.

IronSteve said:
re: machete, 'hawk, spray etc...
These are tools to use out in the wilderness and no normal person is going to charge someone weilding these unless they have a gun.
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Right, and in most places all are legal to carry on a hike. I know it's a bit of a controversial subject, but there have been several reports in the last couple years showing that bear spray is more immediately effective against big critters than a gun anyway.

I'm not anti-gun by any means. But for some of us it's just not an option.
 
I do not have family to worry about in the woods, but I do take friends out regularly. I first have spent considerable time training myself on how to work against the 2-legged threat, be it through verbal judo or haganah or anything else I have at my disposal. Since I don't CCW, I don't have the firearm option, but I will use what I have to save my skin.

With my friends out with me I spend a little time seeing how situationally aware they are/aren't. I make sure all i-pods stay in the truck, cell phones are turned completely off and stowed and people know how to observe a little bit.

That's about all I do...
 
shees, have you met my wife?


your mind is your best defense, if you are at a camp or park, I would rather pack the kids up move to a safe place, if trouble follows, some folks just asking for it. we have cougars and black bears, not to afraid of bears, but cougars. I would demand and explain to the wife and kids not to run, remain calm and I would take ther rear if I was lucky enough to see it. it probally ran off.

worst dam thing I wound in the woods is yellow jackets. little b@$#^rds. there are alot of things to protect yourself from, even the little ones are mean.
 
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