knife laws and wilderness recreation

[RescueRiley]

so I've perused the knife laws of several states... While my own state has no limit on blade length, several others I visit frequently enough do..these states seem to make allowances for lic. hunters and fisherman, but make now mention of hikers and campers... am I to assume bny the letter of the law than... that if you are a camper or hiker you are not expempt while engaged in wilderness activiy?For example when camping I like to bring my bk7 Here in NYS that's fine...by general Conn law even my mora 2000 would be considered illegal..so do the laws apply more for general use, and carry or are they blanket? I know no-one will have a defintite answer as laws vary so greatly depending on area, but I;m looking more for a general concensus state Leos feel free to comment..Thanks

 

[Creepo]

I'd say the blade lenght generally applies to carry in public.
And besides how often do you run into a police patrol car while hiking in the middle of nowhere?
*knocks on wood*


In the end it's pretty much for the LEO to decide on the spot, if you present yourself well and have a real need for such a knife you should be fine.

 

[RescueRiley]

Thanks... Keep'em coming...

 

[myright]

The only interaction I've had with an LEO while in the woods was when a Ranger dropped by our campsite to chat. On the table I had an RC3, BK9, Graham Razel and probably a folder or two. There was also beer on the table which is supposed to be a no no in that area. We were just sitting around the fire and were very polite. I'm prior military and my buddy is an LEO (did not identify himself as one) - I guess the Ranger felt at ease and just chatted it up a bit and pressed on.

I've yet to encounter a LEO while on the trail. The most I get is a couple of wierd looks form other hikers. I guess they've never seen a hiker with his son on his back and knife on his belt before.

I'll report back if I ever have another encounter.

To keep this on topic - I should add that this was in an area in which blade length is retricted, by law, to 3 inches. This is a great example of two things working together - My group's responsibility and the LEO's discretion.

 

[zignal_zero]

i think, GENERALLY, LEO's that work in wilderness environments tend to be kind or rugged outdoorsy guys themselves. the perspective of a cop, you're likely to encounter in the wilderness, stands a very good chance of being entirely different than the perspective of a street cop. for example - you're driving home, from fishing, and get pulled over in the city. the cops search you (for whatever reason) and you have a slightly undersized fish in the cooler. they're probably not going to realize it and, even if they do, probably aren't going to give a darn about it. whereas, the EXACT OPPOSITE would happen if it was a game warden (out in the woods) being half an inch off is likely to get you criminally charged.

basically, the cops in the woods are concerned about a whole different set of laws than the cops in the city. an over sized knife, in the woods, is like an under sized fish in the city.

i took my 8 yr old son to meet a Forest Ranger that agreed to take us up in the fire tower. he spotted the fixed blade on my kids hip and said "i see you're wearing a knife, that's good. it's a very useful tool to have"