Night Time Confidence ?

I went for an mtb ride last night up Broom Hill and I definitely carry a blade as there are cougars that live up there. Not that I anticipate conflict with them, but I like to be prepared. Don't want to be meat.
 
I've hiked the Sierras and other areas at night and always kept a weapon of some sort on me. Usually my .45 and a quick access knife. I have busted a couple of big cats stalking me over the years and it was only by accident that I did. They are deadly quiet, even when moving through underbrush and I just happened to turn and spot movement to my left rear and sure enough, there the cat was. The other time, it was above me and I heard some rocks fall and I turned and there he was. No aggressive posturing on the cats part the second time, but it got my heart racing anyways.

Because their attack is usually from the rear and their favorite target is the neck and head, there is a possibility that you won't even know they are attacking until it's too late. So defending yourself from the attack wouldn't be possible. For that reason, you might want to do a couple of things to help protect you. Wear something that protects your neck and the base of your skull from the pressure and sharp teeth of a large cats killing bite. Also, keep your dog close to you as she will sense the cat and because of her actions, you will know when she does. But if she is a distance away from you doing some exploring, you won't have the advantage of her keen senses and alarming behavior.
 
Have hiked at night in the past, with a dog and without. Most times I also had a walking stick. A Spyderco either a Military or Police, and on a couple of occaisions a Ruger Vaquero in 45Colt (just to see if it was practical to short hike with the pistol, it wasn't really...it still is one big heavy chunk of shooting iron)

The scariest thing I ever encountered was a Skunk...Neither me nor the dog were hit with the spray - but it fragged a nearby tree pretty decent.
 
mete said:
Living in a rural area there are lots of things that 'go bump in the night' ! When I had my house painted inside I wanted to avoid the fumes so I slept in the car for a couple of nights. In the middle of the night I had to take a piss .Instead of just stepping out of the car I looked down right alongside the car - there was a skunk !!. Had I just stepped out I would have stepped on the skunk !
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Robert, lucky for you it was just a skunk, and not "Sam-buru"! :D His food supply might have been running low; he could've been out hunting!
- "Yum, Yum, Eat 'em up"! ('Uncle George from Borneo'...from the Little Rascals.)
 
Nice lookin dog Pitdog, even in the night photo. I'm with you, I walk with my dog (he's pictured in my avatar) and my Benchmade 426 Hybrid.
My dog's all Alpha male, small but lethal, in his mind the bigger you are the tastier you'll be. Night walkin with dog and knife is a great thing.
 
ROCK6 said:
T
Forgot to add that good Flashlight can be a big asset as well. Several of the newer, more powerful LED's have decent run times, excellent throw and some even have a very disorienting strobe...plus you can shine it up from under your face, look into the camera and screamROCK6
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I agree with the idea of a flashlight. A good bright light like a Surefire or a Fenix would be a (for me) necessary accessory. 200 lumens of light is going to blind and disorient any animal.
 
My new pup is the biggest confidence booster/alarm system but a knife is a close second.
 
Troop said:
Man, I feel for you guys up in Canada. Don't you have to have a "Master Guide" certification just to carry a pistol when hunting? :mad:
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Well, no - at least not out here in the West which is the last part to get nannified. Here you can get yourself what's called a wilderness ATC (authorization to carry) pretty easily. Popular picks are the super blackhawks, 29s, and raging bulls - although I have seen 1911s carried once or twice.


Most people are not aware of the WATC, however, and Canadian gun laws do suck. They are federal and between Ontario and Quebec, they can pretty much invent whatever law they want and pass it. Now just imagine if American gun laws were jointly written and passed only by your two most populous states (New York and California, I would guess.) You would be in bad shape too...or, hopefully, rising up against it!
 
misanthropist said:
Well, no - at least not out here in the West which is the last part to get nannified. Here you can get yourself what's called a wilderness ATC (authorization to carry) pretty easily. Popular picks are the super blackhawks, 29s, and raging bulls - although I have seen 1911s carried once or twice.


Most people are not aware of the WATC, however, and Canadian gun laws do suck. They are federal and between Ontario and Quebec, they can pretty much invent whatever law they want and pass it. Now just imagine if American gun laws were jointly written and passed only by your two most populous states (New York and California, I would guess.) You would be in bad shape too...or, hopefully, rising up against it!
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Thanks for the good news; I'm glad for you guys. I feel naked in the woods without a handgun. Not that I'm afraid without it; just feel better knowing that it's there.
 
Bushman5 said:
Since we are not allowed to carry guns here (as per Herr Mommy of the Nanny State :jerkit: ), I hike at night with a large knife and a hiking staff.

Walk Softly and carry a big stick, but always carry a knife too.
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Here in Maryland we can't have a CCw either, so a nice stick is carried. When I take the dog on her last walk of the night, I carry either a Hornbeam hiking staff or one of my Irish blackthorn walking sticks.

Actually it is a Maasai saying "Walk softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far." The Maasai have a tradition of sticks for defence. Considering they deal with defending their cattle herds from thieves, wild dogs, leopards and lions, they don't do too bad.
 
A knife and dog are a good idea. These days a guy could accidentaly walk into some marijuana patch in B.C. I'm often more concerned about dangerous people than wild animals, when in the bush not far from town.
 
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when moving around in the woods at night is getting used to when to (and not to) use light- and getting over expecting everything being lit up real nice. That was a much bigger confidence issue for me- a lot bigger than an added worry of violence or animal attack. It's almost amazing how well you can navigate in the dark once you get used to it.
 
It's almost amazing how well you can navigate in the dark once you get used to it.
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Peoples' night vision is suprisingly good. Doesn't take much to lose it though - full moon, flashlight, farm lights - then it takes something like 45 minutes to get it back again.
 
I ain't scared of nothing! Absolutely nothing!!! When I gokaoj njnamd (ooops.sorry. my cat just brushed my leg and skeered me half to death!!!!) :D

I always have a weapon of some sort....even if it happens to be a tool on my belt (BRKT Northstar at the moment). It just gives me a little peace of mind. We're always thinking of things that scare us, that's just evidence that we're thinking!!! That's a good thing! ((( :D )))
 
Disector said:
I LOVE that knife! What is it?
Nice hiking partner also.
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The knife a Swamprat Bandicoot- 4" blade of modified 51200 steel, 3/16" thick....great knife but it's actually not a user, that pic was just taken for a Swamprat competition !!!:o
 
pitdog said:
The knife a Swamprat Bandicoot- 4" blade of modified 51200 steel, 3/16" thick....great knife but it's actually not a user, that pic was just taken for a Swamprat competition !!!:o
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Hey Pitdog, I just got my INFI Swamp Rat Bandicoot back from Dan Koster with a brand new Micarta handle, with a horizontal-carry kydex sheath. (AND, I use it!.. Heh heh heh [evil laugh]) Dan's not doing anymore re-handle jobs, FYI.
 
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