Woods weapons, are they really neccessary

Because we can't walk around in the bush with a handgun here , I at the very least carry a .22 rifle . Like a previous poster said , " better to have it and not need it , than to need it and not have it . "

I've been shot at ( and missed ) in the bush before , and my gun was 100 feet away in the truck at the time. Had I had it on me , I don't think it would of made any difference ; I would of gotten hit anyways. Glad I'm here :)

I still feel more comfortable carrying a gun , if the area allows it.
 
pict said:
I have had two occasions inthe bush where if I had not been armed I would have been in serious trouble. Two guys tried to attack me at in PA on an isolated part of the AT. They literally brought knives to a gunfight. No shots fired.

Here in Brazil two guys tried to jump me and a friend in the dunes behind an isolated strip of beach. I had a machete, they didn't. No cuts, stab, or chops were necessary.

In both of these incidents the fact that I was armed caused the attackers to stop any further aggressive acts and back down. Would I have used the handgun or machete had they not backed down? Absofreakinloutley. Mac
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With all the murders and stories of attacks on the AT there is no freaking way in hell I would hike that without a pistol (concealed if need be where illiegal) damn the laws my safety and those with me are more important.
 
I havn't needed one, yet. But it's insurance, I always carry in the woods. As others have stated: "It's better to have and not need, than to need and not have".
 
I've been driving my car back and forth to town for ten years, and have never had a flat tire. I still carry a spare, though. :)
 
You could go 20 years and never need it but the one time you run into a pack of dogs or any of the many other possible threats you'll be wishing you'd had some form of weapon. That's not a risk I'm willing to take with my family, especially with young children under my care.
I probably won't ever have to use my fire extinguishers either but there's one on every floor.
 
I, too, haven't needed one but often carry when near civilization. The proliferation of semi-capable four wheel drive vehicles, gangs and portable meth labs have made the closer outdoor areas; even more accessible and desirable to the sorrier examples of humanity.

I really didn't think much about it until a meth head emerged from the brush into camp from a totally unexpected direction... no problems, but it made me aware of the possibilities of the situation.
We have also had unknown persons stumble through camp very late at night.
I cannot fathom any reason to wander thusly to good purpose.

I don't mind the bears; its the two legged varmints that I am leery of.

Enjoy!
 
I have to say that I have rarely felt the inclination to carry a firearm when in the woods (when not hunting). The exceptions to this took place deep in bear country.

I am happy to share this community with people who enjoy the wilderness, and I acknowledge that we all experience it in different ways, and approach it with different mentalities. For me, armed self defence is simply not a concern when I hit the trails, and I often find that those who carry 24-7 are either paranoid or living in a bit of a Red Dawn lite fantasy - BUT, so long as we are all responsible adults, I will never take issue with someone else's carry practices.

All the best,

- Mike

Oh, and I should mention that I am acutely - indeed, professionally - aware of the potential risks of interpersonal violence, in both urban and rural settings.
 
Marcelo Cantu said:
Apple Pie is German :p

Just kidding.

The 2nd ammendment is what separates us from other dveveloped nations that can be subjugated by the government in an instant.
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We make some decent apple pie up north, too. ;)

And, while I respect the American cultural affiliation with guns and don't want to push this discussion into a political realm, I don't think that a determined US government would have too much trouble squishing any insurrection. You folks have an awfully big military.
 
Out here in California we have a lot of dangerous things roaming around outside of town. Just outside the central valley you'll run into Mountain Lions, Bears, Rattle Snakes, and so on, and there's more than you might think. In my short life I've ran into all but a Mountain Lion, which I don't ever want to. A weapon out in the sticks here is just about a must for protection unless you would like to be dinner. In Alaska carrying a hi-power weapon or two on you is totally normal due to to "wildlife". Also should you need to collect food in an emergency situation one will more than likely come in handy.
 
The only instance on a short term stay in the mountains that would occur with me other than hunting trips or 4x4'ing is camping , I would never in a hundred years go camping without at least my pistol , even if it stays concelaed under the truck seat.

Here in Califronia there are laws for everything... of course and laws against firearms in many camping areas , I choose to disregard those laws since the safety of myself and my loved ones is far more important than a hairbrained law.

333rm , I've seen gang bangers up in North Fork , we have dangerous things roaming on two legs in the hills too. :D


Tostig
 
Happy Joe said:
I, too, haven't needed one but often carry when near civilization. The proliferation of semi-capable four wheel drive vehicles, gangs and portable meth labs have made the closer outdoor areas; even more accessible and desirable to the sorrier examples of humanity.

I really didn't think much about it until a meth head emerged from the brush into camp from a totally unexpected direction... no problems, but it made me aware of the possibilities of the situation.
We have also had unknown persons stumble through camp very late at night.
I cannot fathom any reason to wander thusly to good purpose.

I don't mind the bears; its the two legged varmints that I am leery of.

Enjoy!
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ditto. We have hundreds of meth labs, grow ops, and other illegal activity in some of our woods here.
 
Yeah, I almost always have a rifle with me. If I don't I have a major caliber handgun.

I've had a couple of encounters with folks I suspect to have been meth cookers or growers that looked out of place where I was, and asked some strange questions for someone out on a hike. They kept looking from my rifle to my dog. I don't know which scared them more.

Plus, it's legal here to kill hogs year 'round, so technically, I can be hunting any time I'm in the woods.
 
There's the old saying about handguns, which makes s lot of sense.

"A handgun is something that you hope you'll never need, but when you do need it, you need it real bad, real fast."

A weapon is just a heavy, awkward, annoying hunk of metal that weighs you down — until you need it. It's a PITA to carry around, but — for that one time in a million that you do need it — it's a real lifesaver. It doesn't do you any good at all sitting at home in your closet or drawer.

Now, after having stated the obvious, I have to say that in well over fifty years of wandering around in the bush, I have never actually needed one. Still, it's a comfort to have along, sometimes.
 
I don't feel it is a need although I do feel more comfortable with some sort of rifle with me. There is always a chance something or someone will stumble upon you, and be looking for trouble. I haven't had it happen, yet, but I have seen some pretty shady individuals who I was glad to have a pack-rifle with at the time. (Both, coincidentally while I was rabbit hunting)
 
always hike and camp with bearspray and a large fixed and folder.
It has always been my belief that seeing a kabar or trailmaster on my hip has mellowed some of the jerks I have met camping.
In the bush and up north on my property I have 12 guage over/under we keep around.
No guns allowed in our parks.
 
Dannyboy Leather said:
We live in the woods *year-around* here in the mountains in a small populated area of the state. Wild animals can occasionally be a problem if you have livestock. If not, they have no interest in people. People (more often) can sometimes be a problem when they come out of the big cities and clearly don't understand the rules and culture here. Hard working folks and guns ARE THE culture here and they are more than willing to use what they have to protect home and family. ;)

We have backpacked for months on the tru-trails. Never had an issue with either man nor beast. However, near a trailhead once, I had to discourage two would-be bad guys from taking an interest in our persons and property by standing up (I was a little larger than they thought I was) and showing my handgun and two speed loaders (they stumbled backward). My wife said I enjoyed it more than they did. :) There was another time on a remote stretch of ocean beach, camping, where we were rapidly approached by a vehicle full of scruffy looking characters clearly looking for trouble. Handgun out, they found reverse quickly. I called the State Police and gave them the license plate number and description. Real geniuses who were later caught...drunk. In both instances, these were people who were near some form of escape if they needed it. These types are most always lazy and will not venture far from a vehicle. This is one of the reasons that all experienced thru-hikers camp well off any trailheads or away from populated areas.



Wash away the Constitutional foundation from the house and the house crumbles. As a VERY proud member of our U.S. military, I worked for the people, not for a government that set itself up separate and apart from its people. I was constantly reminded that my multi-million dollar combat aircraft belonged to the "taxpayers", not me. :) My military brethren take an oath to "uphold" our precious Constitution, not remove it. We will be keeping our guns. :)
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+++ great job buddy!!!!!!
 
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