Why I carry a handgun in the woods
- Thread starter fsmitka
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Stevie-Ray
New member
Beautiful country. I've got relatives that stretch from Sault Ste. Marie down to St. Ignace west to Gladstone. Most of them generally walked around unarmed, not me.
I've spent a lot of time in the Hiawatha National Forest, and now my house is located in the Huron National Forest.Hey. I just spent the afternoon in the Hiawatha today, around 11 degrees. Only a few inches of snow right now. I think carrying is a personal choice, I look at it like any other tool like a compass or a pocket knife ect. You most likely will never need it, but it's nice to be prepared.
atlctyslkr
New member
I worry more about human predators in the woods. Sometimes I see deer at close range and it would be nice to pick one off but I don't.
I'm a UP of Michigan resident that is forced to live with the wolves. If you like them, move them into your areas and get them out of here. Deer and small game hunting has declined drastically. They are a major predator, nothing more.
The wolves have zero fear of humans. A forester was recently forced to climb a tree to escape a couple of wolves. He was unarmed at the time, but has stated that he won't be unarmed again. Pets an d livestock are killed with no compensation from the MI Dept. of No Reason, aka MI DNR.
Old Woodsmen
New member
"Alone and Afraid?" Nope, just using common sense, actually I'd rather face a bear, cougar or wolves than some of the armed and very dangerous pot growers that frequent the Oregon forests. As atlctyslkr wrote "Human predators." I go into the woods for many reasons, prospecting, hunting, fishing and firewood. I'd rather carry a weapon and not need it than be unarmed and be at the mercy of an animal that is intent on eating me or a human killing me because I walk through a pot patch.
Why I Carry
I carry here on my place in Pa. for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because I can.
On a more practical note, we do have Coyotes and Black Bears, and although from what I gather Black Bear attacks are very rare, there were a couple of incedents in the state last year, one involving a bow hunter who was stuck up in a tree while a Sow tried to get to him. Again, very rare, and I have no desire to shoot one, If it were a case of him trying to harm my family I would do so with no hesitation.
I generaly carry my Blackhawk loaded with 270gr. Keiths @ about 950fps. I feel that they would be adequate for anything I run into here in the east, although they may be a bit marginal for Bears around here, I can hit well with them and get out a pretty quick followup shot, for a SA, anyway.
there is also the real chance of running into something rabid, I did have an encounter with a rabid skunk a long time ago, and dispatched it with the 1911 I was carrying at the time.
And lastly we have varmints of the two legged variety. I have had to chase poachers off of my property, and we seem to have more and more escaped convicts in the area every year. They just caught a guy around here who was only out of prison for a few hours before he tried to rob and kill one of his good "freinds"
?, and the freinds mother, he was almost successful and was on the lamb for about three days before they caught up to him.
There was a story in the local paper that our area ( South Central Pennsylvania) is becoming a haven for Fugatives from justice
. It seems that they like the fact that it is a rural area, not much Police presence, but they have access to interstates 70, 81, 95, and 68. Plus they can get to DC, Baltimore, or Philly in about two hours or less. And New York City is only about another hour drive.
In the article, it was reported that the US Marshalls and various other LEO's had caught over 74 violent fugatives that either were escapees or had warrents out on them in the last year!!
That in itself is not a reason to go all vigilante or anything, but I do believe that it does beg some extra caution and awareness.
And lastly, police response time to our remote little dead end valley is over 45 minutes.
Willy
I carry here on my place in Pa. for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because I can.
On a more practical note, we do have Coyotes and Black Bears, and although from what I gather Black Bear attacks are very rare, there were a couple of incedents in the state last year, one involving a bow hunter who was stuck up in a tree while a Sow tried to get to him. Again, very rare, and I have no desire to shoot one, If it were a case of him trying to harm my family I would do so with no hesitation.
I generaly carry my Blackhawk loaded with 270gr. Keiths @ about 950fps. I feel that they would be adequate for anything I run into here in the east, although they may be a bit marginal for Bears around here, I can hit well with them and get out a pretty quick followup shot, for a SA, anyway.
there is also the real chance of running into something rabid, I did have an encounter with a rabid skunk a long time ago, and dispatched it with the 1911 I was carrying at the time.
And lastly we have varmints of the two legged variety. I have had to chase poachers off of my property, and we seem to have more and more escaped convicts in the area every year. They just caught a guy around here who was only out of prison for a few hours before he tried to rob and kill one of his good "freinds"
?, and the freinds mother, he was almost successful and was on the lamb for about three days before they caught up to him.There was a story in the local paper that our area ( South Central Pennsylvania) is becoming a haven for Fugatives from justice
. It seems that they like the fact that it is a rural area, not much Police presence, but they have access to interstates 70, 81, 95, and 68. Plus they can get to DC, Baltimore, or Philly in about two hours or less. And New York City is only about another hour drive. In the article, it was reported that the US Marshalls and various other LEO's had caught over 74 violent fugatives that either were escapees or had warrents out on them in the last year
!!That in itself is not a reason to go all vigilante or anything, but I do believe that it does beg some extra caution and awareness.
And lastly, police response time to our remote little dead end valley is over 45 minutes.
Willy
Hog Hunter
New member
COOL!!! Thats one reason I love being outdoors all the time, you never know what your gonna run into. I need to get me a camera and carry it in the woods cause ive seen some pretty cool stuff I wish I had pictures or videos of. Nice pics
Old Woodsmen
New member
The bow hunter was lucky, black bear can climb trees faster than an express elevator. Police response time, that's a big issue around here, sometimes your doing well to even get a LEO to the south end of our county let alone within two hours. It's not their fault, due to huge losses of revenue from the wood industry going down the toilet sheriffs departments have been cut to the bone and what deputies they have cover hundreds of square miles per man.
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Cool Pic!!, and more thoughts
To the OP, I forgot to congratulate you on the great photo you got! well done Sir, well done indeed
! I do not know how I would have reacted to that scenario, It reminds of the time when I stumbled onto about a half dozen 5x6 Elk and was scared sh..., I think that is for another post I may start on TFL soon. Anyway good job, no kidding!
Old Woodsman, yes he was lucky, I believe the article he was using his bow as a poking device and also one or two of his shafts with his broadheads on them. I meant to keep the article but it may have been thrown out as my wife does not appreciate it when I accumulate too many articles, magazines,(the paper type
!, and otherthings that mess up HER house
.
And to your other point, yes we do have the same problem around here, although I am certain that it is not tied as directly to the logging industry as it must be in your area. but anyone around here had better have a real problem and get their point across to the 911 operator if you want to get any type of response in this neck of the woods. And no, it has absolutly nothing to do with the quality of our LEO's. We are covered by the Pennsylvania State Police, There were County Sherrifs and the "Cumberalnd Valley Law Enforcement Division" as I believe it was called for the time it existed, but they are all long gone now due to the same type of budget cuts.
The Pa. State Troopers though are the finest, most professsional, courteous,respectful,AND respectible Officers of the Law that I have ever encountered. If you are in need of Law Enforcement to come to your aid or deal with a situation, you will be very well served and the situation will be effectively engaged if you encounter one of these officers. And I ain't just blowing sunshine brother!
But they do not drive spaceships and there are only so many on duty at any given time, so it is nigh on impossible for them to get here in anything under about 45 minutes.
In other words, if trouble comes a knockin' you are on your own for quite a while around here, so you had better be prepared to deal with it on your own.
Just my two cents.
Willy
To the OP, I forgot to congratulate you on the great photo you got! well done Sir, well done indeed
! I do not know how I would have reacted to that scenario, It reminds of the time when I stumbled onto about a half dozen 5x6 Elk and was scared sh..., I think that is for another post I may start on TFL soon. Anyway good job, no kidding!Old Woodsman, yes he was lucky, I believe the article he was using his bow as a poking device and also one or two of his shafts with his broadheads on them. I meant to keep the article but it may have been thrown out as my wife does not appreciate it when I accumulate too many articles, magazines,(the paper type
!, and otherthings that mess up HER house.And to your other point, yes we do have the same problem around here, although I am certain that it is not tied as directly to the logging industry as it must be in your area. but anyone around here had better have a real problem and get their point across to the 911 operator if you want to get any type of response in this neck of the woods. And no, it has absolutly nothing to do with the quality of our LEO's. We are covered by the Pennsylvania State Police, There were County Sherrifs and the "Cumberalnd Valley Law Enforcement Division" as I believe it was called for the time it existed, but they are all long gone now due to the same type of budget cuts.
The Pa. State Troopers though are the finest, most professsional, courteous,respectful,AND respectible Officers of the Law that I have ever encountered. If you are in need of Law Enforcement to come to your aid or deal with a situation, you will be very well served and the situation will be effectively engaged if you encounter one of these officers. And I ain't just blowing sunshine brother
!But they do not drive spaceships and there are only so many on duty at any given time, so it is nigh on impossible for them to get here in anything under about 45 minutes.
In other words, if trouble comes a knockin' you are on your own for quite a while around here, so you had better be prepared to deal with it on your own.
Just my two cents.
Willy
