Bad people!!!

[Lefty]

Im bouncing this thread off of CNELK's carring thread.Have you ever felt threatened in the woods?
I tend to avoid people.
I wasnt raised in grizzlie country.

I started thinking back: Running traplines I did run into a few problem people who were very verbal and and were threatening. Nothing physical. Ive run into three situations, each of those fellows had serious mental disorders and two were "out" between hospitalizations.
The third situation, I had had permission for years on the family farm. Dad really wigged out on me. The adult son called me and apologized and told me dad had been committed later that day.
Most every other verbal conflict; tree hugger, nearby landowner, hunter or trapper I would say "just a moment" Then write the name of the local Conservation Officer and his phone number in pencil on scrap paper. (before cell phones) I would state the first name of the CO, give the name and phone number to the loudmouth, then tell them to make a call (to CO). Then drive off. Worked well, mellowed the tough guy and didnt waste much time.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I don't carry my side arm for animals that walk on all fours, carry it for the ones that walk on two.

[Swede]

When I worked for the Forest Service, we were told that a large percent of the people just hanging out on the National Forest including wood cutters are convicted criminals. That information came from the Oregon State Police. I do not remember the percent, but I believe it was a double digit number. I would not be paranoid about it, but be careful. Also as a word of caution; there has been a lot of serious quarrels over tree stands In a few areas, and there are some unlicensed guides that are very possessive of their area. You would be much better to run into someone like Indian Summer who has a license and permit for the area.

[Huntography]

I carry to protect my family. Be it animal or a person.

I will not go into the woods naked so to speak.

Rudy

[pointysticks]

More so on fishing trips. My bro is SWAT so I let him carry. He runs drills weekly and shoots 1000's of rounds. I don't practice enough. I could buy a guitar and it wouldn't make me a guitarist. Same goes for guns. I ran a drill with my bro once. It was so difficult. I need to practice alot more. A lot more! To be safe.

[>>>---WW---->]

A couple of times for me. Not while hunting but when I took care of a couple of national forest campgrounds. One was a real looney tune and the other time was with five illegals. Both times they backed off when they noticed I was armed. I've told the story here before so I won't get into that.

[welka]

You may have heard about the killings in WI several years ago where an asian group trespassed and hunted on private land. Very sad story and if that family is on our website, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. You can look that story up, but the year before we encountered that same group on National Forest. We reported them as they rode in illegaly on ATVs, but the wardens couldn't catch them. On Monday, they showed up on a logging trail and posted 4 hunters on a ridge right in front of my buddy. After they drifted away, I heard a couple shots and a "ping" like a bullet bouncing off metal. Lets just say they had to walk out as my buddy shot the wheels on the ATVs. Good, different thread.

[Freebird134]

Swede, I remember hearing similar statistics about criminals in the woods when I worked for the USFS in the Idaho panhandle. USFS did not allow researchers to carry, but there may or may not have been a Glock 20c in my pack most of the time

Two years ago while bowhunting public land in Wisconsin I had to call the sheriff on a guy. I had been out in the morning, and left my climber at my tree, so I was walking into the woods without a stand. I saw a guy in camo on his tailgate on the bordering private land, and gave him a friendly wave and a hello. He started yelling at me about hanging my stand behind his stand, stealing his spot, and blamed me for why he hadn't seen any deer lately. A lot of guys hunt this area, and leave stands, so I think he confused me with someone that had put a hang on stand near his--I was actually a good distance from his stand (which he was illegally leaving up all season). Anyway, I lost my temper and yelled back "If you haven't seen a deer its because you are a sh&%y hunter, because I've already killed 3 back here." I never stopped walking past him, so I was getting some distance between us and didn't here him clearly, but he yelled back something like "you won't shoot anything tonight because I'm going to come in there and find you and see what I can shoot."

It wasn't clear whether he was going to shoot me or if he meant a deer, but it was unnerving. It was probably an empty threat, but I know he at least had a bow, so I didn't want to fool around with him. I took the long way out after dark so I wouldn't walk by his truck, but could see it from a distance and saw he was still parked within 100 yards of my Jeep. So I called the sheriff. If nothing else, it was hunter harassment. I waited in the woods and as soon as he saw 2 sheriff cars he took off. It's a narrow dirt road, so by the time the cops turned around and followed he was gone. I think he learned his lesson at least, and I've never seen him again.

[Freebird134]

I could buy a guitar and it wouldn't make me a guitarist. Same goes for guns.

One of the wisest comments I've ever read on the internet.

[Swede]

Freebird134: No one knows what is in your pack unless you open it and show them or tell them. If you are working alone, even that is not much of a problem.

[Jaquomo]

When I was a Park Ranger in mountain park systems near a couple major metro areas, one of the first things we were taught was that criminals on the run head for the mountains, preferably to camping areas that present targets of opportunity and where they can hide in plain sight. Fortunately I only had one "situation" with a known problem bike gang, and we reached a detente when they agreed to leave the next morning if I would just walk away. It was winter, I was alone in the park late that night, and calling in reinforcements for a situation that hadn't escalated would have looked bad for me and possibly escalated into something much worse. I left, and they left the next morning.

I still believe I handled the situation correctly, but today I either open carry or carry concealed when alone and out in the wilds (or semi-wilds).