freaks in the woods

[Lefty]

Ferris Buglers thread got me thinking again
Many guys are carrying a pistol. I never have.
However people freak me out more than " lions and tigers and bears-oh-my"

Last year this forum got me keeping a shotgun in camp, I still wonder if I'm being paranoid.

I have had some freaky situations while trapping 25 and 30 years ago, Two different times I had guys that we cognitively impaired get quite threatening. After reporting to the local Sheriff these guys were rural enough and the small communities watched over them.

Another time two guys approached me out on a frozen lake, I knew something was up they really gave me the creeps. They said the battery on the car was dead, why it died in the middle of no-where had me spooked. I made sure they stayed in front of me the walk back to the truck and kept aware of how I carried my shovel. I think they were just sizing me up to take my truck. Later I recognized the one with his pic in the newspaper he had raped and killed an old lady just hours before he came out to the lake.
Have you been in situations in the woods where people were the threat, and how did you handle it.

[Swede]

I suspect any law enforcement officer that has worked the forests very long will quickly inform you there are a lot of creepy individuals out there. After working 35 years in the National Forests I can only remember one time I had trouble that was not right at the road. If you worry about things that can go wrong, you will be weighted down with far too much to carry, and you won't enjoy the hunt.

[ferris bugler]

First off, I am looking for a pistol just because I would like to have one. I tend to think of my bow as as much protection as I would need. I might be naive but I tend to think I can get my way out of most stuff without violence or the safety of a gun.

With that said I have been a little worried twice. Once hunting related and the other not. Just as we were getting out of the woods there was a gunshot really close. We ended up talking to a guy assuming he had shot at something and he told us that it wasn't from him. Two minutes later we drove past the doe he had poached right in the road. I'm glad that my buddy and I have enough street smarts not to have pushed him to the point where he got defensive. I let the DOW take care of it.

The other was about 20 years ago and I was driving home in the middle of nowhere when a guy came running out into the road screening that he had needed help getting his car out of the ditch. I pulled his car out and then it would n't start because he had run out of gas. At about that time I smelled the booze on his breath. Then his girlfriend jumped into my truck and and told me to take her with me. She had a brand new baby and was screening historically. The guy feared out and stood in front of my truck and started yelling at her to get out of my truck. I was stuck in the middle without any idea of what to do. I decided I would calmly tell him that I would drive her to a truck stop just down the road and that he could pick her up there once he got his car running.

He wasn't buying any of it. He laid out on the hood of my truck and screamed and yelled at her to get out of the car. This went on for about a half hour. It was about 1am and I was miles from anywhere. I figured I was never getting out of there. Just as I thought I was stuck a couple of cops pull up. They jump out of their car with guns drawn and start yelling at the guy to get on the ground. He starts wrestling them and they mace him. His girlfriend jumps out and runs right through the mace with the baby and they screen at her to get back in my car. She reluctantly gets back in my truck screening from the spray. The baby is screening from the spay. The guy is still resisting arrest and screening from the spray.

At that point one of the officers runs up to my window with his gun on me yelling at me about what I was doing there and everything else. It took a bit of convincing to before he believed that I had just pulled over to pull them out of the ditch. Turns out these officers had already dealt with this guy and gal plus his mother-in-law in a domestic violence deal at the local watering hole. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Lefty]

First off, I am looking for a pistol just because I would like to have one. I tend to think of my bow as as much protection as I would need. I might be naive but I tend to think I can get my way out of most stuff without violence or the safety of a gun.e.

I didnt mean to imply anything.

Seems like a lot of guys on this forum do carry, and people are what spook me in the woods

[zpd307]

I carry also.... just used it I guess

[Gypsumreaper]

I carried a 44mag mares leg into camp last year, but with recent circumstances that have been happening in our small town I'm looking at gettin my concealed carry and packing all the time. Yesterday we had a state trooper pull over to assist a motorist and was shot when approaching the vehicle, he is alive but scarred the hell outa me I'm a tire tech and I do stop to assist motorist at times with flats. I don't want to pull over and have a gun pulled on me for trying to help. So what do you guys carry? Glocks, 1911, revolvers, I want something I can hide and carry at work as well as hunting, it would prolly have to be in a holster on the back of my pants.

[ferris bugler]

First off, I am looking for a pistol just because I would like to have one. I tend to think of my bow as as much protection as I would need. I might be naive but I tend to think I can get my way out of most stuff without violence or the safety of a gun.e.

I didnt mean to imply anything.

Seems like a lot of guys on this forum do carry, and people are what spook me in the woods

No worries Lefty. I didn't take it that way.

[WapitiTalk1]

Yes sir, lotsa of off balanced two legged oddballs in WA state. I have a CCP and carry a Ruger LC9 in a waist holder any place I'm allowed to. In the woods? A Taurus .444 Ultra Light .44 with 305 grain HSM bear loads is my companion as situation dictates. I only carry the 'terminator' when in brown bear country.

[zpd307]

http://www.9news.com/story/traffic/2014 ... y/8848263/
I just carry my duty glock .40

[wawhitey]

Yes sir, lotsa of off balanced two legged oddballs in WA state. I have a CCP and carry a Ruger LC9 in a waist holder any place I'm allowed to. In the woods? A Taurus .444 Ultra Light .44 with 305 grain HSM bear loads is my companion as situation dictates. I only carry the 'terminator' when in brown bear country.

I shot my wa bear with that exact same cartridge last september. Granted he was a little dude and only 8 feet away but it literally flipped him head over heels. Good bear round

[Gypsumreaper]

Yes zpd307 that is the one that happened I live in gypsum, and that kinda freaked me out,

[dreamhunter]

Well I always carry. When in the elk woods and camp areas. I always have a small .380 somewhere in my pants. I have a 357 strapped to my waist and a 38 +P in my backpack.Thats when I'm out hunting.Now while in camp I always have one on my waist,one in my pocket and a 44mag within reach. Call me paranoid but by gosh I'm not gonna be an easy target for anyone or anything.When people drive by my camp area or come thru where my camp is ( it's right along side the road ) if I don't know them I am always suspicious of them until we visit for awhile and I never let my guard down. Had one situation 3 yrs ago where I left my parking lights on on ran the battery down. I was quite a ways from anyone.It would have been at least 6-7 miles to the nearest house. My buddy was with me thank goodness. After we decided one of us would walk and one would stay with the truck and gear, a truck came over the mountain from where i don't know but there were three guys in it and they were plenty liquored up. Whats the trouble boys ? We need a jumpstart can you help us out,we have cables. they started laughing and looking at each other and thats when I got a lil nervous.I was able to cross near my buddy close enough and said do not let them behind us and keep your eyes on them.He agreed. The guys did give us a jump and all they wanted was booze for payment,no money. We gave them each a beer and they went on their way.That was a very uneasy feeling.I think I would rather come across a bear,a cat or even a wolf as much as I don't want to see a wolf in the wild than to have to deal with people.

[Bullwinkle]

357 sig, more ammo than necessary, on hip and hot at all times , just in case anything thinks about pulling a stupid. Dont even notice it with pack on but carried for a living once. Gun in your pack might as well be left at home unloaded and locked in the safe for all the good it will do you when needed. Visual deterrent for freaks in the backcountry.. no major issues to date but will be ready to face what comes. You just never know. It may still get me, but it will leave a blood trail.