Why you _really_ want to carry a gun in the woods...

[bogie]

Was checking the footage sites, and saw this... A man who had his face chewed off by a bear getting fitted with prosthetics... Since the nice folks have decreed that bears are all cute and cuddly, they've been expanding in range, so let's be careful out there...

Vid's safe for work, site probably isn't...

http://www.filecabi.net/video/bearface.html

My first thought - The 12 gauge is NOT enough.

 

[Missashot]

Didn't someone ever tell you that "They are more scared of us than we are of them."
I grew up in the mountains, and I know how important it is to have some protection. Yeah, most wildlife will run, but sometimes for whatever reason, an animal will chase you down for food or sport.
I always tried to keep something on me too, becouse you never know what type person you will find lurking in the woods.

 

[mete]

I know of one person who while hunting squirrel met a violent murderer ! Others have been attacked by coyotes. There are also rabid animals to think about.

 

[armoredman]

Oh...my...lord. If that ever happens to me, just kill me.

 

[Onmilo]

I don't carry a gun in the woods for bear.
We don't have any bears in Illinois, cept maybe a really lost Wisconsin bruin who might happen to blunder into the very northern areas of the state and they don't stay long.
I carry a gun in the woods because all the crazy meth making freaks that seem to keep cropping up in the woods anymore,,,,god damn drugs.

 

[birddog]

When hiking or hunting the Adirondacks or Maine, I carry for bear. Around home, in the farmlands of western NY, I've seen enough coyotes up close that I feel more secure packing something (as always). And then there are always the two-legged predators and/or idiots. And now, believe it or not, there have been several credible mountain lion sightings in our area...So I'm back to the bigger go-bang on my hip most days.

 

[Pilot]

When hiking or hunting the Adirondacks or Maine, I carry for bear. Around home, in the farmlands of western NY, I've seen enough coyotes up close that I feel more secure packing something (as always). And then there are always the two-legged predators and/or idiots. And now, believe it or not, there have been several credible mountain lion sightings in our area...So I'm back to the bigger go-bang on my hip most days.

After seeing that, I may have to get a .44 Magnum. I typically carry a 9MM when hiking in the Rockies, but we do have Bears, Moutain Lions and large Deer and Elk that sometimes get p*ssed enough to attack a human. I've recently heard of deer crashing a through window and attacking people. They ain't Bambi.

 

[Yardstick]

I had a mountain lion just about come up and lick me a year ago. Fortunately it didn't get any closer than 5 yards, I was carrying my 1911 and I didn't have to shoot. It is tempting to get something with higher capacity and/or more punch, but I can get a lot of rounds off quick and accurate with a 1911. There's no way I'd go into the woods unarmed again.

 

[Gunpacker]

Why carry?

Main reason is for crazy people for me. There are a very few documented cases of bear or lion attacks killing people. However, there are far more cases of people attacking folks in wilderness areas IMO. In NC where I lived for a while, there were often stories of people killed by criminals of all sorts in the woods and lake areas. Being eaten is sensational, while a murder is just a murder and not unusual. Probably not more than a few animal killings a year, but many of the murders we have occur in wild areas. That's my opinion. Nice to have one if you meet a lion or bear though.

 

[middy]

Gunpacker, that's true enough. Perhaps the moral of the story is: carry at least a .44 mag or 12 ga in the wilderness, just in case you do run into a bear, 9mm probably ain't gonna cut it.

 

[benEzra]

My brother-in-law (who lives in Maine) was chased by a black bear for a bit...the bear was rather halfhearted about it (apparently just wanted him to get lost) and my BIL got away...but kept running for probably a half mile...

 

[Krenn]

Why you _really_ want to carry a gun in the woods...

because I seek to answer the ultimate question.

If a Militiamen bears arms in a wood,
And no one is there to see him,
does he anger people?

 

[Selfdfenz]

Where I live now we have some extensive national forest land as well as state game lands/parks.

I'm pretty sure packing is not an option with a few limted and pretty darn restricted exceptions.

It's upsetting in that there is at least some potential to encounter wild dogs, bears and the ever present human trash looking to grow pot or cause hob in general.

For that reason I recon an honest person goes afield here unarmed and at his or her own risk and .gov, in all its forms, is just real happy about that or could care less.

S-

 

[Fenrik]

Where I live now we have some extensive national forest land as well as state game lands/parks.

I'm pretty sure packing is not an option with a few limted and pretty darn restricted exceptions.

It's upsetting in that there is at least some potential to encounter wild dogs, bears and the ever present human trash looking to grow pot or cause hob in general.

For that reason I recon an honest person goes afield here unarmed and at his or her own risk and .gov, in all its forms, is just real happy about that or could care less.

S-

Thats pretty much how it is here, and the same when I lived in FL. Its a damn shame because there are some nice trails near here, but I refuse to go unarmed.

When I lived in FL I used to wheel alot in the ocala national forest. Unless its hunting season and you are hunting, guns are prohibited. I always packed anyway because I had read about some people getting severly beaten by a gang of drunks on atv's.

I stopped wheeling there after I got a warning from a wilflife officer for being armed.


I've since moved up to GA and was hoping things would be better up here. But it seems its basically the same here too.

 

[Cosmoline]

Main reason is for crazy people for me. There are a very few documented cases of bear or lion attacks killing people. However, there are far more cases of people attacking folks in wilderness areas IMO.

Most folks in the lower 48 don't realize how common bear attacks actuall are. Just like murders only the sensational cases like Treadwell's ever make the national news. We have smackdowns, bites and maulings up here ever season without fail. They get reported in the Anchorage Daily News but nowhere else. I suspect humans getting stomped by Elk or knocked down by cougars or slashed by black bears is far more common in the lower 48 than ever gets reported nation-wide. Not to mention the attacks by feral or semi-feral dogs, hogs and even cows.

 

[Dr.Rob]

It's not like I can call 911 in a wilderness area... a firearm is just another piece of safety gear.

 

[Cosmoline]

When I lived in FL I used to wheel alot in the ocala national forest. Unless its hunting season and you are hunting, guns are prohibited. I always packed anyway because I had read about some people getting severly beaten by a gang of drunks on atv's.

I stopped wheeling there after I got a warning from a wilflife officer for being armed.

I've since moved up to GA and was hoping things would be better up here. But it seems its basically the same here too.

National forests usually follow the state gun and game laws. It's national parks that typically have their own regulations. I'd make a point of calling up the local NFS and ask where the officer you ran into got his authority and I'd want to see the regulation. I'm not aware of any NFS regulations along the lines of the NPS regulations controlling firearms. It really should come down to state law. If you can open carry in Florida you should be able to do it in a NFS. If you can't open carry in Florida, you probably can't in the NFS.

 

[chris in va]

After seeing the video, all I can say is...

Sonofabitch.

 

[pythonguy]

Well that was one of the most disturbing videos I've ever seen. Personally, if you are going into any wooded area away from civilization, I would think a rifle/shotgun and handgun would be as important as food, water, flashlight, and cell phone. For four or two legged animals you need some protection, I don't care if its one in a million, that is a serious disadvantage to be alone and unarmed in the woods. Remember "Deliverance"? I'm shooting before I squeal like a pig......

 

[cbsbyte]

I would like to carry a handgun in state forests for protection from black bears. It is very common to see bears in Mass. But, state law prohibits it unless it during a hunting season and you have a hunting permit.

 

[phoglund]

There was an extensive show about this fellow on TV a while back. He's Russian, from Siberia I believe. He's had that face for quite some time. It's amazing he survived the initial attack!

When I carry in the woods 'round here I usually carry with two legged animals in mind rather than the four legged kind. Open carry is allowed in my state without permit of any kind. Actually concealed carry is legal outside of cities, towns, and "logging camps" without a permit as well. Since the state is also a shall issue state, I've got a CWP anyway. There are bears around here including Grizzlys. They do kill people now and again. The only bears I've seen outside one of the National Parks nearby have been heading away at speed by the time I spotted them. I normally carry either a .357 revolver or a .45 1911. Neither the best bear medicine around but probably not completely useless if necessary.

 

[Bridger]

After my encounter in September with this:



...nd some stray dogs, both encounteres I scared them off by yelling, but well, I really need to work on getting my damned NY state pistol permit to have something else than a .22 when hunting squirrels.

 

[Black Majik]

Wow...

One thing I've wondered, If you're gonna carry a full size rifle around in the woods, why not carry a M1 Garand?

Reloading aside (and for the most part there aren't any times to reload in this situation) you get 10 rounds of 30-06.

Sounds pretty good to me.

 

[bogie]

Because when you hit a squirrel with a Garand, there ain't much left to eat... On a positive note, you don't have to field dress them.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Because semi-auto rifles carrying over 5 rounds are banned from hunting use in most states.

And 30-06 vs. squirrel is overkill.

Wouldn't it be better to buy a 'small shotgun' say 20 ga. and drop a few slugs in your pocket?

(With a pump shotgun you can snap-load a slug in a hurry if your magazine isn't topped off... say you gun can hold 4-5 shells, load 3 of your birdshot/squirrel shot loads , chamber one. If you see a threat like a bear, load a slug into the magazine, shuck the action you now have a slug at the ready, top off the mag with 2 more slugs) ignore the live round of birdshot/squirrel shot you just ejected, it's junk.