A Night In The Woods... (page 6)

Justice-One

Therefore he gets a bunch of weapons and traps so that he has the advantage.

Some people must have very low reading comprehension. Just where did I say anything about traps city slicker?

And if you don't get it. I don't care.

Justice-One

By the way, I just reread your initial post which actually said you had blank firing devices (essentially noise makers to let you know that something that may be a threat was nearby) which were just to warn you. Like I said, I had a few drinks, so I guess I misread that for booby traps. I'm stupid so forgive me my ignorance. I actually like your ideas. And your fear was of camping in the woods, not just the dangers of the woods. So forgive me the "flack" if you will. I stand by my comments, they just don't really apply to you. They apply to whomever thinks what I thought you were saying, not what you were actually saying. And bears are f*cking scary.

Roger that. Now I think we are pretty close to being on the same page. BTW, it was big of you to admit your error. Not many would.

Justice-One

I would say the only thing more scary is camping out in the middle of the desert, I take my 12 gauge and my 38spl with me as the last time we had a small snake problem.

I have a buddy in AZ that wants to take me camping in the desert. He says we will have a lot of fun killing a bunch of commie rocks.

Justice-One

I'm surprised they can hike with balls that big! Or maybe that's how they chase the bears away!?

They only have a problem if they fail to sing the hiking song for those with big balls....."Left, left, my left right left. Left, left, my left right left. My boots are heavy, my belt is tight, my balls are swinging from left to right!"

Justice-One

I have no illusions that a pistol is going to stop an attacking bear unless it's one of the really big calibers.

You are so very right there. I carry a .45 with Corbon 185 gr. DPX rounds in the mag. (16 inches of penetration in ballistic gel.) They would put down a cat, but only piss off a bear. BTW, you know pretty much the only reason to have a sidearm is to fight your way back to your rifle - that you shouldn't have walked away from in the first place.

Forscher

Good for you Justice!!
Just a few observations. For those who are going ballistic because Justice was armed and set up a perimeter, only a fool goes into wild areas unarmed. Setting up a perimeter of warning devises is good common sense in an area known to be inhabited by powerful predators. One poster noted that humans are a danger which shouldn't be discounted in wild areas. Therefore, being armed and taking precautions is especially important in such areas.
The wild is definately not the nice safe little paradise that some idealists would have us all think. Justice mentioned the presence of bears and cougars. Neither are safe, cuddly, little animals which can be ignored on their own turf. In recent years, people have been killed by cougars in California and other parts of the west because rigid restrictions on hunting them has allowed their numbers to grow to the point that their territory has started to run out. They and grizzly bears both are nothing to be taken lightly.
Last weekend a large Pot farm was found in a national forest in Oregon. Many here may not realise that because of civil forfiture laws pot is now often grown in wilderness areas to avoid losing one's land if the farm is discovered. Those pot growers are often quite violent fellows who are themselves armed and often patrol the area to protect their crop. They often kill innocents who stumble into their areas. Not to mention criminals hiding out, such as, the muderess mentioned and others. So being armed and prepared to defend oneself is just plain good common sense for deep-woods campers. My own Dad, in his seventies, still goes camping and is usually armed with a .45 acp chambered pistol. So get off of Justice's case folks!
I can't believe the level of ignorance displayed by one particular person regarding sleep apnea. There are a numbers of causes for sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea can be caused by obesity, among other things. In such a case, it can be cured through weight loss. So if Justice writes he has been so cured, I will take him at his word.
Forscher

Justice-One

Many here may not realise that because of civil forfiture laws pot is now often grown in wilderness areas to avoid losing one's land if the farm is discovered.

The above is something that you really have to be on the watch for. These growers are not above putting out REAL man-traps, or at the very least "toe-poppers." Or guarding their crops with full auto weapons. (Which of course puts me at an advantage with my semi-auto, but thats something for another thread.)

cognizant dissident

OK, we all seem to be on the same page in regards to the cougars and bears, now let me tell you a few experiences we had with human predators while camping.

One time my husband and I were camping near the Chilliwack river in BC. This was a popular camp spot close to town but it was off season and we were the only ones there. In the morning, while we were making our breakfast we looked up and two scruffy men with no gear whatsoever approached us and asked us for some matches and food. They said they were on a camping trip. We gave them some food and matches and they left. I asked my husband what kind of campers don't have food or matches with them? He said, the kind that have escaped from the local minimum security prison, a few miles up the road. A half hour later we spotted them on a nearby trellis bridge, just standing there calmly watching us for quite some time. My husband went in our tent and brought out his rifle, cocked it, took off the safety and set it right beside him so they could see it. They immediately took off and that was the last we saw of them.

Friends of ours were not so lucky on one of their fishing trips in the woods. Three fathers and their teenage sons out in the woods, enjoying nature. The fathers all got up very early one morning to go fishing but the boys wanted to sleep in. While they were sleeping a group of drunken, rowdy thugs came into their camp and thought it would be funny to beat the shit out of the boys and rob them. Two of the boys were still half asleep and disoriented but one of the older bigger boys was answering the call of nature nearby and when he realized what was happening came back with a huge broken piece of wood to help his little brother and friend. Also the father's were within shouting distance and ran back to camp to help the boys and the thugs were chased off. The police were called and they were found and charged. The younger boys were beaten and bruised but not critically. What would have happened if they had been there alone without any protection? Or even if it was one full grown man alone? He wouldn't have stood a chance without a firearm. This is just the sad reality of the world we live in. Denial and delusion will only give you a good chance of ending up a victim.

Justice-One

My husband went in our tent and brought out his rifle, cocked it, took off the safety and set it right beside him so they could see it. They immediately took off and that was the last we saw of them.

Sometimes just the presence of a firearm can mean the difference between a peaceful encounter, and a violent one. You just never know. I remember once I was way up in the mountains with my wife. I had my .45 in a Galco Avenger holster on my right hip. A beat up car comes down the road, and parks about 20 yards from us. We thought this was strange right off the bat, and I went to orange right away. Anyway a scrufy looking man get out and starts walking toward us. From the angle he was approaching he could not see my .45 until he was almost right in front of us. Then I turned so he could see I was armed. He immediately got a nice smile on his face, and said hello in a friendly way. He then made a little small talk and left. Who knows? But I got the distinct feeling that he was up to no good. I told my wife, and she agreed that the outcome might have been completely different had I not been armed.

BTW, off topic but somewhat related....color threat levels. -

White... At rest and unaware aka oblivious. Most people are killed in this condition

Yellow.... I might have to kill someone

Orange... I might have to kill a specific person

Red... The fight is on, and you are defending yourself against a specific threat.

serendipity

So what is the appeal of camping if you have to be on guard against human predators, bears, cougars, snakes, mosquitos, etc? How can you enjoy yourself?

A Night In The Woods...

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