# Personal Protection



## jlangdale (Dec 15, 2003)

Any hikers ever have issues with personal protection hiking in the backcountry?  Ie. with bears or who knows what?

Considering Vermont's gun laws and right to carry, got me wondering if I should consider packing my 9mm glock or if that is going overboard.

Anyone hiking in winter ever have issues with hunters in the area and stray fire?


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## Greg (Dec 15, 2003)

jlangdale said:
			
		

> Considering Vermont's gun laws and right to carry, got me wondering if I should consider packing my 9mm glock or if that is going overboard.


 :lol: Good thing you didn't ask this on the AMC board... To answer your question, no. The extra weight of "packing" is not worth it, and definitely not necessary.


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## jlangdale (Dec 16, 2003)

Greg said:
			
		

> jlangdale said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What is the AMC board?


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## Greg (Dec 16, 2003)

jlangdale said:
			
		

> What is the AMC board?


*The Appalachian Mountain Club BBS*

Many of the topics become very political and a reasonable question like yours could easily turn into mud-slinging. For Northeast hiking, the three primary boards are AlpineZone, AMC, and *VFTT* (Views From the Top).


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## Mike P. (Dec 16, 2003)

Never had an issue with stray fire but thought once along AT in CT  (Well South of Bear & Lion's Head) that shots were pretty close & what appeared to be a tree stand was unnerving.  The shots likely were from a target range.

On the more popular trails in the Whites, the traffic does a pretty goo job of scaring game away & if it's really rugged terrain (the type that makes hiking real good) , who would want to haul an animal, even field dressesd over that.  The area near Cabot & Unknown pond does attract some hikers but you will not find any in Pinkham Notch.

I've read over on AMC's board that some women have felt uneasy on trail but that is very slim minority,  In the past the few incidents where violent acts have occurred (more in South along AT & still very rare) have occurred  close at road.  The recent (was it 2000 or 2001) unsolved murder in the Whites, IMO was not related to the victim hiking but either due to her personal life & or her professional life as a counseller.


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## SilentCal (Dec 16, 2003)

I've happened to run into two bears while hiking in the Whites.  On both instances the bear stopped in it's tracks and gave me a bewildered look and took into the woods in the opposite direction at full speed.  I've spoken with several through-hikers and they tend to agree that most bear encounters usually have the bear hightailing out of the area.   But this is not always the norm.  I'm fairly certain and momma bear with stand her ground with her cubs nearby but I've never encountered that.  Having a gun to shoot a bear( or a moose) just does not make too much sense to me.   Never had any trouble with hunters but it would be nice to arm the deer so they can shoot back...


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## Mike P. (Dec 16, 2003)

Would a 9MM kill a Bearor moose?  My thought would be no unless you were real close & a very good shot.

My caliber memory isn't what it used to be but a 30.06 is real good deer rifle but weak for Moose (if you want to walk) and with bear, an animal most likely to leave you alone unless you piss it off, you don't want a weak gun, you want more than you need.  Where does 9MM fit in?

What did Lynard Skynard say about handguns?  Good for killing people but not a real good hunting weapon.  As Silent Cal mentioned, they almost always run off when not provoked, why provoke them?


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## Greg (Dec 16, 2003)

I think even if a handgun proved effective against some sort of attacking wildlife, the slim chance of that happening + the extra weight outweighs the benefit of carrying it.


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## Max (Dec 17, 2003)

Like Silent Cal, I've seen 3 bears while hiking, and the one in the Waterville Valley area ran like the blazes in the opposite direction as soon as he/she spotted me.  And like Mike P, I once ran into a rain of stray pellets while mountain biking in the Leominster MA state forest, and finally found out I had ridden into the back side of the Leominster Sportsman's Club skeet range!   :roll: 

We did recently run into a father and son hunting on the Wapack trail, but in 30 years of backpacking I've come to the conclusion that carrying more food is more satisfying that carrying a sidearm!


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## Greg (Dec 17, 2003)

Max said:
			
		

> ...I've come to the conclusion that carrying more food is more satisfying that carrying a sidearm!


Or one of those big Guiness Draught cans...


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## Max (Dec 17, 2003)

Greg said:
			
		

> Or one of those big Guiness Draught cans...



...or Fosters...like carrying around a can of 15W-50!


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## MtnMagic (Dec 17, 2003)

Hunting season just ended here on Monday, 12/15. Small game (coyote, rabbit, etc.) remains open most of the year. Lived here for 19 years and hiked on the blazed trails and bushwhacked through the unknown. Came upon many animals and hunters in the woods. I never felt uncomfortable or worried during hunting season. That's just me. 
_____________________
Having extra food and beer works too!


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## jlangdale (Dec 17, 2003)

Yea, I don't think a 9mm would do much to slow a movtivated bear down.  I"m not a hunter, I don't really like the idea of killing animals for game.  If you take the meat now and then to a limited degree and keep alive an old way of life, then it's cool.  But stuff like the way bass fishing tournaments are seem wasteful to me, no matter how much they say they take care of their live wells.

And doesn't seem likely that anyone is going to come across a motivated animal other than the one's that run away and want to be left alone.  I've only seen bears in Yellowstone.  Other than those bears that became dependant on the garbage, I think of the wild animals akin to when I used to scuba in Guam and try to see sharks.  They would always dart away and leave you alone as soon as you tapped your tank to let your buddy know.  

To tell you the truth, I'm more afraid of coming across some wacko in the woods.  When I go camping with my daughter, I bring my dog and protection.   Not likely that I will be doing the same when snowshoeing the backcountry.  But if I plan to hike into the woods and camp this summer, I may.

You can never be too safe.


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## MtnMagic (Dec 17, 2003)

Anyone that merely attends New England Dragway is a champ in my book. 
There is always those nitro-methane monsters! Going back to the days of my misspent youth. The 1320 (quarter mile dragstrip!). Skiing, 'shoeing, 'boarding, rate too! Let's do it all!
_______________
Sunday !!!


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## cptchris (Jan 10, 2004)

*guns !!*

sounds like you need to stay away from the hikin trails , I've met people like you ,they like to polish thier guns every chance they get to make up for something they dont have !!!


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## Greg (Jan 10, 2004)

*Re: guns !!*



			
				cptchris said:
			
		

> sounds like you need to stay away from the hikin trails , I've met people like you ,they like to polish thier guns every chance they get to make up for something they dont have !!!


Lighten up, cptchris. This is not a way to make an introduction here.  :-? 

I also don't allow insults. Consider yourself warned.


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## riverc0il (Jan 10, 2004)

it's funny, how after driving through china town with a friend at 4am with a friend (both of us males, 25ish, over 6 feet tall, etc) and not wanting to stop at an ATM in that part of town at that time of night...  going into the woods in NH on a hiking trail seems the safest thing in the world to me.  you haven't lived until you've seen the traffic chinatown generates at that hour of the evening.

i wonder if there's a regional difference in the way people view safety in the woods.  i would hypothesize that people used to city life wouldn't even think of needing protection in such a remote area.  to me...  the woods seems so less dangerous than almost any other place i've ever been in my life.  whereas people who actually live in the woods would feel they need to be protected since they live in such a remote area.  maybe?


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## runs247 (Jan 16, 2004)

Most handguns are useless against bears. They recommend carrying .454 pistols and/or 12 gauge pump shotgun alternately loaded with buckshot and deer slugs when in bear territory. Both guns are very heavy and would be a pain to carry around.


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