“I recently bought a 9mm pistol. I don't think I'll take it along when I'm in a group, but when I backpack alone I might. I'm not so much concerned about wildlife as I would be about your garden variety weirdo on the trail.

Now I do almost always take a pretty wicked lookin' survival knife. I think 'Dude and crew did a doubletake when they first saw it. :)

http://www.easley.net/warlord/prods/gerbrlmf.htm

(sorry, too lazy for html tagging today)”

“Too much weight! I like guns, but see no need for them in the backcountry for protection against bears or humans at this time. According our Forest Service people here, the incidence of violent crime in wilderness areas is so small it is hard to measure.

If the situation ever got bad enough to need a firearm along, I would reconsider what trail to use. The possible exception is hiking solo, but I don't like to hike solo for safety reasons anyway.

Oh, yes. Bears may go after your gear if they want to, no matter what you have done to prevent it. But black bears rarely attack humans who don't smell like chocolate.”

“Pepper spray is the ticket.”

“Best bear protection: hike with someone you can outrun.

This year bears attacked people on 3 different occasions in National Parks. One women killed by a blacky (in the Smokies I think). I read nothing in any of these cases that indicated ?irresponsible? behaviors by the humans.

I have no gun but that doesn?t mean I am vulnerable. Mess with me and one of us will be dead.”

“This last year (2000) . . .”

“Kewl!!!!!!, more gun talk. I like that. This subject as gotten beaten pretty hard on this site and most of you know where I stand. Like it or not! The weight thing is not a factor for me. Never has been and never will be. I rarely hike in Griz country and Blackies I rarely see even if I'm not being bear aware. I pack for the "hell of it", "peace of mind" . Its never been an issue and never been a conversation piece for others to gripe about. I don't pack all the time since I got the dog, "The Bear Hunter". Humpy the Wonder Dog hears and sees what I don't, except for camo tarps!!! I will do what I can to avoid the bear but I will not go down without a fight if my life depended on it. NEVER!!

Its not that my gun is a stopper but it is better (for me) than a stick, knife or spray. Others swear by their sprays to protect them, thats fine, Give the option to carry legally or illegally, I will take my chances with the law than with a bear. The odds of encountering both in the backcountry are about the same. Slim to none.”

“Let's talk about religion for a while. And Mtn Gal, please put your clothes back on.”

“Mtn gal,

If your gonna quote me, then use what I wrote. Here ya go...

"Bears Are Not A Problem! They only attack people who are irresponsable and don't take the proper precausions and thus deserve to have a bad experience with them."

Not what you said at all is it?
?Bears attack only people that deserve it.?

Please refrain from the Straw Man Attack MG

Thank you! :)”

“Mtn gal,

If your gonna quote me, then use what I wrote. Here ya go...

"Bears Are Not A Problem! They only attack people who are irresponsable and don't take the proper precausions and thus deserve to have a bad experience with them."

Not what you said at all is it?
?Bears attack only people that deserve it.?

Please refrain from the Straw Man Attack MG

Thank you! :)”

“Well excuse me. I was trying to paraphrase. BUT you did not address the fact that people that are responsible do get attacked. The point is you are wrong not how I paraphrased what you said. Talk about ?straw man?. I think I was pretty close. All I left out was your reasons for them deserving ?it?.

?They only attack people who . . . deserve to have a bad experience with them.?”

“If that is not what you meant be man enough to admit it and make a correction.”

“bacpac:

SPANDEX!!??

Get out of the '80's, man!

LOL :)”

“If you're so frightened by the backcountry that you think you need a gun for "protection", then perhaps you should rethink the whole backpacking issue.

I feel that it is unfair to the wilderness to bring a gun into the backcountry. The reality of encountering a bear exists in prolly 2/3 of our states - mebbe more. I have spent perhaps 100 nights in the backcountry - evenly split from the Rockies to the East coast. I have encountered only one bear - a griz in ID. Yet I am aware that I could likely encounter a bear at almost any time. That possible encounter is one of the things that brings me into the backcountry time after time.

Have I laid wide-eyed for hours in my tent "listening"? Yessiree.
Has my neck hair "stood up" at the sight of fresh, cow patty sized scat 1/2 mile off the trail? Ya darn tootin'!
Has my heart raced at the sight of a freshly scratched tree? You betcha!
Did I get all poopy-pants at the sight of a grown griz staring at me from 75 yards away? Nunya!
Would I pack heat? Nyet!

Listen, boze -
You know the bears are there. If you're afraid of bears, stay away. It is a tremendous injustice to the very wildness - that we as backpackers treasure so much - to enter that country armed and dangerous. If a bear is injured or killed as a result of an encounter with a backpacker, the overall wildness of backcountry everywhere suffers a tremendous defeat. And God knows... our backcountry can't handle many more defeats.”

“Texarkana...didn't you guys get some tornados (or pretty freakin' strong winds) the other day?”

“The fact is that the chance of being attacked by a bear, if you are taking all the precausions, is slim to none. Even people who keep food in their tents often don't get attacked. Of course they may wake up to find their gear being shreaded. But black bears by nature will run. Of course I was not talking about the griz so excuse me if they are the one you are speaking of.”

“For all you gun totin folks. I am glad I am not driven by fear to "pack heat" on the trail. When I go into the backcountry I rool with the punches and always come back ok. I am astounded that people would actually carry a gun to the backcountry for fear of their safety, or "piece of mind" whatever! STAY HOME! Stay behind your deadbolts and electric fences. It's all false security anyway. Just live and try hard to not to be so fearful, life in fear must suck!”

“Yes Buddur, we had very high winds and a tornado out of that. We get our fair share of them here, but the last one didn`t get real close to us.
Thanks for asking though!”

“I'm often afraid. I find it to be exhillerating!

The first time I met The Friendly Ranger was at a campground in Atlanta, ID. Atlanta is situated 60 miles up a dirt road at the southwestern boundary of the Sawtooth National Rec. Area.

Anyhoo, my bro and I drove up to see Atlanta, and to car camp at the campground. That afternoon, we met TFR, who was camped nearby. She had just spent five nights crossing the Wilderness doing whatever it is that rangers do.
Was she afraid to be alone for all that time - and in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE? Hell yeah! But did she let that stop her? Hell no!

I was very intrigued by this gentle flower that had the strength to face her fear head-on, and come out a winner.

Some folks, tho, are pusses - no bones about it.

Save the guns for fall, ya pusses.”

“No Griz in the Sawtooth. She was packing a radio I bet. Still it is challenging work.”

“Yes and No. In the spring and fall, and in dry summers, the bears hang low for food. Encounters where I live (NW WY) over the past 5 years have increased dramatically. Why you say? Is it because there are more people wandering about? Or is it because there are more bears in the same area? I believe it is because there are more bears. (Maybe that is why the possible de-listing of the griz)

Last hunting season (Nov-2000) two hunting partners killed two elk within 20 feet of each other. This was ~1-1/2 miles from the trailhead/road. The next weekend, as we were hiking through this area, we crossed a set of grizzly tracks. We followed them back to the kill site (gut pile). This bear walked from the road (~1-1/2 miles) in the drag trail to the kill site for the gut piles. Silly us, we had always thought the bears to be in hibernation by this time. Game & Fish feel that the bears have come to recognize the gun shots as their dinner bell. There were a number of instances where bears literally jumped on a pack horse to get at the elk meat. Another instance that was documented by the G&F was two hunters dragging a deer when a griz jumped on the dear...and took it. Another report documented by the G&F where a hunter killed a griz. As the hunter and G&F were going to the scene, another (Larger) griz was seen dragging the dead griz in it's mouth up a very steep slope.

I will carry both pepper spray and a handgun when I am day hiking. When I am hunting I will carry just my rifle. When I am on a week long, I will probably only carry pepper spray, but there is ALWAYS a 50/50 split of guns and spray between our party.

The last thing I am going to do is roll over and play dead. I'll leave that to those who are not packing any type of protection.”