I got my first 22 at 5 yo. My mom was so pissed. But my grandpa spent all summer teaching me. After weeks of target practice at his wood pile a robin landed near where I was shooting, my grandpa said I could shoot it. As a young kid without much thought or empathy I took aim. Just before pulling the trigger my grandpa wispered into my ear," but your going to eat it!" after not shooting the beautiful bird my grandpa explained the value of life and how to use what you need nothing more. A gun is meant for killing, always treat it as such. If you eat meat you owe the animal the courage of taking it yourself or go vegan.

And that world consists of bad guys who would rape your wife in front of you, shoot your kids...

I'm pretty sure you meant to say the world "includes" such people, not that it "consists of" such people.

Yes, you are correct. Consists of and "includes" are two different things. So, I stand corrected. However, every day as I scan the news, both television, and web, that line seems to be blurring.

But, yes, thanks for that clarification. You are correct.

Thanks,
J.

For now I am leaving this in the Backcountry Health and Safety forum, but only if it stays focussed on the backcountry.

If the discussion strays away from that, but stays calm and reasonable (and experience does show that gun threads tend to have a strong pull away from staying calm and reasonable) then I will move it to Off Topic forum.

If the discussion goes off the rails and into the deep weeds, it will be deleted or locked, whichever route is indicated.

You've made a good point. This thread, I think, or what I read was actually related to carrying a firearm while hiking.
I know firearms threads can go south very quickly, but this one seems to have stayed very civil. So when I posted, what I actually had in mind was carrying while camping, rather than a pro/anti sort of thing. I should have added that I was referring to going way out in the wilderness, far from loop trails and such. We have such a huge problem with Meth labs, and to a lesser extent marijuana fields, being very candestine and out in the middle of nowhere, that I get a little nervous sometimes, especially if I smell something odd (like a chemical smell). Those types of people wouldn't think twice of harming a backpacker, just to keep the locations secret. That's pretty much what I had in mind, even though my post didn't address that point.

J.

A long time ago, I read a book called "Outpost" by Robert Heinlein. It was about a survival trip for teens to another planet. The hero's sister told him to only carry a knife for protection since then, he would be more likely to avoid danger than confront it.

In my opinion, there is very little danger if you stay on the trails as that's where the pot growers know you will be. The danger comes if you start going off trails, especially in flatter terrain near water where it would be easier to grow.

We did run across a marijuana farm on a recent hike. It had already been discovered, so it was surrounded with police tape. It was pretty easy to smell from the trail. I'd treat the smell like a bear. Don't look towards it and anyone watching may think you didn't see their farm.

Realistically, you aren't going to get off a shot if someone wants to shoot you. They will likely be behind cover with a rifle and you won't know they are there until they shoot.

If you are bushwhacking, I'd suggest coming out on a different route than you went in if you see something. That way, they won't watch for you to come back the way you came. It's like the bad guys laying mines for a patrol that comes back the same way they went out.

I'm really confused on this whole pot growers shooting at people... So they are already doing something illegal and think shooting at someone, possibly injuring or killing them, is going to help their case?

deleted!

Hmm... I'm surprised there's really much of a problem with meth labs on public land in the sticks there. Around here they're generally on private property, and there aren't many of those anymore.

I bushwhack off trail here all the time, and I prefer the more remote areas. I never run into pot fields or meth labs. I found the remnants of an old meth cooking operation one time about 15 years ago on public land. It was pretty close to a road and the site hadn't been visited in at least a year. They were probably there for one night, left their mess, and never came back.

Here, the local law and feds combine resources and fly all over looking for pot fields. They find a few each year, but not many, because there aren't many, and almost all of them are on private land.

So here in Missouri and Arkansas I never worry about going off trail on public land, and I have never felt the need or had any reason to carry a gun while backpacking here.

Of course, hunter's carry rifles and shotguns all the time, that' common here, but I've seldom met a backpacker carrying a sidearm. Honestly, there is nothing out there you need a gun to protect yourself from. Try as I might, I've never even run into a single axe murderer out there yet. Maybe I'm just too old for them now, but I never even ran into one when I was a teen, not even with my girlfriend along.

I AM GOING TO LOCK THIS TOPIC. ITS PRETTY OLD AND HAS HAD A GOOD RUN FOR ITS MONEY AND A GOOD VARIETY OF COMMENTS.
We do not need further anguish over this thread.
Jim
Edited so it doesn't sound personal that I closed the thread.