Are you really safe in the woods?

[Pathfinder60]

I was 17 years old hunting squirrel in my great grandparents woods when I was suddenly the focus of 5 dogs...none of which I recognized as dogs from surrounding farms. 2 of the five were advancing on me with ears back, teeth bared and growling. I hollared at them and threw sticks at them to which they paid no mind. At about 20 ft the lead dog caught a load of 6 shot in the face and the next in line caught a load broadside ending his day as well. The others bugged out after all that. And for the last 46 years it's been my habit to never go afield without a firearm. I've never had another brush with aggressive animals but I've had a few run ins with 2 legged trespassers that thought they didn't need permission to hunt our families land. They were mistaken. Today my arm of choice is a Taurus Raging Judge 513. If the 3" Winchester PDX1 doesn't take care of it the 454 Casull will. I don't know if it's the soldier in me or the boy scout that came before but being prepared is a matter of choice. As is unprepared. I choose the former whenever possible. My prayers go out to the man in the story. Apparently he learned the same lesson I learned long ago... unfortunately for him, the hard way.

 

[Filthy Bore]

We live in the city, but in a fairly wooded area, so we often get coyotes walking along. At one point we had a red fox family come around a couple years in a row.

My PITA neighbor has a couple of those small yippy dogs. Never on a leash, always come running at people as their walking, going to their car etc. We get the obligatory "Don't worry, they don't bite" If you were ever a paper boy, you'd realize those are famous last words.

They let the dogs out late at night when his dirtbag of a girlfriend's daughter comes to pick up her kids, so we get to hear the yipping and yapping. Eventually he goes out and stands there yelling for them. One time I said to my wife "I wish a few of the coyotes would show up right now!" She said it isn't the poor dogs fault. I told her I meant so it could rip his ass to shreds, not the dogs!

Invest in Bald eagles!

 

[LBAhunter]

I can't stand any kind of cruelty to animals. Here and in rural Eastern WA there seem to be lots of people who think it's fine to transport their dog in the back of an open pickup, even when the weather is in the teens or colder. Bad enough when the dog is in an open kennel with no way to get out of the wind and cold, but if the dog is loose or is just tethered to something, in any kind of weather, chances are excellent that it will jump out at some point and either get killed outright or badly crippled. I once saw a tethered dog jump out and hang by its collar, twisting, struggling, and bouncing off the ground and the side of the truck, for close to a mile.

The cruelty is letting their dogs out of the house without watching them, or on a leash, or without a fence.Those invisible fences only work, if you keep up with batteries in the dog's collar. Then, when the dog/dogs are standing in your yard/driveway barking at you. They tell you oh he don't bite, they only bite if you come into their house (?? made no sense to me, they were in my yard , they trying to circle me??) he's just scared (that one made me feel better as this 100lb dog was barking at me, 10 feet away in my driveway). As they are calling the dog/dogs, the dog/dogs aren't listening to them. You are thinking are this/these dog/dogs gonna attack me?. You tell that you carry or they see you with your pistol in your hand. You tell them I will do what i gotta do or I will shoot him.Then, I'm the bad guy for trying to protect myself/family.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

The cruelty is letting their dogs out of the house without watching them, or on a leash, or without a fence.Those invisible fences only work, if you keep up with batteries in the dog's collar. Then, when the dog/dogs are standing in your yard/driveway barking at you. They tell you oh he don't bite, they only bite if you come into their house (?? made no sense to me, they were in my yard , they trying to circle me??) he's just scared (that one made me feel better as this 100lb dog was barking at me, 10 feet away in my driveway). As they are calling the dog/dogs, the dog/dogs aren't listening to them. You are thinking are this/these dog/dogs gonna attack me?. You tell that you carry or they see you with your pistol in your hand. You tell them I will do what i gotta do or I will shoot him.Then, I'm the bad guy for trying to protect myself/family.

First off, many dogs are often scared and act like they are growling etc but that is just them trying to be brave. I would try and tell your neighbors that you do not feel comfortable with the dogs constantly barking growling at you etc , see if they cooperate and do something. etc. I would not tell them I am "carrying" I would not threaten them or the dogs etc. I would go about my business, and if, and that's a big if, the dogs decide to try and get a piece of you. You do what you have to do.! IMHO

 

[LBAhunter]

First off, many dogs are often scared and act like they are growling etc but that is just them trying to be brave. I would try and tell your neighbors that you do not feel comfortable with the dogs constantly barking growling at you etc , see if they cooperate and do something. etc. I would not tell them I am "carrying" I would not threaten them or the dogs etc. I would go about my business, and if, and that's a big if, the dogs decide to try and get a piece of you. You do what you have to do.! IMHO

That was the second time. The first time i told them to please keep him in their yard (invisible fence).That my wife and kids are uneasy around dogs especially big dogs. I didnt tell her i was "carrying" , she saw my pistol in my hand. I didn't threaten her, just her dog. While this 100lb dog was barking at me in my driveway, i asked her please get him because i dont know what he's gonna do. I told her if he comes toward me, I will shoot him. She said he's just scared. I told i don't care what he is. You better get him.
What a cop told me, if they are in your yard and you feel threatened. You have the right to.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

That was the second time. The first time i told them to please keep him in their yard (invisible fence).That my wife and kids are uneasy around dogs especially big dogs. I didnt tell her i was "carrying" , she saw my pistol in my hand. I didn't threaten her, just her dog. While this 100lb dog was barking at me in my driveway, i asked her please get him because i dont know what he's gonna do. I told her if he comes toward me, I will shoot him. She said he's just scared. I told i don't care what he is. You better get him.
What a cop told me, if they are in your yard and you feel threatened. You have the right to.

I understand, but a cop is not the DA, be careful what you say or do. Having a firearm in your hand could be considered a 'threat" in some areas or 'brandishing a firearm". Be smart, be safe.

 

[jd24.5.48]

Me and my Dad were out rabbit hunting quite a few years ago and a pack of dogs were going after our beagle! My dad yelled that we're going to kill Spot and a pretty large one saw me and growled at me! Let's just say that me, dad and Spot came out of it just fine and the pack of dogs was 1 short! That was a pretty scary moment in the woods!

 

[NicoleN]

Most of my neighbors have loose, free range dogs. I only care when they come up my fence barking and trying to get to my pets.

I scare them off with 12ga bird shot. I thought I hit one once. I see him going around from time to time so if I did hit him it couldn't have been too bad. But he does NOT come near my fence anymore.

 

[nrangeofficer]

I ALWAYS carry. Either my Springfield XD-S 45 ACP or Ruger LCP II .380. Even sitting in the living room typing this, I have my Springfield on me.
I have had a couple times with neighbors, their dog in my yard, barking at me. I told them that if he bites me, wife, or boys or trys to, I will do what I gotta do.

Wow, I carry the same exact weapons depending...

 

[Stevew]

Most dangerous thing in the woods is ticks

Ticks are almost the first thing I think of when heading into wooded areas I don't know.

 

[Stevew]

Alot of people have this misguided notion that because they live in the country their dogs should be able to roam free, and while I support their right to do as they please, it doesn’t mean I should have to deal with them.
Where I hunt here in east TX is about 600 acres surrounded on three sides by rural subdivisions, and I have run ins with dogs all the time. Let’s just say it doesn’t end well for the aggressive ones.

I guess that's another thing I didn't know about Texas. Been here about a year and didn't meet up with any wild dogs in North Texas but guess I'll be a bit more prepared now for just in case.

 

[FredB]

I think we don't have feral dogs in Idaho, because the wolves would eat them. The only animal in the woods that has ever attacked me was a porcupine. I think he felt cornered as I had come up on him a couple times while on a path through a rock slide in the dark. Fortunately, even a charging porcupine is pretty slow. Dashing off the trail across a rock slide in the dark made sense to me back then, in my younger days. These days, I think I'd just have to blast him with my elk rifle. Looking back at it, it seems pretty funny. I must have been quite a sight.

 

[LBAhunter]

Wow, I carry the same exact weapons depending...

Carry the Springfield most of the time with clip in front left pocket. The Ruger just slide it in my pocket of shorts in summer or other occasions. I have been known to carry both. I got a Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm in the lockbox for wife. If not carrying the Ruger its in lockbox for her to use, too.
I kinda been looking for a higher capacity 45. I looked at Glock. I looked at a H&K at a pawn shop. I really haven't made my mind up as to what I want to do yet.

 

[Stevew]

I carried my little Ruger 380 for years in my front pocket. Would need to remind myself it was there from time to time when I would go somewhere sketchy so I wouldn't forget I wasn't unarmed. The thing is so little. Got a Crimson Trace laser on it so all I have to do is squeeze the grip and it lights up a red dot on something. I just recently stopped carrying it because I felt like I didn't need to here but should probably start again.

 

[GBG]

For the record, I have only killed one dog that belonged to another person. It was the leader of 6 or 8 domestic dogs in the area that would form a pack and had killed 40+ dairy goats over a six-month period.

If it were legal, I would have rather gut shot the owner than kill the dog. I don't rescue abused Rotties, Pit-chows, Dobies, Carolina Yellows, Great Danes . . . and spend thousands of dollars on food and medical care because I like killing dogs.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. I love a dog." - Will Rogers

 

[sheriffjohn]

When you suspect a dog's been killing sheep, look at their teeth. They can't get the wool out from between their teeth and it stays there for days sometimes. Learned that on a neighbor vs. neighbor disturbance call when the owner of a small herd of sheep shot a dog that "would never do that". Yes, they will, and they enjoy doing it.

 

[earlwb]

Ticks are almost the first thing I think of when heading into wooded areas I don't know.

Here in Texas the chiggars leave really nasty target like welts on you too.

Of course those huge gallinipper mosquitos in Florida and Minnesota are really bad too. No anesthesia in their saliva when they poke you.

 

[MrTom]

Of course those huge gallinipper mosquitos in Minnesota are really bad too. No anesthesia in their saliva when they poke you.

Ha! Then you'd really love the little black buffalo gnats we get up here in the early summer. Or the deer flies that take a chunk of you.

 

[Stevew]

Here in Texas the chiggars leave really nasty target like welts on you too.

Of course those huge gallinipper mosquitos in Florida and Minnesota are really bad too. No anesthesia in their saliva when they poke you.

Already experienced that here. They said they were no see ums. Chiggers makes more sense.

 

[Bphunter1974]

Here in Texas the chiggars leave really nasty target like welts on you too.































Of course those huge gallinipper mosquitos in Florida and Minnesota are really bad too. No anesthesia in their saliva when they pokeYou.





Wait till you find the fire ants in Texas they're horrible