Personal Safety

[bsnedeker]

Thought I’d offer a contrasting perspective although I’m sure it will be in the minority. The only time I carry in the woods is with a rifle, during rifle season. I spend a lot of nights in the woods in CO and WY annually and have never ever had an experience that was questionable. Also spent plenty of time on the border in CA deserts and never had an interest or need to carry. I’ve lived in metro areas that would be considered “rough neighborhoods” and have never carried, or seen a need. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a gun owner and love going to the range to plink with my beretta 92fs, but that’s all the action it’s going to see.

Everyone gets to decide for themselves based on what is important to them, which is great. If you carry a gun and never need to use it you had to carry some extra weight that was, in retrospect, unnecessary. If you don't carry a gun and you do need it then there is a good chance that you will die. That's how I look at it. I've never needed the self-defense gun that I carry, thankfully. But I don't think about it in terms of "I haven't needed a gun to defend myself in my life", I think in terms of "I haven't needed a gun to defend my life so far."

 

[DCAN]

Spent 30 years with a pistol on my hip. Was hoping to get away from that in retirement. However, the way things are going, I armed all the time now.
I've been shot at while working and while hunting. Guess it's just the way it goes sometimes.

 

[TomJoad]

Everyone gets to decide for themselves based on what is important to them, which is great. If you carry a gun and never need to use it you had to carry some extra weight that was, in retrospect, unnecessary. If you don't carry a gun and you do need it then there is a good chance that you will die. That's how I look at it. I've never needed the self-defense gun that I carry, thankfully. But I don't think about it in terms of "I haven't needed a gun to defend myself in my life", I think in terms of "I haven't needed a gun to defend my life so far."

I hear you. I’m just of the personal belief that the best “weapon” at my disposal is the head between my shoulders. Also always operated under the belief that in dangerous situations the best course of action is to always try to de-escalate. I also believe guns will have the opposite effect when introduced to a tense situation. Everyone has to make their own choices in life.

 

[rob86jeep]

I hear you. I’m just of the personal belief that the best “weapon” at my disposal is the head between my shoulders. Also always operated under the belief that in dangerous situations the best course of action is to always try to de-escalate. I also believe guns will have the opposite effect when introduced to a tense situation. Everyone has to make their own choices in life.

You are right that your head is your best defense (both to avoid/get out of risky situations and to de-escalate if you can't), however, carrying a gun to most people that carry is most similar to using a seat belt/having jumper cables/smoke alarms, etc. You should rarely (never say never) present a gun if you're not about to use it like you said. Having a gun can save yours or your loved ones lives though. I'm not saying you should carry or anyone else should carry, but I would never fault someone for carrying a gun.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Always strapped. I actually take a long gun everywhere, when in the wild at least

 

[87TT]

Never want to say, “if I only had a gun”. And as far as deescalation goes, if my gun comes out it will deescalate because I”m going to finish one way or another.

 

[MattB]

Do you guys also carry a portable defibrillator? That would address a much more likely cause of death in the backcountry than what a firearm would.

 

[Wetwork]

For me its very very situational. When I was stationed in Cleveland, OH housing was in a low income apartment building. A very criminal gang had rented the apartment three doors down. Two cases of beer later, this scrawny, lily white, small town, ranch kid basically had a small army watching out for his wife and kids every time I shipped out. When I got home it was a shin-dig. They'd call me, letting me know things were cool or not. I still get Xmas cards. I had my folks send me my SXS 20 gauge shotgun so if things got bad me and the family could hide in the bedroom with stuff pushed against the door. Nothing ever happened thankfully.

I've since retired back to small town USA, back on the ranch. I hunt, we carry for snakes and coyotes. The dogs patrol the yard. I re-load as a hobby, there are tool's around my place that use those re-loads.

I'm not going to drop the tweeker breaking out my pickup window holding his daughter's hand. If someone gets past the dogs (which won't happen) and kicks in my door or window he/she best not have a visible weapon. If they do they'd best drop it when I kindly ask.

I don't CCW anymore there's no need here in Smallsville. When I travel there's a bed gun for sleeping but that's it. I don't go to the bad parts of cities.

Media hypes everything. If you follow the news you'd think there's gun battles every night, and all day long even in the suburbs and small towns. The cities are 99% gang related. So don't live in gang hangouts...easy peasy. Bad things are super super rare for those of us not in gangs. Super rare. But if you really need to be strapped every time you leave the house, more power to ya. Please just don't F-up, make your shot count, and you have to be exactly perfectly right when you pull that trigger. You might just be shooting at another dude just trying to do the same thing you are even though the bad guys are long gone.-WW

ps. My pistols are only for me when I can't run anymore, my pistols are just to fight my way to my long gun. And one last thing if you have ever had any training, if you are prior service, or former LEO you will be held to your training standards. Rules of engagement will come into the trial, your use of force will be dissected. Its better to be a back woods cowhand who feared for his safety. IF you ever carried professionally you will be held to those standards if you pull a trigger. Know exactly what you can and can't do.

 

[Bighorner]

I do believe the only thing that stops bad people with guns are good people with guns. With that said, if I find the need to size up everyone walking into a coffee shop i am in the wrong coffee shop. I want nothing to do with that. For all the guys that carry it's your right and I'm glad you are exercising it.

 

[Phaseolus]

Another thing to think about. In Arvada, Colorado recently a crazy shot a cop, a good samaritan shot the cop killer and then picked up the cop killers AR. He was then shot and killed by police responding to the situation.

 

[Mike7]

Do you guys also carry a portable defibrillator? That would address a much more likely cause of death in the backcountry than what a firearm would.

Many high risk people do carry a portable defibrillator in their chest.

But it is estimated that nationally every year a few hundred thousand regular, not necessarily high risk, citizens who are carrying guns, prevent violent crimes...a little more than all cardiac arrests that occur each year outside of hospitals.

 

[tuk]

No chlorine in the gene pool. This is what we get. I carry as well i have private land where i shoot walk the dogs hunt and just hang out. I have caught people stealing and trespassing Multiple times. Glad i carry in those situations. The wildlife is another reason. i have seen a cougar and one attacked a friends dog. So gotta be safe.

 

[woods89]

Do you guys also carry a portable defibrillator? That would address a much more likely cause of death in the backcountry than what a firearm would.

I heard a highly qualified individual say one time that the best personal protection for most people was a first aid course and a driving class. YMMV

 

[*zap*]

'the wild' is just another place to be armed and aware, the same as any other place.

 

[Wildfire1550]

A gun is like toilet paper it ain’t worth shit until you need it and then nothing else will do. Rather have it and not need it then vice versa

 

[ncossey]

Carrying a pistol might be inconvenient at times, but it’s far more inconvenient to need one and not have it available.