I would not worry too much about snakes; they really have no desire to be around you. If you have enough time to draw and shoot a snake, you can walk around him.
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Carrying while hiking or on the AT?
- Thread starter 762justice
- Start date
I would not worry too much about snakes; they really have no desire to be around you. If you have enough time to draw and shoot a snake, you can walk around him.
i won't be going any higher than VA... i have no interest in venturing into the freedom hating North East at all.
My concern for snakes are my dogs finding one on the trail and not leaving it alone. Not necessarily me stepping on one (though that's a concern as well). Especially around Springer Mtn, the only direct sunlight comes straight through the trees/canopy onto the trail and i can just see a snake warming up in the middle of the trail. I won't be a "Yosemite Sam" by any means just shooting everything... if i can go around it and don't have to disturb it of course i will.
My concern for snakes are my dogs finding one on the trail and not leaving it alone. Not necessarily me stepping on one (though that's a concern as well). Especially around Springer Mtn, the only direct sunlight comes straight through the trees/canopy onto the trail and i can just see a snake warming up in the middle of the trail. I won't be a "Yosemite Sam" by any means just shooting everything... if i can go around it and don't have to disturb it of course i will.
the fact that there are "dog regulations" on the AT blows me away...
Hiked a good bit of the trail 17-20 years ago, always carried a handgun and on two legs the next year an M1 carbine wrapped and tied on the side of my pack along with a 20 lb sack of dogchow tied on the bottom of my pack. My choice, and I spoke with several LE types along the way and simply was never asked and never memtioned it.
My risk, my choice and would do it again after meeting one obviously disturbed and armed knucklehead on the trail that I got as far away from as fast as I could.
My risk, my choice and would do it again after meeting one obviously disturbed and armed knucklehead on the trail that I got as far away from as fast as I could.
Once you get out there you'll see why. People think that they will be in the woods alone and let there dogs go wild. Well starting March 1 -May the AT from Springer to Damascus will be overrun with hikers and the shelters will be packed in the beginning (sometimes 40-60 at each shelter especially Hawk, Gooch) and the last thing you want to deal with after a 20 mile day is someone's dog trying to get into everyone's food bags, running off with your boot or trying to sleep and some hiker's dog is barking all night. Last year a hiker brought a dog into a shelter in PA after the other hikers asked him not to and then it peed all over another guy's sleeping bag. A lot of hikers carry pepper spray and if an unleashed dog approaches them acting aggressive they will spray it as opposed to taking a chance on being bit.
As it gets harder to find National forest away from high population areas we will see more and more crime there. Trailhead parking has become a easy stop and shop for methheads . Every time I have been on the AT I met someone who was either crazy or running from something. Needless to say I was also armed discreetly .
I never pitch a tent or stay at a shelter that is within 2 miles of a road crossing especially on a weekend. Unfortunately the garbage of the world ruins it for everyone and I have to agree it is only going to get worse.
I don't know the laws around bear/pepper spray, but that might be a good alternative when you can't carry a gun. You may still be illegal in crazy states like NJ and MA though.
Ditto after my experience with "crazy" on the trail I would walk about half a mile from any shelter take a 90degree turn into the woods go 200 plus feet away and that was my shelter for the night. My dog would catch up and keep security. Never had issue with the dog either except humping in his chow...
