I believe the highway system is as good a reason as any for our drug problem. I81, I88, NY17 etc. Proximity to NEPA. I don't see how carrying a gun everywhere is the answer. I'm not about to encroach on someone's property without a good reason. A friend or relative maybe? If you want to confront drug gangs, be my guest. Maybe alerting law enforcement might be a better choice, except in Bradford County PA. It's pretty corrupt down there.

..and my dogs ran over to the place.

I don't carry a gun everywhere.

I carry in the woods.

EDIT: it was not too far from 17, north of Roscoe.

Cat Hollow, Pepacton Reservoir, East Branch Delaware River.....

Last edited Fri May 6, 2016, 03:40 PM - Edit history (1)

the Mud Pond/Trout Pond area but it gets crazy there during hunting season.

My wife and I call it the 'Ostfront' because of all the dead deer with the bones sticking through the snow during the winter.

Were you on your own property? If it was someone else's property, did you have permission? We live in a rural part of Broome. I only enter others' property with permission and others have asked my permission to enter mine. Your dogs have to be leashed or on your property under your control. If you have a need to carry a firearm in the woods when not hunting, maybe you shouldn't be in the woods. If you do carry in the woods, invest in a cheap compass. Please keep out of my woods.

I said it was a blowdown.

Massive amounts of trees had fallen, had to climb and crawl to get out. Could not go back because we had come down an icy hill on the way in. Going back would have caused us to make a several hour circle back. The trees just kind of got worse as we continued on.

I was on state land until I lost my way. The state land went right up to behind the house. I did not need permission to be there until I was right on top of the scene, even then, the meth lab was in an abandoned house. I have met the owners of the land the house is on, they are from downstate.

They (the meth cookers) were the ones trespassing. I was just lost.

In New York, dogs cannot 'run at large' (run around without the owner) but they can be off leash in the woods.

....had gone through several months before.

I was doing a trail maintenance check.

That's not a photo from that area, but it looked exactly like this.

Somehow we ended up in the middle of it and had no idea how we got there. Shit just happens sometimes.

But we got out without a problem, other than a tour of the backyard of a meth lab.

I had my compass out all the time. If I had not, we still would be there.

....if you know where you are but have no idea how to get to where you want to go without crawling through that mess...

.......if that's not the same as lost...

Then no, I guess I was not 'lost.'

What would you call it then?

Covered in trees?

I think 'lost' comes pretty close.

Entangled may be more what you were experiencing. I apologize for "assuming" you just went into the woods nilly willy. All my neighbors have hand guns, rifles and shotguns. I've never seen them carry one unless they were hunting. I still don't see a reason to carry a firearm like you do. I believe you have a better chance of shooting yourself than a criminal in the woods.

Next time I tell the story, I'll use that word.

I am a volunteer Catskill Mountain trail maintainer.

That was near one of my sections of trail.

Being in the middle of it was totally disorienting.

Besides, my dogs were scared shitless, and they were actually my main concern.

Luckily it was a relatively small section, acreage wise, so a combination of chain sawing and re-routing re-opened the trail by spring.

I've passed by the building several times since, you have to look carefully from the road to see it.

The driveway has weeded-over, I don't think anyone has been back since.

Thanks for your service. It's one of the better trail systems I've hiked.

The farthest west I've been is Slide Mt. I've done 5-6 peaks in the North lake region and many hikes around Kaaterskill Falls.

Hunter Mt - twice - once in snow

Devil's Path - hiked a portion to Plattekill Mt through Jimmy Dolan Notch

Escarpment Trail - mostly around the top of Kaaterskill Falls and North Lake

This is my trail guide for the Catskills

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That's been my handbook for 25 years.

Make sure you get the new maps - they have mileage between junctions.

For the summer, when the trails in Ulster County get too crowded, try the Mary Smith area south of the Pepacton Reservoir.


AND..... Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower. Must see.

Try the TV series Occupied

10 episode series.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okkupert

Great show.

My wife really wants to go to Wyoming, and other northern Rockies states.

What do people carry out that way?

in Grizzly country I recommend something big. Before CCW was more liberalized, when I was a kid, I know of several women who worked around the truck stops and oil field bars to carry .25s, illegally, at the time. They figured the couple of hundred dollar fine was worth the risk. When hiking, I usually have a Walther P22. I think a Ruger Bearcat would be a better trail gun. I like single action revolvers. I have been pondering dumping my LC9 for a DA revolver as a carry.

And an 8mm Mauser bolt action.

as a cop. It was his camping gun too. My other brother carried the K frame 19 on patrol. I can relate to the TV show "Blue Bloods." Why I wasn't an SP or AFOSI astounds some people.

" If you have a need to carry a firearm in the woods when not hunting, maybe you shouldn't be in the woods."

I can at least understand the rest of the points of your post, but I'm not sure what your point was with the above line.

If you have a need to carry a firearm in the city, maybe you shouldn't be in the city.

If you have a need to keep a firearm in your house, maybe you shouldn't be in your house.

If you have a need to carry a firearm in the military, maybe you shouldn't be in the military. Okay, this one was just for fun.

If you have a need to wear a short skirt and revealing sweater, maybe you shouldn't be in the bar.

Lots of reasons to stray onto owned property. No fences. No signs. Borders BLM land. As in this case, storm damage could easily obliterate existing landmarks and property lines.

Exactly. I volunteer to do trail checks. I GPS the tree (or two) that falls across the trail.

Crews come in the spring with chain saws.

They go directly to the offending trees without searching for obstructions. That's my job.

Never expected anything that bad.

If I was afraid of the woods, I would stay out of the woods. Same with the city. People get shot every day because someone was afraid. The vast majority of drug related shootings are because of deals gone wrong or robbing drugs. If an innocent bystander gets shot, there was probably no way to prevent it by carrying a weapon. Anyway all you guys carrying will protect the rest of us, right?

All you guys...? I have no idea.

Me?

Yes, actually. It was what I was trained to do.

http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/swearing-in-for-military-service.html

I don't expect any "civilian" to protect me with a firearm. Armed criminals expect trouble because they are doing criminal activity. The armed civilian walking down the street isn't going out draw and shoot him or her. Clerks in retail establishments where an armed robbery is more probable is a different story and potential robbers should know better.

I'm good.

I'm that good.

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."