Is camping alone ok?

[Sbroadwell]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

The one problem with a gun is that you have to be willing and able to shoot someone (or something) with it. I live alone as well as camp alone and I have come to the realization that for me "getting the heck out of dodge" is a much better survival plan than standing firm with a gun. The gun doesn't make me feel safer.

For others, the gun may give them the security they need.

You are absolutely right. You have to have the mindset to use it, plus a LOT of practice. Without that, they will just take it away from you.

[bluestar99]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

The one problem with a gun is that you have to be willing and able to shoot someone (or something) with it. I live alone as well as camp alone and I have come to the realization that for me "getting the heck out of dodge" is a much better survival plan than standing firm with a gun. The gun doesn't make me feel safer.

For others, the gun may give them the security they need.

I agree with the get out of Dodge therory, if that is possible. A firearm is always a tool of last resort, when there is just no way out. I always have one when I camp. There are just to many times where bad things can happen with no help close by.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

The gun issue. Where I camp there is Moose, elk, deer and mountain lion. Man is the lesser of my worries. I keep a Remington 870 pump shoot gun in my tent. Basically a home defense gun. When I load it for the camping, the first load is 00 rubber buckshot. That is to "persuade" the animal to leave. After that it is 7 rounds of actual 00 buck.
As with others, a gun is the last result, but if it comes to a choice between my little girl and anyone else, guess what I am going to chose.

[toedtoes]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

I agree with the get out of Dodge therory, if that is possible. A firearm is always a tool of last resort, when there is just no way out. I always have one when I camp. There are just to many times where bad things can happen with no help close by.

For me, I don't see it as "too many times where bad things can happen". I see it as "there aren't that many bad things that will happen to make me afraid of the possibility".

The gun issue. Where I camp there is Moose, elk, deer and mountain lion. Man is the lesser of my worries. I keep a Remington 870 pump shoot gun in my tent. Basically a home defense gun. When I load it for the camping, the first load is 00 rubber buckshot. That is to "persuade" the animal to leave. After that it is 7 rounds of actual 00 buck.
As with others, a gun is the last result, but if it comes to a choice between my little girl and anyone else, guess what I am going to chose.

When it comes to the safety and well-being of someone you're responsible for and/or love, that changes things drastically. I remember a jury trial I was on (juror). It was a series of home invasions. One victim, an older woman living alone, came to the stand and told what happened to her. She said the robbers told her to open her safe. She said no. They had threatened her life several times and she kept refusing. Then the head guy said "open the safe or I'll shoot your dog". The woman looked at us (the jury) and said "I was willing to risk my own life, but I couldn't risk the life of my dog. I unlocked the safe."

[MacGyver]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

When I load it for the camping, the first load is 00 rubber buckshot. That is to "persuade" the animal to leave. After that it is 7 rounds of actual 00 buck.

Good timing that you posted that. I've always taken my Mossberg 500 out, and like you, have always loaded 00 buck shells. Because bears can be a problem in Western Maryland and I'm not a hunter, I've been doing some research on the effectiveness of shot vs slugs on large game. The picture I get isn't too clear but, from what I've read, large game like bear and moose are best stopped with slugs. Do you have any input on this that might clarify things? I really don't want to convert Mossy with a slug barrel because I also call it a home defense weapon.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

I am not an expert. But a DOW "suggested" that load. I have heard that there are 9 pellets in each round. So I may not drop it dead, but it will get the point (to leave) You have to consider some things. It's probably boing to be night, so I have a 1000 lumen light on it. I figure you are going to go from a dead sleep into a very stressful situation. So your probably not going to be dead nuts accurate. SO with 9 pellets, you will have some forgiveness. I was told that at close range, It would make a moose leave. BTW, we have smaller moose her in CO. Mountain lion and bear are a bigger concern.
When I am at home, I take the rubber buckshot out. I then pull the trigger on an empty chamber. That way, if I wake up in the middle of the night, I have to chamber a round. The sound of a 870 chambering a round is bilingual. I don't care if you speak English or not, that is going to get it's point across.

[Mike]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

The gun issue. Where I camp there is Moose, elk, deer and mountain lion. Man is the lesser of my worries. I keep a Remington 870 pump shoot gun in my tent. Basically a home defense gun. When I load it for the camping, the first load is 00 rubber buckshot. That is to "persuade" the animal to leave. After that it is 7 rounds of actual 00 buck.
As with others, a gun is the last result, but if it comes to a choice between my little girl and anyone else, guess what I am going to chose.

Sleeping in a tent with a loaded shotgun seems a lot more dangerous to me than the threat of a dear, elk, moose, or mountain lion. I look forward to the opportunity to see these animals in the wild.

To me, the thought that the jittery camper next to me has a loaded shotgun in his tent is infinitely more concerning than the concern of wild animals

[MacGyver]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

I am not an expert. But a DOW "suggested" that load. I have heard that there are 9 pellets in each round. So I may not drop it dead, but it will get the point (to leave) You have to consider some things. It's probably boing to be night, so I have a 1000 lumen light on it. I figure you are going to go from a dead sleep into a very stressful situation. So your probably not going to be dead nuts accurate. SO with 9 pellets, you will have some forgiveness. I was told that at close range, It would make a moose leave. BTW, we have smaller moose her in CO. Mountain lion and bear are a bigger concern.
When I am at home, I take the rubber buckshot out. I then pull the trigger on an empty chamber. That way, if I wake up in the middle of the night, I have to chamber a round. The sound of a 870 chambering a round is bilingual. I don't care if you speak English or not, that is going to get it's point across.

Here in Maryland we don't have moose or elk to worry about. The only large threats are black bears which, according my online checking, get pissed off really quickly when wounded, making a quick kill shot much preferred (DUH!). Those same pages are where I read that slugs are the best load to take down a bear. But of course you're right - having to go from sleep to firing makes shot a better choice.

You're correct - a 2-3/4 inch #00 holds an average of 9 pellets. I load 3-inch shells which hold an average of 15. But obviously I hope I never have to deal with that situation to test the stopping power.

And yeah... that sound... what my friends and I call, "shnick-shnack" is truly universal. Just wish bears knew it like humans do.

[Mike]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

Good timing that you posted that. I've always taken my Mossberg 500 out, and like you, have always loaded 00 buck shells. Because bears can be a problem in Western Maryland and I'm not a hunter, I've been doing some research on the effectiveness of shot vs slugs on large game. The picture I get isn't too clear but, from what I've read, large game like bear and moose are best stopped with slugs. Do you have any input on this that might clarify things? I really don't want to convert Mossy with a slug barrel because I also call it a home defense weapon.

One thing I can tell you about slugs is that they are not accurate. When you shoot them, you can often see them spinning and whizzing around. Unless you are close to the target, it is hard to be accurate with them. If you plan to use slugs, you should spend time at the shooting range practicing. Slugs can be hard on your gun.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

Sleeping in a tent with a loaded shotgun seems a lot more dangerous to me than the threat of a dear, elk, moose, or mountain lion. I look forward to the opportunity to see these animals in the wild.

To me, the thought that the jittery camper next to me has a loaded shotgun in his tent is infinitely more concerning than the concern of wild animals

I don't know who you are calling jittery. I have been sleeping with loaded weapons beside me since Desert Shield/Desert Storm. My life and my daughters life are far more valuable to me than yours or any animals. Some of us can handle loaded weapons and make life and death decisions, some of us can't.

[gmann]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

One thing I can tell you about slugs is that they are not accurate. When you shoot them, you can often see them spinning and whizzing around. Unless you are close to the target, it is hard to be accurate with them. If you plan to use slugs, you should spend time at the shooting range practicing. Slugs can be hard on your gun.

For the record, in my neck of the woods deer hunting is shotgun only using slugs. A deer standing broad side at 70-80 yards is within my range. 50 yards running is also very doable.

Fwiw........I have significant experience with firearms. I have a permit to conceal and carry. I will rarely carry a firearm while camping except for when I am hunting. Furthermore, there are no animals where I camp that warrant bringing protection. However, if I ever camp in an area where there is a slight to moderate risk of encountering an animal that could harm me...........I have no issues with bringing a fire arm.

Regarding other campers packing heat and being jittery.........hopefully they are like Barney Fife and carry their lone bullet in their shirt pocket.

Tomorrow we will be camping for a few days in SE MN. Slight chance we could encounter a timber rattlesnake. Where I live the only snakes we have are the harmless Gardner snakes. I am contemplating whether I should bing the 9mm.

In my home every weapon is unloaded and locked away. I have two young boys and while I teach them the facts about gun safety the cons outweigh the pros. I have nothing against those that do things different. IMHO if someone keeps a gun loaded and ready then it is there for one reason and one reason only. Is that wrong? Absolutely not. It's a choice and I choose not to do it. Steps off soapbox. God bless the USA!

[tplife]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

Keep these posts coming, free entertainment is the best!

[toedtoes]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

Sleeping in a tent with a loaded shotgun seems a lot more dangerous to me than the threat of a dear, elk, moose, or mountain lion. I look forward to the opportunity to see these animals in the wild.

To me, the thought that the jittery camper next to me has a loaded shotgun in his tent is infinitely more concerning than the concern of wild animals

I agree. I also have more concern with the overly confident person who thinks they will never make a mistake and the old person who thinks they have the same reaction speed and accuracy as when they were younger. I had both of those in my family and they scared me far more than any wild animal.

We have bear, mountain lion and coyote where I camp (coyotes are all over town also and we've recently had a lion in the area). With all of that, I've never met anyone who had to face one down. The usual "make yourself look bigger and make a lot of noise" has always worked for people I know who have come across any while out. We do have a coyote pack that's hunting around town right now and I would expect that they would be less likely to back down - but so far no one has had anything more than a glance at them.

[Oldcoyote]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

I don't think of black bears as normally dangerous to campers. Grizzlies and brown bears yes. My 9mm is for bad guys.

[Malamute]

Re: Is camping alone ok?

One thing I can tell you about slugs is that they are not accurate. When you shoot them, you can often see them spinning and whizzing around. Unless you are close to the target, it is hard to be accurate with them. If you plan to use slugs, you should spend time at the shooting range practicing. Slugs can be hard on your gun.

You may be using the wrong type of slugs, or just be one of the unlucky people whos guns just doesn't shoot them well. Brennekes shoot very well in a shortened old model 12 Winchester I have, and most report very good results with them. They have a much better reputation for slug integrity and penetration on larger animals compared to the common Foster type American deer slugs.

One of the limiting factors in shooting slugs well is the shooter. Most slug loads are simply not fun to shoot.

Slugs generally work better on large animals than buckshot. Counting on any load to simply make an animal "go away" is a bad strategy. You are then responsible for finishing what you start, to keep an animal from suffering, and to keep it from causing a problem with anyone else that may encounter it. There are very few instances where people need to shoot animals in self defense, and most people get way too jumpy about it. However, in those exceedingly rare situations when it is necessary, there simply isn't anything else that will do. Pepper spray is great, and would forestall a number of bears and other critters being killed, but it isn't perfect, and simply doesn't always work, or doesn't work at all in some situations.

I completely agree about practicing with anything one chooses to use for protection, at home or in the woods.

Can you provide a reputable citation where slugs will damage a gun?

In regards to bad people, I completely agree that leaving is far better than shooting someone, though at times, they may not give one that opportunity. Complying with a crooks demands in a robbery or assault also does not guarantee one will walk away unharmed. Once they cross the line of pointing a weapon at someone, that's the implied threat of deadly force. You have zero idea if they intend to carry out their threat, whether one complies or not, and you have no power to change things once one gives in. The appropriate response is resistance, preferably by presentation of a weapon in return, and using it if one is truly in fear for their life. In the majority of cases, an armed response will end the encounter without shots fired, though its a fools errand to present one without will to use it.

If one has reputable citation for the idea that its more likely to have a gun taken away from you if you aren't a highly trained ninja warrior, I'm open to hearing it, but it would seriously contradict the information I have. Its a talking point by people that are afraid of guns or people having them and it isn't based in truth. Somehow, the majority of people that end up using one in self defense, with little or no training, manage to protect themselves from criminals at a remarkable rate, with surprisingly few self inflicted or innocent casualties along the way.

If one chooses not to have means of defense, I certainly have no issue with that. Some people know themselves and know they wouldn't use one or feel they simply wouldn't ever need one. Other may not share that outlook. A few are actually fairly capable, despite rumors. Some of course, are pretty scary to see them with a gun in hand.

Moose can indeed be very dangerous, but I'd be profoundly surprised of one needed to shoot one, especially at night. I've had them walk through my camp while sleeping on the ground, they looked a bit surprised (2 bulls in one camp a few minutes apart), but walked off, looking back now and then, like "What the HECK?". One walked between my buddys cot and my spot between some trees. Makes me smile to think about it.