When Geocaching, Do You Carry A Firearm?

2.7k · May 17, 2005

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. And I travel in some wild country with some real wild critters.

2k · May 17, 2005

Posters who don't do that get warning cards.

What is a warning card?

When Geocaching, Do You Carry A Firearm?

That's for me to know.......

May 17, 2005

I do a lot of wilderness hiking alone in Northern California. Bear and mountian lions abound in these areas. I seldom see people past a couple of hours into a hike. I've have yet to see a bear or a mountian lion although I've seen their VERY FRESH tracks. The only weapon I carry to shot with is my camera. I hope to get a photo of bears and mountian lions one of this days. I know some people can feel threaten by the tought of wild animals and can feel safer with a firearm. If it makes them feel more relaxed to enjoy the experience then I have no problems with that person or their firearm. As for myself, I don't want to carry the extra weight or go through the red tape to own a piece. I also know that the odds of my injury or death from a wild animal is just about the same as winning the lottery. I'm just not worried about it.

21.9k · May 17, 2005

Posters who don't do that get warning cards.

What is a warning card?

After a moderator asks nicely in a forum thread for everyone to stay on topic, not flame people, etc. (as I did near the bottom of the last page), people who don't heed that advice may receive a 10% spike to their warn meter, a tool used by the forum moderators to monitor compliance with the forum guidelines. Serious or repeat violations after prior warning may result in a temporary suspension of forum posting privileges to allow the poster some time to cool off.

PS, thank you for the four on-topic responses since my last post.

Edited May 17, 2005 by Keystone Approver

May 17, 2005

Although I have a few pistols, I don't carry them geocaching. Weight is a major consideration, and legalities are another. Oddly, the only times I have felt like I needed a pistol was in suburban parks, not in the swamp or deep woods. Bears and Bobcats seem to mind their own business, its the urban 2-legged predators that sometimes worry me.

May 17, 2005

I carry a firearm in my truck. I don't have a concealed weapons permit so carrying it out of the truck is against the law. My hopes are that I never have to use it ... for any reason. ... I try to tell my family where I am and I carry my cell with me at all times. ... My firearm is more as an insurance policy.

Carry on!!!

1.1k · May 17, 2005

i'M LOOKING TO GET A HAND GUN BECAUSE IN THE aRIZONA DESERT wE HAVE SOME WILDLIFE LIKE BOBCATS TO LOOK OUT FOR. i WAW ONE STALKING ME ON A CLIFF SIDE AND BOY DID i WISH i HAD A GUN TO SCARE IT OFF

AZCOWBOY290

Heyyyy there,

Thanks for makin' us pro carry folks look good.

The problem is a rock or two would have done the same thing. For some reason people are so insecure.

Cheers

Edited May 17, 2005 by AtoZ

May 17, 2005

Your roast-beef sandwich isn't going to accidentally go off when you fall down and tear a hole through the neck of the vegetarian's son.

FYI, modern pistols will not fire as a result of a fall or being dropped, even with a live round under the hammer. Early revolvers, e.g., Civil War era, would fire if dropped on the hammer, but long ago safety features were incorporated into pistols that prevent this. These days, almost all cases of accidental firing due to a fall result from the shooter falling as he is preparing to shoot, or right after making a shot with a semi-auto. If you leave it in the holster, it is about as safe as a roast-beef sandwich.

May 17, 2005

QUOTE (PlasteredDragon @ May 16 2005, 08:45 PM)

QUOTE (Team HHD1 @ May 17 2005, 12:41 AM)

When you go out in the woods or across unknow terrain, do you carry a hand gun or rifle for protection against snakes, or other unknown threats?

Good God, no. I don't even own a gun.

You make it sound like it's a sin!

"When only outlaws have guns;

Only outlaw's kids will accidentially shoot themselves !"

That would be a parental problem...

*censored*

Edited May 17, 2005 by ParrotRob

May 17, 2005

Your analogy is flawed. Your roast-beef sandwich isn't going to accidentally go off when you fall down and tear a hole through the neck of the vegetarian's son. I'm talking about risk, not politics... and if you'll allow me I'll attempt to illustrate:

*censored*

Edited May 17, 2005 by ParrotRob

May 17, 2005

I certainly don't take a gun geocaching, but around here the only people carrying would be law enforcement or criminals.

I've come across the odd snake while out in the bush but a stomp of the foot usually scares them off. I don't feel the need to blast them to pieces.

May 17, 2005

Yes ... I carry 100% of the time it is legal for me to do so .... with a concealed weapons carry permit. Seecamp 32 .... Better to have a firearm and never need it then to need a firearm and not have it. ImpalaBob NRA Instructor & PA Game Commission Hunter Education Instructor. SAFETY FIRST!

May 17, 2005

my "poll" was for yes or no's...

no.

and lucky me, no snakes or other unknown threats besides the skeeters have bothered me.

3.8k · May 17, 2005

Nope, Cant carry anything over here Just weak air rifles, that can just punch a hole in a tin can (if your close enough )

2.2k · May 17, 2005

yes, and everywhere i legally can. if you see me, consider me armed.

May 17, 2005

No No No...

I don't carry a gun. I believe that carrying a gun around gives a person a false sense of security. All the movies show the good guy out gunning the bad guy. Reality.. can and does happen the other way around, probably more times than not.

1.2k · May 17, 2005

That I would have to whole-heartedly agree with. I have an ex-friend who made a point of flashing his concealed glock at unexpected times. We parted ways over that issue.

A flashed sidearm is not a concealed sidearm anymore.

He doesn't sound like someone I'd hang out with, either.

jc,

Taurus Mill. 9mm

May 17, 2005

[quote name=That would be like showing my lunch bag to cachers "just in case" they are vegitarians...
As I already said' date=' I respect your opinion. But I think if you are going to carry a concealed weapon when you go out with other geocachers, you have a responsibility to let them know you are carrying it.[/quote]

I do carry and I have had training. Quite honestly I have my carry gun with me every day for the last 16+ years. As far as being responsile to let others around me know I am carrying is actully not smart, safe nor is it legal to let others know in my state.

Edited May 17, 2005 by itisjustme

May 17, 2005

When you go out in the woods or across unknow terrain, do you carry a hand gun or rifle for protection against snakes, or other unknown threats?

Good God, no. I don't even own a gun.

You make it sound like it's a sin!

No it's not a sin, it's just not a choice I would make. In my opinion, those who own guns expose themselves to more risk, not less.

But then, I don't want to argue all those warn out pro-gun/con-gun arguments. They're boring, circular, and have been done before ad nauseum to no productive end. You believe what you believe, and I believe what I believe.

So let's just leave it at that. If carrying a piece makes you feel safer, more power to you. Just make sure everyone you cache with knows you are carrying it, I guess.

Haha, when ever we have a group hike it is always announced who is carrying what weapon. These are the popular people to hike near. Of course, I live in Alaska where grizzlies are abundant.

May 17, 2005

Interesting topic -- I never really thought about it before. No, I do not carry a gun. The only gun I own is an old double-barrel shotgun that has just one purpose that hopefully will never occur -- to deal with anyone who is stupid enough to try to break into our home when we are present.

3.9k · May 17, 2005

If I felt that there was any need for me to carry a weapon of any kind to visit any location, I think I'd give that location a miss. For one thing, I wouldn't want to get killed; and right next to that on the list of things I wouldn't want to happen, is that I wouldn't want to kill anyone.

Are there that many caches in the bad parts of town?

May 17, 2005

When you go out in the woods or across unknow terrain, do you carry a hand gun or rifle for protection against snakes, or other unknown threats?

I carry my firearm everywhere... read my sig!!!

Do I carry a gun - absolutely not.

I suspect that if one carries a gun while geocaching, they probably carry a gun at all times.

May 17, 2005

You can assume that I carry. I do have a license to carry concealed and unless theres a need to bring it out, it will stay concealed and anyone that knows me also knows that I may or may not have a weapon and only in a given situation have I been asked.

I have to chuckle at most of the obviously anti-gun replies to this forum.

I worked for over 10 yrs at a nation-wide company that had a "no weapons on premises policy". However, the District Manager and the Office Manager had a "don't ask, don't tell policy". They both carried just as 90% of the employees who by the way were mostly women. No one was ever seen "flashing" but we all knew who we were. Once while coming into work, my immediate supervisor stopped me at the door and asked if I had brought my friend. She had received a threatening call and had called the police who would patrol the area, but felt safer knowing we were protected. And yes the police were always first notified in case of threats. We never went off half cocked.

I also agree that being aware of your surroundings is important in being safe whether you carry or not. Most criminals want someone that's not paying much attention to them.

I am also a martial artist and believe it or not, most blackbelts that I know, also carry.

6.7k · May 17, 2005

I carry a pistol in my truck - the fact that it's there when geocaching is just a by-product of it being near-to-hand at all times!

Outside of the military I have never had cause to fire it, though twice I have stopped what would have become ugly situations merely by showing it and by my demeanor convincing some folks that I was ready to use it. Never when geocaching, however.

NEVER carry without a permit!

If you carry while geocaching be very careful, as geocaching often takes us to restricted places - if you are away from home and decide to go into a state or federal park, for instance, you will likely have nowhere to put it, so it stays in your vehicle, and you are now in violation of state and / or federal law, subject to all the nastiness that a federal firearms charge entails!

Or, say you keep it in your cache bag - you go into, say, CNN's headquarters building to do the Bonnie & Clyde cache, never even thinking about the gun in your bag - next thing you know you're in the Atlanta hoosegow!

2.2k · May 17, 2005

I have had a concealed weapon's permit ever since I've been old enough to have one (12 years). Thankfully, I've never shot anything except paper targets and the occasional soda can.

I occasionally carry a weapon when caching but not always. It all depends on where, when and how long Im going. I NEVER carry a weapon when Im meeting people for a pre-organized group hunt without informing my companions first.

May 17, 2005

It depends. The more solitary caches, or during certain times of the year, I will, other times I won't bother with it. During hunting seasons, I do not set one foot into the woods without a firearm. Partly because of the opportunity for a deer to cross my path while I'm out there, and partly because of the incident in Wisconsin last year. I won't draw my sidearm when I meet someone, but I certainly assess the situation and make sure I'm ready to if needed.

Another reason is drugs--around here, the meth cooks have taken to setting up labs out in the woods where people are less likely to notice. Unfortunatly, these happen to be in the same areas I venture. I haven't stumbled upon one yet, but you can bet if I do, I'll be glad I'm packing. That crap does some strange things to people, tends to make them slightly unstable.

Wildlife isn't much of a concern, as any dangerous animals (there have been mt. lion sightings in the area) will tend to get the heck away from you-and frankly, I'd love the chance to see one up close, just not too close.

I don't carry completely concealed, rather in a holster on my hip-a Ruger Blackhawk .357, so in more populated areas, i.e. higher traffic parks, I'll leave it in the truck. Little Johnny doesn't need to see some giant of a man packing heat while on a stroll with his family. And, those types of parks, I just can't see a need for it...

So far, I've taken a hunter education course, a firearms safety course, and am now certified as a youth rifle instructor. Safety is second nature to me, but that doesn't mean I take it for granted--that's when accidents happen. Someone uncomfortable with a gun is a dangerous situation. I'll support your right NOT to carry as long as you don't try to take my right TO carry away.

So back to the original question...I can't say yes or no, it's on a day-by-day and situation-by-situation basis.

2.6k · May 17, 2005

Some crooks broke into my car once when I was on a trip to another town. I had also my GPSr with me in case I got a chance to find some caches. Some stuff (including the GPSr) was stolen from inside the car (the insurance paid me back quite generously), but guess it's a good thing that I don't carry: There would now be one more gun in the hands of the bad guys.

18.9k · May 17, 2005

Nope - Can't think of a good enough reason too.

May 17, 2005

Here is the reasoning behind this topic... While out with my family on a camping trip, just before geocaching discovered me, we were hiking. We were out where the good ol' cell phone wouldn't get a signal. After a quick stop, 3 dogs found us and had very bad things on their minds. It was appartent they were wild dogs and my guess is that they either smelled our MRE's or we came onto their territory and they didn't like it. They started towards my family and I. There is NO doubt in my mind that they would have attacked if I didn't lay the alpha dog down and scare the other 2 off with the noise...

I don't feel a false security with my weapon. I feel more at ease knowing that my family is safer with it capabilities.

That is the reasoning behind my Yes to this topic.

I respect all of your answers and thank you all for your input. I never thought I would get such a response to this topic. I have been inlightened to other's opinions on the firearm issue. I'm glad we have rights. I'm glad to have the right to respect all of your opinions openly. Geocaching is a great sport, I'm just looking to stay safe while doing it.

KEEP GEOCACHING!!!

20.7k · May 17, 2005

... Wildlife isn't much of a concern, as any dangerous animals (there have been mt. lion sightings in the area) will tend to get the heck away from you-and frankly, I'd love the chance to see one up close, just not too close. ...

I bet cachers in SoCal don't have this attitude about mountain lions any more.

2.5k · May 17, 2005

Some crooks broke into my car once when I was on a trip to another town. I had also my GPSr with me in case I got a chance to find some caches. Some stuff (including the GPSr) was stolen from inside the car (the insurance paid me back quite generously), but guess it's a good thing that I don't carry: There would now be one more gun in the hands of the bad guys.

Good thing you didn't bring any solid gold bars with you on your trip, otherwise the bad guys would have all of your gold too.

2.6k · May 17, 2005

Some crooks broke into my car once when I was on a trip to another town. I had also my GPSr with me in case I got a chance to find some caches. Some stuff (including the GPSr) was stolen from inside the car (the insurance paid me back quite generously), but guess it's a good thing that I don't carry: There would now be one more gun in the hands of the bad guys.

Good thing you didn't bring any solid gold bars with you on your trip, otherwise the bad guys would have all of your gold too.

I saw something like this coming. You mean people never leave guns in their vehicles and they never get stolen?

(FWIW, no way I could have taken a firearm with me in the place I was while they broke into my car.)

May 17, 2005

No. Pepper spray. Under the advisement of hunter with 67 years experience, hunter with 40 years experience, hunter with 22 years experience and corrections officer with 20 years of experience. There are options other than firearms to ensure safety. Some pepper sprays are specifically designed to seriously dissuade grizzlys, good enough for me:)

18.9k · May 17, 2005

Some crooks broke into my car once when I was on a trip to another town. I had also my GPSr with me in case I got a chance to find some caches. Some stuff (including the GPSr) was stolen from inside the car (the insurance paid me back quite generously), but guess it's a good thing that I don't carry: There would now be one more gun in the hands of the bad guys.

Good thing you didn't bring any solid gold bars with you on your trip, otherwise the bad guys would have all of your gold too.

Are you saying that it was Divine's fault for leaving something valuable in the car??? Crooks are the bad guys not people that leave stuff in thier car.

I leave a lot of my valuable geocaching stuff in the car all the time.

Edited May 17, 2005 by StarBrand

2.6k · May 17, 2005

You mean people never leave guns in their vehicles and they never get stolen?

The laws vary from state to state, but if I recall correctly, you can't legally leave a gun unattended in a vehicle in my state. I know you can't transport a loaded gun in your car (unless it's on your person and you have a permit to carry).

May 17, 2005

Only firearm I carry is when I walk too close to fireweed.

2.6k · May 17, 2005

If I felt that there was any need for me to carry a weapon of any kind to visit any location, I think I'd give that location a miss.

You better lock your self up in your house and never come out! Violent crimes happen all the time in any place. It's absurd to delude yourself into believing that you can, in some psychic way, know when or where a crime will be committed.

The number one stupid thing said to the media after a murder is "I'm shocked nothing like this has ever happened in this neighborhood!"

Are there that many caches in the bad parts of town?

Yes.

3.9k · May 17, 2005

You better lock your self up in your house and never come out! Violent crimes happen all the time in any place.

It's absurd to delude yourself into believing that you can, in some psychic way, know when or where a crime will be committed.

Maybe they do in your part of the world. They don't round here. At least, the chance of violent (as in, threat of substantial or deadly force) crime happening to me, and indeed to anyone else in Europe outside of perhaps ten inner city areas of a couple of square miles each in a few of the largest cities, is vanishingly small. (A common remark by Americans who take up residence in Europe is how safe they feel.)

I don't recall making the suggestion that I have psychic powers. But the fact that I can't exclude a one in a million chance that a crime might be committed doesn't mean that I have to take along countermeasure X (and why not Y or Z as well ?) every time I leave the house. I might well do that if I lived in Baghdad or Johannesburg, but I don't.

I do, however, agree that it's absurd to delude yourself. By definition.

Edited May 17, 2005 by sTeamTraen

May 17, 2005

Are there that many caches in the bad parts of town?

Yes.[/color]

there are alot of wierdos out in the woods too. sometimes I carry sometimes I don't, but a cell phone is a must. never know when the freeks start comming out of the woodworks or you stumble across the meth lab. you just never know.

May 17, 2005

When geocaching or fishing in meth lab country, pack.

When geocaching or fishing in the pretty city park, leave it home.

2.6k · May 17, 2005

sometimes I carry sometimes I don't, but a cell phone is a must. never know when the freeks start comming out of the woodworks or you stumble across the meth lab. you just never know.

TRUE.

6.4k · May 17, 2005

You better lock your self up in your house and never come out! Violent crimes happen all the time in any place.

It's absurd to delude yourself into believing that you can, in some psychic way, know when or where a crime will be committed.

Maybe they do in your part of the world. They don't round here. At least, the chance of violent (as in, threat of substantial or deadly force) crime happening to me, and indeed to anyone else in Europe outside of perhaps ten inner city areas of a couple of square miles each in a few of the largest cities, is vanishingly small. (A common remark by Americans who take up residence in Europe is how safe they feel.)

I don't recall making the suggestion that I have psychic powers. But the fact that I can't exclude a one in a million chance that a crime might be committed doesn't mean that I have to take along countermeasure X (and why not Y or Z as well ?) every time I leave the house. I might well do that if I lived in Baghdad or Johannesburg, but I don't.

I do, however, agree that it's absurd to delude yourself. By definition.

This article is a few years old, but it makes the point:

Opinion polls indicate the French are putting an increasing sense of insecurity at the top of their list of concerns. And crime has become the topic of many dinnertime conversations. During a nationally televised interview on Bastille Day, President Jacques Chirac mentioned rising crime as the country's greatest concern. "People are scared," he said.

Chirac cited as reasons for the trend a "lack of state authority" and "lack of political will" to tackle the problem, a direct jab at the government led by the rival Socialist Party of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Chirac proposed a "zero-tolerance" policy much like that of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York.

The statistics bear out the concern. In the first six months of the year, crime rose about 9.6 percent over last year, according to the Interior Ministry. And a widely circulated new report, drawing on statistics from the Interior Ministry and the FBI, shows the crime rate to be higher in France than in the United States.

Last year France recorded 4,244 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 4,135 in the United States, where crime has been steadily decreasing. The United States still leads France in the number of murders and rapes per 100,000 residents, but France leads in violent thefts and some property crimes, including car theft.

For violent theft, France recorded 185 incidents per 100,000 people, compared with 145 in the United States. For simple theft, France had 2,588 incidents per 100,000 people, compared with 2,475 in the United States. And car theft was far higher in France, with 507 reported cases per 100,000 compared with 420 in the United States.

For many French, who view the United States as a Wild West-style place with an abundance of firearms, the new statistics are alarming.

"For myself, and my fellow French citizens, we were used to reading about these things in the United States," said Alain Brunier, who heads the Europe and Middle East branch of a medical device and technology company. "Now it's right here, in a country much, much smaller than the United States."

In other words, violent crime is everywhere, maybe even in the same area a geocache is, and you don't get to pick and choose when it hits you.

I've said this many times before; carrying a weapon for protection is no different then having smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in your home where you look up caches, airbags and seat belts in the car you drive to the cache, and a first aid kit in your caching pack. Hopefully, you will never need to use any of them, but if the time comes when you need them, not having them can mean the difference between life and death for you and your loved ones.

Edited May 17, 2005 by Mopar

May 17, 2005

As far a carrying a fire arm while caching, being that I am in california this is not an option unless some one is with a law enforcment agancy. Getting a permit to carry even un concealed is calif is pretty much a lost cause. If I could I would carry my HK VP70Z with me.
The best reason not to live in Ca.

As a retired LEO (26 years) yes I have a carry permit and I do carry while caching in areas where legal.

May 17, 2005

I've said this many times before; carrying a weapon for protection is no different then having airbags and seat belts in your car, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in your home, and a first aid kit in your backpack.

as long as the person carrying is trained and comfortable with that weapon. otherwise it's possibly perilous for the packing person.

6.4k · May 17, 2005

as long as the person carrying is trained and comfortable with that weapon. otherwise it's possibly perilous for the packing person.

That should go without saying. In most states you are required to have such training before you can legally carry a firearm.

Truthfully, most citizens who carry a firearm on a regular basis are better trained then the average police officer. No offense to the LEO out here, but most of them only shoot 1-2 times a year to stay qualified.

24.7k · May 17, 2005

as long as the person carrying is trained and comfortable with that weapon. otherwise it's possibly perilous for the packing person.

That should go without saying. In most states you are required to have such training before you can legally carry a firearm.

Truthfully, most citizens who carry a firearm on a regular basis are better trained then the average police officer. No offense to the LEO out here, but most of them only shoot 1-2 times a year to stay qualified.

LEO's have access to good training. I'd like to take some of it.

May 18, 2005

Hell no, I don't carry a gun with me when I geocache. What for? This is Indiana. I don't know where the rest of you live so I can not and will not judge you. It's not needed around here and I don't know any other geocachers who carry. If I decide to geocache in Center City Philadelphia, that would be way different. I do, however, carry DEET.

May 18, 2005

Yes, within the confines of the law of course! FWIW, I'm CCW legal in 29 states, it is not as rare as some might think.

May 18, 2005

When you go out in the woods or across unknow terrain, do you carry a hand gun or rifle for protection against snakes, or other unknown threats?

Good God, no. I don't even own a gun.

Well, being plastered like that, I hope not...

May 18, 2005

Well, being plastered like that, I hope not...

Bit of funny trivia:

Here in Wyoming it's legal to carry a loaded weapon AND an open container in your vehicle.

When Geocaching, Do You Carry A Firearm?

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment