Camping with guns

[LkWinnipesaukee]

Does anyone go camping with guns? We were thinking of going camping (as in tents and sleeping bags) in NH (dont know exactly where yet). We wanted to play with .22's on a makeshift range. Of course, it would be away from other people, etc.


Legal?

 

[foghornl]

I don't go camping anymore, but my answer would have been..

Yes, every simgle time I went camping, I was armed.

Mostly with my various SA revolvers, but yeah ALWAYS ARMED.

Too many predators of both 2 & 4-legged variety.

 

[Manedwolf]

Always be armed. No police will come if a two-legged predator comes after you, and yes, it happens in the great outdoors all the time.

 

[Axman]

I am worried about the statement "playing with .22's"! I hope you are not treating them as toys. Other than that, you may wish to check with your local laws as it may be construed that you are "poaching". That is, "hunting out of season/without a license", of course!

 

[LkWinnipesaukee]

^^

No hunting, just plinking. Following the 4 Rules, etc. You guys know what I mean by 'playing'

 

[knoxx45]

I'm always armed in the woods

But I wouldn't set up target practice, especially if you are camping in a state park. Alot of state parks prohibt firearms, so check the laws where you are camping.

 

[Oregongundude]

I camp in my 30 ft. motorhome and yes I'm armed.

I usually, take a .40 S&W, or a .45 ACP with enough ball ammo for the four legged threats and enough JHP's for the two legged threats. I like to cover all my bases. However, I call it camping even with Satellite TV

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

dont know exactly where yet

Well, that could be your problem.

 

[AJ Dual]

Assuming you're legal to posess and shoot firearms where you camp AND assuming it's "public property" you may want to check into getting a small game hunting license.

The DNR here in WI are often real -----'s and will bust people who were otherwise legaly shooting firearms on state land for "poaching" or "hunting without a license".

I don't know what it's like in your state, but I haven't met a WI DNR officer in my 33 years who wasn't a complete pompus...

 

[Thefabulousfink]

I aways carry a gun when I go camping. I make sure i have a pistol that is at least .40S&W or bigger with the heaviest round nose bullets I can find. Bears in my area tend to avoid humans, but you can occasionally suprise one. Moose have been a bigger concern of late. A Moose may not look dangerous, but they are much less predictable than bears; some times they run away, some times they charge, and some times they stand 30' away from your campfire watching you until they jump into the lake and swim from one shore to the other 3 times before getting out.

Anyways I allways carry a gun that has the power to penatrate the thick muscle and bone of the larger animals up hear. Don't let that stop you from bringing a .22 along as well. They can be a lot of fun up in the woods, and useful for keeping a rabid chipmonk from stealing your bagels.

I couldn't imagine camping without some sort of gun, although my friends and I have drawn some evil/scared looks from some of the hippie/yuppies that have moved up here.

 

[LkWinnipesaukee]

I couldn't imagine camping without some sort of gun, although my friends and I have drawn some evil/scared looks from some of the hippie/yuppies that have moved up here.

I think I'd get a kick out of legally scaring someone

As for you guys in and around NH, where are some good places on public land, away from people, to camp?

I'm only familiar with the Lakes Region, which is getting kind of touristy

 

[Art Eatman]

LkW, you need to do some homework with your state's wildlife agency and New Hampshire's as to the location of public lands. There may well be legally accessible shooting ranges near camping areas.

Good odds that you will do best if 1. You find a private landowner who will let you camp. 2. After some interaction with him after a few trips, you could then bring up the idea of shooting a .22. Today's world, I wouldn't "turn loose" an unknown person on my land to do any shooting. I'd have to have a pretty good idea about the person's competency and sense of personal responsibility.

Sure, YOU may know you're not an idiot, but the average landowner doesn't know you from Adam's off ox. It's up to you to prove yourself worthy.

Art

 

[atlctyslkr]

Always have always will. Usually hike/camp with my trusty snubbie. Never had any reason to use it much less pull it out but it's nice to know it's there.

 

[DerringerUser]

There are a lot of camping predators. I would arm yourself with a semiauto gun, just in case.

 

[Screehopper]

Minus national parks and state parks, generally when you set up camp it becomes your temporary residence. So you can arm yourself. But always check the local regulations and laws are always changing.

 

[Sistema1927]

Always. In fact, camping is one of the times that I find an advantage to open carry (where allowed). This is due to what happened on my honeymoon. We were camped in Eastern Arizona, and a truly frightening looking fellow came wandering through our camp. I had a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Convertible on my hip, and as soon as this creep caught a glimpse of it he hightailed it out of there.

Two days later, while in a local town to buy groceries, we discovered that another honeymooning couple had been murdered (by knife) that same day about 1/2 mile away from our camp. I made a trip to the Sheriff's office, and gave a description of our visitor. To this day (almost 29 years later) I don't know if our intruder was the culprit, or even if the killer was ever caught.

However, I do know that I don't camp out without carrying.

 

[roscoe]

Concealed means concealed. Out in the woods you are on your own. Tha't all I'm saying.

 

[pictoblu]

Back when we used to camp all the time, not only were we carrying, but we Always had at least 2 dogs with us.

The dogs are the best at roustin' out varmits of all kinds, and are the best at "early detection warnings" when we were asleep in our tents.

 

[grizz]

ALWAYS. I camp every other week, all over Utah. Always have my XD-40. Sometimes my AR too, or whatever suits my mood while packing for the trip.

When visiting Alaska I never camp with anything less than my RSRH .44 mag with a full cylinder + 2 speedloaders of the most powerful loads I've ever heard of in .44 mag.

 

[lawson]

always always always.

always carrying in town, always carrying at home, always carrying in the woods.

usually in the brush i carry a Ruger GP100 with hard cast .357 magnum loads. arizona is a diverse state, and you never know what you are going to run into. in various parts of the state, i've stumbled into meth labs, crossed paths with a group of aliens traveling on foot, surprised black bear, drunk rednecks shooting guns randomly into the air, and once time, a fireside lesson in predator calling brought a large group of four legged visitors to our camp.

plinking happens. often at least one of us has a .22 pistol or rifle with them. just make sure you are legal, and safe. be sure of your target and what is behind it. my dad once had a stray bullet hit his ice chest from some teenagers nearby shooting at rabbits.

 

[saltydog452]

Some 'campsites' are more crowded than a barber shop on Saturday afternoon in that your naighbor may be within conversation distance. Nat'l Parks regulate such things as fires, noise, pets, and things that go 'boom'.

In the remote areas, folks just out for a hike would'nt want to be confused with Bambi, so the discharge of firearms aren't a good idea there either.

The Nat'l Forrests have controlled hunts...ask about a hunting permit. There are State Parks, Nat'l Parks, Nat'l Forrests, and, I think, BLM (Bureau of Land Mgt) Parks. You have to know where you want to go and chose your own comfort level. Some places you can rent a bungalow.


Legal, most likely not. But we were fairly well armed anyway. The bride and I used to take the kids camping around the Big Bend area here in Texas. There was always some sort of sidearm close to hand, usually a Mdl 24 or a 629. A Ruger 44 Carbine, and a take-down Marlin 39A 22rf were available as well, just maybe not as handy. Later a Mini-14 was added to the mix.

We were in no danger from the critters, except maybe snakes in the afternoon. The two legged critters were more of a threat. I'm told that now conditions around the river are more tense. A dozen or so years back, rafters going down the Santa Elena Canyon were occasionally sniped on by folks on the south rim of the Canyon as they rafted the Rio Grande. The more 'remote' you are, the more vulnerable you become. 911 don't work. What's legal and what's prudent might not be the same.

salty.

edited to add P.S.

The previous couple of three stmts have universal applications. Not just for remote campsites.

sd.

 

[DRMMR02]

I really can't imagine not carrying some sort of firearm while camping. Like others have said, even if your cell phone works, you cant just call 911. Even if you could, they would probably be a good hour+ away at least. The big outdoors is a great place to enjoy, but also dangerous. There are a lot of things that can hurt you, from ones with 4 legs, no legs, or 2 legs. I sure wouldn't want to be caught a few hours away from the nearest policeman with no way of taking care of myself. In fact, I am going camping with my parents and sister/her husband for the first time since I started shooting, and I am definately bringing my p99. It's in a fairly popular state park, but still...