My 4 encounters with open carry

[SHRED]

2014
Montana

While traveling I had an eye emergency. While waiting to leave the medical building a guy walks in dressed like something out of a Roy Rogers movie packing a long barrel pistol in his cowboy holster.
It was surreal and unnerving.

2016
Alaska

Hiking deep into the woods. Tons of mosquitos. 3 males approach on the trail. One older like he was the dad. All heavily armed. They were from South Carolina as I recall or somewhere near there. Chit chatting and one of the boys was swatting mosquitoes with what appeared to be an AR type barrell sticking out of his loose backpack. A few times the barrel dipped down at us while he was swatting them. Frightening.

Hiking and met a guy with a front holstered pistol on his chest. We chat. He was responsible and safe. Felt no weird vibes.

Hiking on a very popular trail with a rope driven cable cart over a river. We are taking turns as it only fits a few. A group of young children with chaperones shows up. One of the guy chaperones is packing a pistol loosely on his back hip area. I am talking a snap holster only. As he is pulling on the rope to help he is distracted. A little boy no more than 5 years old was looking at us on the sly. He slowly reached up for the pistol while looking at us as if to ask permission. I shook my head firmly "NO". He recoiled.
This could have been a disaster.


Open carry is bizarre and dangerous.

ON EDIT

Bear spray is far more effective for protection when hiking.

[captain queeg]

1. A couple I remember

Was hiking in a national forest. Ran into 3 guys armed to the teeth. They had those shitty cheap orange backpacks like you’d get at Kmart which told me they weren’t real backpackers. I figured them for hunters and asked if they got anything and they just mumbled. Didn’t think about it till later that that we’re growing dope out in the forest and we’re out tending their crop.

Back in the day I was hitch hiking thru Idaho and an old rancher with a pickup stop and offered me a ride. Had a child with him. I asked if it was ok if I rode in the back of the truck. It was a beautiful day and beautiful scenery. We stopped after awhile. And he got out to talk to me. I noticed he had a six shooter strapped on. It didn’t really seem out of place in the situation. He asked if I had a fishing pole, which I did. He said the stream he stopped by was one of the best in the state and if I wanted he’d give me some worms and drop me there. I took him up on it.

[flotsam]

2. Ya' know I never worry about a pistol...

or even a normal hunting rifle or shotgun....This is in New Hampshire were open carry is legal and people hunt a lot. Nobody planning on a massacre is going to wear a single pistol properly holstered or carry a single long rifle of the hunting variety or long barreled shotgun without an exterior magazine. Now BLACK Guns with large magazines and accessories and doo-dads-those people we watch DAMN close...

[sir pball]

4. Hypothetically

If you met a guy with a Colt 1911 in a "tactical" thigh holster on the trail, would it raise a flag?

[flotsam]

12. Not really

I suppose anyone can snap but that Colt only carries 8 rounds so if he's planning something it's not a mass killing.

On Edit-Same guy but now he's dressed in black or camo with spare magazine pouches or a "tactical vest", then yes-that's a different deal.

[sir pball]

3. To be fair, in the true backcountry, open carry is reasonable.

In a real wilderness, e.g. Alaska or the Allagash, you can actually run into beasties that want to eat you, and having a big ass handgun at the ready is not an unreasonable option. As you said, you didn't feel weird vibes from meeting an armed hiker.

That said, if you're at a popular destination, with lots of people around, or if they're carrying a popgun AR (223 won't stop a grizzly), it's just ludicrous and insecure.

[SHRED]

5. There is no need if you aren't hunting

Bear spray is far more effective. By a large percentage.
This has been proven.

[sir pball]

6. While that is true

The people who are using guns as bear protection aren't the kinds of nutters who will carry an AR to Starbucks or shoot up a school. They might not be ideal, but they aren't the problem.

[SHRED]

7. Two of the three I encountered hiking were

Maybe that's the exception not the rule.

[sir pball]

8. Right, but as you said those two

Weren't just carrying handguns. Unless you're going backcountry hunting, a rifle is useless, and the way you said they handled them was criminally irresponsible.

[SHRED]

9. One of those irresponsible had just a handgun

Moot point I guess.

[sir pball]

10. I guess he might have had it for "teh bearz"

Sorry, I'm a bit fuzzy at the moment, had to reread your post. The way he was carrying it was definitely reckless. He had no business.

[jpak]

13. The only thing you have to worry about on the Allagash are rapids and black flies

If you dump in the rapids, the stupid gun would be dead weight.

Just sayin'

[GulfCoast66]

11. If hiking in Bear country I can actually see carrying a firearm.

A responsibly carried pistol carried unobtrusively. That someone is properly trained for and very practiced. To be used only if bear spray failed!

But an AR? That just going to piss off a grizzly. It’s too small a bullet to deer hunt legally in many states. They are meant for one thing only...killing people and should be illegal.

Thank god open carry is not legal here in Florida.

That said, grizzly bears scare the shit out of me and I have hunted my entire life! Don’t see me enjoying a hike or hunting knowing there things around that might see me as dinner! Crazy since I kayak with sharks and gators. But no accounting for fears!

[captain queeg]

15. I bought a .41 magnum for a trip to Alaska

After seeing some grizzlies I realized it would only piss one off.

[mnhtnbb]

14. One encounter here on the streets of Raleigh, NC

with open carry. Late afternoon one day last spring, I was walking the dog. We had just passed the downtown headquarters of Red Hat when I realized a 30 something white male was walking ahead of us--in the same direction-- wearing a backpack and a handgun holstered on his right hip. I slowed us down to drop back a bit behind him. It really spooked me to see someone in broad daylight strolling down the street wearing a gun. This was 2 blocks from my apartment building on a street where there are sidewalk tables in front of restaurants. Coffee spots. A gelato shop. Condo and apartment buildings. Open carry on the streets of the capital city of North Carolina.