>>97954>Not that a human isn't far more dangerous then a wild animal anyway.This, it's a big part of why I carry a gun. Animals being the other big part. There are some dangerous parts of the AT where people do get mugged/raped.
I do section hikes and ALWAYS call the Park Rangers that patrol the area I'll be before the trip, just to ask about local laws etc. I remember one park ranger told me that because I would be in a National Forest and not a National Park that the gun laws were extremely limited (I won't get into it here). I told him that I would not carry then and he actually said that I should just carry anyhow and as long as I let any rangers that stopped to talk to us that I was carrying that they would not care. I gave him a big NOPE because I'm not a law breaker. He then said that there was a section of the trail that went through a local park and they were currently investigating two rapes and some car break-ins and that there is no way he would hike that section without a gun.
My response? I went out and bought the compliant .22lr pistol with sub-5" barrel and open carried it as this was the only configuration that was legal. I know it made a couple of hikers uncomfortable and I think conceal carry would have made much more sense. I do what's legal.
Beyond at I've also heard reports of "trail pirates" elsewhere and then there's this example that was on dateline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkzu_mJCLsQIt's about a serial killer that beheading people on the trail in Georgia. I know these events are rare. I'm simply pointing out that, as has been mentioned, rare ≠ never. Ad in the bear and dangerous animals, you can criticize my choice to carry all you like but it really doesn't affect anybody and is none of their business.
