I spend a lot of time at our lease by myself because I work 3/12 hr. days(fri., sat.,su.) and have all week off. I will strap on my 1911 pretty often when it gets dark and I am outside by the campfire and cook shack that is fully lit up, just because I feel better with it on me. There are no houses close to us and camp is 1/2 mile from the gate. We are not close to the border at all. I just do not want to be surprised by anything or anyone and be 60 ft. away from a firearm..I also keep my AR-15 loaded with a full magazine in my camper at nighttime also. It is better to be safe than sorry. Anyone else feel the same way or do you think that is being to precautious.

Are you hunting in Afghanistan?

Nope. When I am at the lease by myself, I run around in my underwear and boots, sit by the fire with a cold one and just relax. If I was that tense in the woods when I was by myself, I wouldn't go. My goal is to get away from it all, not worry about someone jumping out of a bush to get me.

x2

it is still surprising to me how many "men" i know that are afraid of the dark, one buddy seems to always have something break or "forgets" something back at camp that he has to go get that allows him to walk to his stand juuuusst after the sun comes up. another one will only watch scary movies at his house where he can fast forward the movie through the scary parts so he can rewind it and watch it without being surprised. nancy's.

I am not scared of the dark or anything in the woods, but my place in east TX is VERY isolated and meth heads have ransacked the house a couple of times. I have had an occasional vehicle pull up to the gate (which is at the end of a mile long drive through NF land) , see my truck, and quickly leave.

So I keep my Glock handy at all times-especially if I am alone.

I stay at the same preparedness level all the time, or at least try to... I don't wear a handgun much, but there is usually one close. I don't carry a sidearm while hunting. There's not much use for a 9mm or 45acp when the 308 I am carrying didn't do the trick.

Just relax and have fun.

I'm a firm believer in I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I always have at least a pistol on me at camp or a rifle in the truck if I'm running around the lease rather it's day or night. I've taken numerous pigs and snakes because I'm prepared.

Yeah if I felt that way while hunting I'd try something else! Maybe you should take up building model trains...

I used to hunt around Fairfield. One day I was in camp alone and I heard somebody calling out (I was in my little camper). I stuck my head out and this big guy has walked over a mile in from the gate and immediately starts demanding money. Says his family hasn't given him his share of the lease money and he's there to collect. When I stepped out in the open with a Colt Python on my hip, the dynamics changed instantly. I told him his money problem was his problem and to get out of my camp. He was happy to do just that. I guarantee it wouldn't have gone that way had I been unarmed.

If legal, I'll always be packing. It has nothing to do with being uptight, scared of the dark, or a Nancy.

Never know when a situation can turn south...and they usually do so in a hurry.

At the end of the day, you choose to either be a sheep or a sheepdog.

I choose to be the sheepdog.

I almost always pack. Not paranoid at all. Just prepared.

Have to agree.

Dead men tell no lies, especially without any witnesses nearby.

While I don't always have my handgun within reach, I keep it loaded and know where it is in case I need it.

It's definitely not an issue of being afraid of the dark, having chased behind coonhounds at night, often alone, for many years. Given the state of today's society, there is little I take for granted.

We've had escaped convicts captured less than a mile away and the omni-present meth heads are always a factor.
Be silly not to carry.

We have a rule. No loaded guns can be carried in camp. Before we enter, all rifles are unloaded. Pistols are removed and left inside the cabin.

My dog is always with me and if he ain't worried neither am I. If he goes to barking it's cool. If he goes to growling, then I may ease on inside and arm myself. Most of the time I just throw a little more wood on the fire to brighten things up and he settles down. Me and the dog spend a lot of time at our home away from home so we just relax as if we were at home. Shotgun behind the front door, handgun in the dresser drawer is good enough.

I can respect this but is it because you hunt with people you can't trust?

Nothing wrong with being prepared. Creeps and weirdos have a way of popping up from nowhere. Just dont get trigger happy on us TPACK

I line my camp perimeter with landmines.

Always sleep well.

One of the biggest things I love about hunting is it has eased my son's fear of the dark to where he can now lead the pack in the dark and not feel scared (or if he does he just hides it really well). He used to be scared to go upstairs in the house by himself, now, he walks woods in total (as total as it can get with no moon) darkness with a thermal imager looking for yotes and hogs...love it.

I have no problem with people being prepared, and I would probably pack heat if I hunted in ETx or had issues of people randomly coming into camp or poaching etc, but I am more like txshntr in that I want to go out there to get away from it all, not worry more...time to move to a different place if you gotta worry that much about predators at your current place.

I've had run-ins with people (smugglers, immigrants) before at some leases, especially close to the border. I've had vagabonds silently creep up to our camp our on SPI when I was a young boy. You never know what or who will come out of nowhere. I always carry a pistol. JIC

good idea, especially if the drinking is beginning to commence.