[AZ-Observing] Re: Cherry Rd -Friday Night

Hello Jennifer,
It appears this is becoming a debate so let me put my 2 cents in. I feel 
I have lived to an age older than you for two reasons, luck and being 
aware of and being prepared for the unexpected. For example, when age 14 
or so while butterfly collecting in a wash outside of Roswell, NM I saw 
a mountain lion tail disappear over a bluff about a hundred yards from 
me. I was alone and this was not a hiking spot with other hikers that in 
itself would tend to scare away wildlife like this. Lucky for me it ran 
off instead of making me a meal. It was luck because now we read about 
hikers or bicyclists being attacked by mountain lions. An example of 
being prepared for the unexpected are the Grizzlies in Yellowstone Natl 
Park. I had camped out in the area in 1996 and at that time they had not 
reintroduced the Grizzly, or if they had they were not very abundant. 
Now, there are over 1800 of them roaming around. Carrying a gun will not 
do much good against a charging Grizzly, in my opinion, but knowing that 
I now have a much greater chance of running into one I am going to be 
extra cautious about where I go and what I do. Anytime I am not in an 
area with other people, like a hiking trail where other hikers help 
scare off dangerous 4 legged wildlife or 2 legged wildlife with evil 
intentions, and being completely alone I will carry something to 
discourage an attack, or to give me a little protection or a fighting 
chance, be it a hunting knife or gun.

It is for these reasons I feel I have lived to an age older than you 
<g>. Of course, some people, not talking about you, may live to a ripe 
old age because of pure luck alone. They then might acquire the mistaken 
notion that because they never ran into a dangerous situation there is 
no danger out 'there' and that the knife or gun wielders are really over 
reacting and being foolish. As an aside, speaking of the city life, when 
I was living in Phoenix I would every once in awhile go for extended 
walks at night. One always reads in the paper about attacks by pit 
bulls. Knowing this I always carried my hunting knife with me. Some may 
have considered me foolish, but then look at all the women who go for 
walks with one or more dogs for protection.
Stan

Jennifer Polakis wrote:

>It's a shame your fears kept you from observing especially after driving all 
>that way.  I've observed/camped/hiked alone on public lands quite often with 
>enjoyment of the solitude and also lovely opportunities of sharing the 
>experience with passing strangers that soon become friends.  On the other 
>hand daily life in the city is chock full of threatening exposed strangers 
>on cell phones who may or may not be "Cocked and Locked" with their "little 
>friends" but they certainly can't prevent me from taking  full-tilt 
>advantage of city life while I'm in it even if I don't have a "little 
>friend" to leave home without.
>  
>
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