Dangers

[Vonbrown]

I arrived at Fortuna Pond on Saturday and found a nice spot on the water to set up camp. On my walk around the pond, I was attacked by a dog that burst out of his camp as I was walking by. I carry a walking stick and immediately tried to defend myself with it. The dog was quick and knocked me to the ground bruising my hip. I swung my walking stick to keep the dog at bay as the assumed owner of the dog shouted " if you hit my dog with that stick...". Apparently im just trash to this guy and my safety is of no value to him.
I'm back in camp nurseing my wounds never to walk that way again while I'm here.

Later that afternoon a guy and two kids with fishing poles enters the perimeter of my camp and he tries to intimidate me by flashing his gun under his shirt, making sure I see it. I can only figure he hopes I move so he can take this spot. It does seem space is at a premium here. I went inside my trailer and waited him out.

Be careful out there.

 

[WanderingRose]

 

[travelaround]

This is what happens in the wild west. Crazy neighbors! Untended dogs!

 

[Nelda]

Oh, Mike, I am so sorry that happened to you.

 

[Bobflhtc]

Sorry to hear about your experience. In over 5 years of traveling extensively I haven't run into a threatening situation. My advice would be to leave because I would have a hard time enjoying myself if it happened to me and I would never come back. There are still too many places to frequent. I'm going to look for the location and add it to my do not visit list.

This may sound cowardly but I'm a 70 year old Vietnam vet with a concealed carry permit but extremely reluctant to use it

 

[RoamerRV428]

so sorry you got into a crappy situation. dog owner should be hit with the stick along with the dog! I hope you are not injured too bad!!

guy showing gun is a scaredy cat. He is showing the gun cause he is scared of you probably. like I am frightened of you and I have a gun, so now you know not to come near me cause you scare me ---well probably LOL

sorry you got a lousey situation happening....but with wheels, hell I would be pulling out. Why ever bother, ya know?

oh and people suck mostly. see it all the time, the lousey stupid side of them.

 

[cyndi]

I hope you're ok.

I hope you reported the dog and his owner to the rangers. You could save a life.

As for the guy with the gun, I'd be more likely to think he was warning you off from his kids, rather than wanting your campsite. But that's also unacceptable. Paranoia rubs deep ... (Name that tune)

 

[WanderingRose]

If that dog bit you, you should perhaps see a doctor and I would also make a police report.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I hope you're ok.

I hope you reported the dog and his owner to the rangers. You could save a life. . . .

My thoughts exactly.  Although if it was me, as soon as safe I would call 911 and report a dog attack, while having video going on my cell phone.

 

[B and C]

Wow! Hope your healing well.

I love Fortuna Pond. Can't let every jerk off ruin it for you. Hopefully this is the last of it. I liked to stay near the beaver's. Fun to see them every morning and evening.

I have never seen the rangers there but have not stayed very long either. It can become a little too crowded for my tastes.

 

[QinReno]

VB, your experiences got me to thinking. 

1. I would definitely have called the Sheriff regarding the dog attack, and got medical attention if skin was broken.

2. To the other guy, I'd have said "What's with the gun?"

 

[cyndi]

^
Open carry is common in AZ.

 

[QinReno]

^
Open carry is common in AZ.

Is it open-carry when it's hidden under your shirt? ... I don't think so. 

The idea of asking the guy what's with the gun is because he flashed it at OP, as some sort of warning. Very obvious.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Is it open-carry when it's hidden under your shirt? ... I don't think so. 

The idea of asking the guy what's with the gun is because he flashed it at OP, as some sort of warning. Very obvious.

Arizona is a constitutional carry state, concealed or open.  Changing from concealed to open is in and of itself is not considered to be an overt threatening act (in Minnesota at least), so long as the gun does not come out of the holster.

IMO asking 'what's with the gun' is escalating the situation.  I'd say (if you even want to let him know you noticed) 'Nice gun.'  Lets him know that you noticed and are not intimidated.

 

[Vonbrown]

Thank you all for your support.
I'm gonna wait out the weekend. I'm hoping everyone will go back to work and it may quiet down a bit.

If not, and this is the best part, I'll go somewhere else.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Vonbrown, there is a very big difference between you spotting his gun and him "flashing" it. I suspect that when he put his gun on his hip that morning you were not in his thoughts at all. The fact that you saw his gun does not make it a threat. As has already been posted, open/conceal carry in AZ is extremely common and well within the law AND his rights. Did NOT confront him about it with some lame questions such as what was posted above. Not only is it rude, it is NONE of your business and he does not answer to you in the slightest. Mind your own business on that matter

As for the dog, call animal control if he attacked you

 

[Almost There]

It's also important to remember that both of these behaviors exist no matter where you are.

That it happened on BLM land doesn't make the BLM land any more inherently dangerous than anywhere else. Actually the chances are diminished when  outside urban areas simply because there are less people there.

Fortuna Pond, unfortunately, is very close to a large urban area and does see more than its' fair share of town craziness.

Sorry you got knocked down Mike, heal well my friend!

 

[Van-Tramp]

There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for a person to keep "flashing" his gun by keeping it openly exposed by the way; he is legally obligated too.

In just about every state (even CA) it is legal to carry a handgun while fishing, but it must be openly displayed. If you have a permit you may conceal carry of course, and in AZ if you are a resident you may conceal carry as well. But, if you are not a resident of AZ and do not have a permit from your home state, you must keep it openly displayed. His "flashing" may simply have been to keep it openly displayed and had nothing to do with you.

Now, if he upholstered said weapon and/or pointed it at you, THAT would be an issue. But again, you simply spotting that he has a gun on his hip is not a threat and you should not take it as such.

 

[QinReno]

Arizona is a constitutional carry state, concealed or open. 

OK, so "concealed" carry without a permit is legal in AZ. Good to know.

IMO asking 'what's with the gun' is escalating the situation.  I'd say (if you even want to let him know you noticed) 'Nice gun.'  Lets him know that you noticed and are not intimidated.

My comment was about opening a conversation, and also indicating noticed and not intimidated. 

Maybe your comment is a better course of action, but I always like to start with a question. Either the guy was a bully or scared so shitless he was compelled to flash his weapon, so maybe trying to get him to say a few words one way or another would be a good idea.

I figure when I roll into an area in my van, I will go say hello to the neighbors right off to show I'm a good guy. When I was in the BLM area near Lake Havasu last winter, this guy rolled in in a beat up old wreck of a van, parked right between me and another guy when there was gads of room all around - ie, violated what would be considered as "too close" in between us - and then never even appeared out of his van for 4 hours before dark. Something was wrong with that guy.

 

[QinReno]

 Did NOT confront him about it with some lame questions such as what was posted above. Not only is it rude, it is NONE of your business and he does not answer to you in the slightest. 

Sorry, I do not agree with this. The guy came by OP's camp and flashed his gun close enough to see it. That's invading someone else's business.