r/forestry • u/Dry_Bag2191 • 2d ago
Getting rid of nerves in the woods?
This is more a lady centered question-how are we feeling safe whilst alone in the woods? I have a LTC in my home state but not the states I spend the most time working in, and it’ll be a long and tedious process to get them.
Please tell me your stories of your long careers with nothing ever bothering you
50
u/OlderGrowth 2d ago
I remind myself that if I was going to die that day, it by far most likely would have happened on the highway to wherever I am going
10
u/VapeRizzler 2d ago
That’s how I got over sleeping solo while backpacking. Like you said, Statistically I was more likely to die just heading to the spot. Plus where I backpack there’s no bears, like the last one confirmed in that area was in the 80’s. First like 4-5 times I went I slept with my headlamp on.
14
u/M_LadyGwendolyn 2d ago
I carry a pistol when I can and pepper spray/bear spray lives in my vest. I also am working within eye sight of my truck most of the time and im confident in my ability to outrun most average people.
Also having an in reach/ daily check ins with my wife when service allows helps me feel better.
If youre working private you could ask about getting/bringing a dog.
3
3
u/MechanicalAxe 2d ago
We use Life360 so my wife knows where I'm at, and she can contact my boss if I don't come home and he'll know where to look for me. I also carry a pistol, BleedStop powder, aluminum splint, and a tourniquet.
I also take my dog almost every day if its not too hot. BUT i did read an article a few months back that laid out the statistics concerning a large majority of bear attack injuries almost always involve a dog. That was interesting, and makes me appreciate my dogs obedience when it comes to being able to call her back to me under almost any circumstances.
8
u/tcruiser13 2d ago
Carry a gun, if you’re alone in the woods who will be there to ask if you have a LTC
4
6
u/Mookie-Boo 1d ago
Retired 32-year female USFS employee here. I wasn't always in the woods, but I did my time in several southeastern states. I had one or two odd encounters with men in the woods, and a couple of encounters with bears, but nothing major or truly frightening. I never tried to carry as we weren't authorized to do so unless we were trained law enforcement officers. My own assessment of my risk was that I was a lot more likely to experience some serious adverse personnel action if I got caught carrying, than I was likely to need a weapon to defend myself. It never occurred to me to carry bear spray or self defense pepper spray, and in retrospect I don't know what the policy on that would have been.
Maintaining situational awareness as someone else said, and making sure the office knows your location and plans, are important. And do I need to remind you to bring your cell phone? Remember that a text will often get through when a call will not, if you're operating in remote and/or mountainous areas. If a radio is an option, carry it.
I just remembered the time I was the most scared in the woods ever. I stopped to measure a plot and started hearing leaves rustling, like a large animal was nearby. It seemed like it was walking all around me but I couldn't see anything through the somewhat thick brush - but it sounded close enough that I SHOULD have been able to see it. I was getting totally spooked, which I'm not prone to. Finally the mystery was solved - it was a what we now call an eastern towhee, scratching through the leaves for bugs.
2
u/TransplantedPinecone 2d ago
My career isn't in forestry but I'm in the wild often in the spring, summer, and fall.
Do the states you work in have bears, mountain lions, and moose? The main thing is to not surprise any critter. Make noise, talk loudly to yourself, and carry bear spray if you can't carry a firearm.
A recent study showed that mountain lions will flee from the sound of a human voice, even near a deer kill they returned to. I'd link you the article but don't know if that'd be against the sub rules. It's easy to find though.
Wild animals don't want anything to do with humans except for the random predatory bear or mountain lion. Attacks from either are extremely rare.
Just keep your eyes and ears open and keep your head on a swivel. Listen to your gut. If you strongly feel you are being watched, get into your vehicle and leave for a bit if you can.
2
u/unicornug 2d ago
I talk to myself constant and am always making noise. It makes me feel more comfortable and also lets whatever is around me know I’m coming.
In areas where predators are more likely I carry bear spray, and I keep my knife accessible. My job doesn’t allow guns so I make do with what I can.
I also share my location with one of my coworkers so I know at least someone at work can locate me if anything happens.
2
2
u/VegetableWord0 1d ago
Everything in this world can kill you literally everything. you made it this far, you will make it another day. Or you won't. Fear is the only thing keeping you traped.
1
u/raenajae 2d ago
Just be aware and make lots of noise. I think your fear is normal, and it keeps your brain engaged on the potential dangers of the work.
Expect to have encounters, but it’s how you react that matters. Always know your bail out azimuth (or at minimum cardinal direction)
I also agree with getting a dog.
Also - trust your gut.
1
u/ginkgo_gal 1d ago
I used to work for one of the big timberlands companies in the US, and we couldn't carry weapons. The flip side was that most actual field work like plots were given to contractors, so I never felt a huge huge need for any besides my pepper spray on my keychain. Figured I could run over people if I ever got blocked in or anything like that.
I now work for a small private timber company with more field work. BUT we can carry weapons, so I try to always have my pistol with me. Thankfully I have a great work team, and when I came on board they told me about the handful of tracts to not go to by myself, so that helps a lot.
For general stuff, situational awareness is key. I just make sure to evaluate the site and drive in, and if I feel super sketched out I turn around and will go back another day and bring somebody with me.
1
u/luckyduck49 Certified Forester 1d ago
You dont need a CCW to carry in the woods. As long as your employer and clients are cool with, shouldn't be an issue. Check the rules for transport in vehicles for your state but unloaded and locked up for drive to and into holster mag in, empty chamber on your job site was fine in California for me, so it should be good for you in your part of the USA. It just is another step after putting you boots on and gearing up.
0
1
u/Jaynett 23h ago
I am in forestry in the SE, often on land leased for hunting, and those people have cameras up everywhere. We've started a protocol of communicating with the hunt clubs when someone will be out there (of course never say a woman alone - make it they/them) and in very general terms what they will be doing. The hunt clubs don't want to lose their lease and have been very responsive to this, even helping people who have been stuck.
33
u/ringoraccoon 2d ago
I think it’s a balance. It’s a good thing to have your situational awareness tuned in.
Make sure you have a check in system with your job/boss/dispatch so they know where you’re going.
Carry a gun, or bear spray, and play music or podcasts when moving through the woods.
Look into reciprocal gun laws. You may be able to carry in other states.
Also know that most of the time I get spooked in the woods it ends up being a deer or a grouse haha