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Post by k9education on Feb 14, 2018 16:51:16 GMT -8
My wife and I currently live in northeastern PA and do most of our hiking in the Delaware Water Gap and the surrounding areas. Most days in the winter we have the trail entirely to ourselves. In the summer, we'll only see a handful of people throughout the day on most trails. Now we are considering moving to western NC (Hendersonville, Pisgah Forest, Etowah) and I was wondering if there are any trails/areas where you're likely to get plenty of solitude. Dupont, Pisgah (lower portion) and Mountan Bridge Wilderness area would be the most accessible based on where we're looking to buy a home.
My other question pertain to off-leash dogs. We spend a few weeks in the area every year hitting the most scenic hikes (Roan, Mt. Mitchell, etc.) and have had major issues with off-leash dogs charging our dogs - both companion dogs and hunting dogs. However, we are hitting some of the most heavily used trails during one of the prime hiking seasons (fall) so maybe it's just a matter of bad timing. On a day-to-day basis, do you encounter a lot of off-leash dogs running the trails (whether they be hiking companions or hunting dogs set loose)? This might seem like an odd question, but it's truly a non-issue here.
TIA for your feedback.
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FamilySherpa
Trail Wise!
Tangled up in Rhododendron
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Post by FamilySherpa on Feb 15, 2018 5:41:45 GMT -8
I occasionally encounter off leash dogs in WNC.
Trail use is quite popular in WNC no matter what the season is though.
There are places that have more "solitude", but they are few and far between.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2018 12:40:48 GMT -8
I also on occasion, encounter off leash dogs. Hunting dogs don't worry me so much. The unleashed pit bulls do. Lock and load.
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Post by k9education on Feb 16, 2018 7:12:33 GMT -8
I occasionally encounter off leash dogs in WNC. Trail use is quite popular in WNC no matter what the season is though. There are places that have more "solitude", but they are few and far between. That's disappointing, but I kind of expected it since the area is pretty much a hiker's paradise. I had hoped maybe some of the less scenic spots were less utilized. :( I also on occasion, encounter off leash dogs. Hunting dogs don't worry me so much. The unleashed pit bulls do. Lock and load. I don't mind off-leash dogs at all if they're under control, but what I ran into a lot in NC were dogs charging right up to me with the owner 100 years behind or not in sight at all. In fact, I had to leash up some guys 2 hunting dogs in Linville Gorge and return them to the parking lot. Apparently he lost track of them and was just going to wait in his truck drinking a 6-pack until they returned. :x As for the breed of the dog, that doesn't mean a thing to me. I've been a professional dog trainer for over a decade and the only thing that all dangerous dogs have in common is an irresponsible owner. The little dogs are more often a problem than the big ones though because many people think it's unnecessary to train or socialize small dogs or worse yet, they think it's "cute" when the little dogs starts snarling and gnashing its teeth at people. Still, I would never draw my gun on a dog. I carry pepper spray for that. If a person gets out of hand or points a weapon at me or my dogs though, they'll get one in the shoulder. Been there. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2018 7:22:10 GMT -8
Personally, I wish assault charges could be brought against the owners who's unleashed dogs assault others because that's exactly what they're doing, committing an assault and threatening bodily harm.
Glad you got your pepper spray. Hope that works for you. Sounds like you also go armed as well....at least you have a back up.
I'd hate to cap one myself, but I've come close. Had two pits charge me in the Cohutta wilderness, a couple of hours off the dirt road and where help would have taken a long to to get to us. Luckily for all, they pulled up at the last minute.....but I had a bead on one of them.
There's leash laws, but no one's there to enforce them, so protect yourself however you see fit.
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Post by k9education on Feb 17, 2018 1:01:50 GMT -8
Therein lies the problem. The dogs are always held accountable for an irresponsible owner's actions. They absolutely should start holding the owners civilly and criminally liable. Maybe that would get these people to show a little more concern for other people and their dog as well. Personally, I feel that I owe it to my dogs AND the public to do everything possible to ensure they don't harm any person or pet. Everyone loses if something happens, no one more than the dog. I carry dog pepper spray any time I am working with dogs, going for a walk, etc. and when I'm hiking I also carry bear pepper spray. The latter sprays in a cloud and is virtually impossible to miss. I've never had to use either on a dog, but I may have used it on an ATV rider once that nearly ran me down a HIKING ONLY trail (in PA).  |
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Feb 17, 2018 5:10:07 GMT -8
I've never been threatened by a dangerous dog on the trail, and I've hiked in the southeast quite a bit.
An incident of sorts occurred in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness in late October when my buddy and I were hiking to the Hangover. It was hunting season, and two houndogs with radio collars tagged along with us, apparently far separated from their master.
When we got to the Hangover my buddy sat on a big rock by the precipice to take in the view. The female hound laid down at his feet in the very small clearing just big enough for her. The male hound saw this as his opportunity to stick his nose where she definitely did not want it.
An intense dogfight erupted at my buddy's feet. He had nowhere to go and no way to get around it. The fight probably lasted no more than ten seconds, but it must have seemed much longer to him.
When it was over and neither man nor beast was hurt, I looked at the expression on my buddy's face.
That may very well have been the best laugh I ever had on a hike.
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Post by tipiwalter on Jul 21, 2018 9:58:55 GMT -8
Unleashed dogs in WNC? Hunting dogs are totally unleashed and are "abandoned" for days or weeks at a time esp when they glom onto backpackers and won't leave. I've had more problems with stupid hunting dogs than any other creature in the woods.
They will claw up my tent, will steal my food, will pester me to no end and won't leave.
Do hunters get cited for leaving their dogs to roam unsupervised? Oh heck no.
Otherwise 99% of all backpacking dogs I see (with backpackers) are unleashed in WNC. You can make a dog behave a little better if you get a dog pack and throw some weight in it. My backpacking dog Shunka could carry 17 days of his own food and behaved himself.
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