Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League wrote a letter to the Department of the Interior asking about their regulation of firearms within National Park Land (36 CFR 2.4).
The letter he got back (pdf) from Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Associate Director of Visitor and Resource Protection shows that she lives in another dimension, where nothing bad ever happens.
A couple of the more ignorant points made by Ms. Taylor-Goodrich were:
“Right to Carry” laws do not reduce crime. In fact, armed citizens attempting to assist rangers create volitile situations, often putting the private citizen or ranger’s life in jeopardy.
“Right to carry” laws do not protect visitors from wildlife. Most weapons carried for protection from wildlife are not adequate for that purpose. Untrained individuals attempting to protect themselves from dangerous animals often exacerbate the situation.
So I guess when a mountain lion is chewing on your head they want you to use just your bare hands or improvise weapons on the spot like sticks and stones.
I’ve been told by a fair number of individuals that my 1911 in .45ACP is not good Cougar Medicine as it doesn’t move fast enough. Thanks guys, but I think it’ll do just fine. Though do feel free to leave a list of your preferred medicines in the comments.
I’ve got a S&W 329 PD that I take with me when I go camping in the backcountry. It is definitely a carry-a-lot-shoot-a-little type of gun, but I can barely feel it on my hip while I’m hiking and a .44 magnum slug is going to deter most any animal I run across.
4″ S&W Model 57 — 41 Mag
This is my lion/bear/anything that wants to chew on me medicine.
It’s loaded with Buffalo bore 265 LWN-GC @ 1350… I figure that ought to do the trick nicely.
I’ll bet if you unload a clip of .45ACP into a cougar or even a bears ass, it will at least think twice before continueing the attack or at least slow it down long enough for you to have a better chance of getting the hell out of there. Hell if you shot me with a B. B. gun it may not kill me but I would probably quit messing with you.
Hell even my .40 is better than jumping up and down while yelling and waving my arms, much less trying to punch, kick, or gouge an attacking animal.
It certainly is effective against two legged varmints…Oh I forgot, it appears she assumes that people simply will not harm other people. We all know how based in reality that perception is…
Cougars are pretty thin-skinned and wouldn’t a .38 special probably do the job? That being said I like both my old Colts in .45-something, ACP or Long.
Grizzlys are a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.
I remember seeing an ad in an old Rifleman of one of the old-time trappers who killed cougars with a Single Action Army in .38-40.
Which is identical to .40 S&W ballistics, btw!
Regards,
“Most weapons carried for protection from wildlife are not adequate for that purpose.”
My brother-in-law recently became a Forest Service Smoke Jumper. He was telling me that many of his comrades carry 1911’s in hip holsters when they jump into forest fires as protection against bear and/or Mtn. Lion attacks.
So when the pro’s do it, it’s fine, but when an ordinary citizen does it, it’s “not adequate for that purpose”. Screw her.