I happen to reside in the MOST RESTRICTIVE ( last to recognize a citizen's RIGHT) gun rights state in the union, ILLinois. Just recently, we have been "allowed" to protect ours and ourselves with the ability to carry concealed weapons. "That being said" the recent forced ( by Supreme Court decision) imposition of this right upon our legislators has caused some of "them" to seek all sorts of incidents/scenarios , TO NO AVAIL, to pose objections to and challenge that decision.
I have applied for and WILL exercise this right, but that is not my main objective. In the last three years, open carry of firearms has been allowed ( with a healthy dose of COMMON SENSE) in our National Parks. I personally have had TWO very near ( underwear changing caliber) bear experiences in Grand Teton and Y'Stone National parks. At both of those incidents I had only my flyrod and a 2nd (NIdon) degree black belt in Judo as my protection. I could have nailed him with an Uchi Mata but that would have required a much closer and TOTALLY uninteresting to me confrontation. I am NOT a
"walk 100 yds from my car" fisherman and thereby tend to wander many miles into possibly dangerous areas where a "meeting" can and has occured. And because it is now perfectly legal , I carry my S&W 44 MAG and a large canister of UDAP not TOTALLY depending on either singularly but as a combo JUST IN CASE.
I have posted on this subject before and ruffled some feathers but since there are new folks herein,I post it again. If/ when you wander into "possible" confrontation territory, what precautions do you excercise ?? ( OR theoretically, if you were in those territories, how would you protect yourself?)


Mark
PS: John, TF, let it run :>)