Hiking w/ Dogs in Humboldt/Eureka

[eureka1]

Thank you. People need to be reminded.

[BlackShoe]

Humboldt County also has a thriving cougar population. In 2007 an elderly couple was attacked by one there. Contrarly to popular opinion, taking a dog into cougar country is more likely to attract one of the big cats than it is to deter one. Keep your dogs close to you if you do hike, a lone dog way off on it's own is easy pickings for a cougar.

[Aquaboy]

There are frequent home invasions for indoor growers too, a UPS employee was killed in his Cutten home recently.

[OwlKaMyst]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

A myth? Really?

Official warning to hikers last week:
Drug agents urge hikers to be wary of outdoor marijuana fields

Shots exchanged at grow site 4 days ago in Willits:
Mendocino County Sheriff Deputy & suspect exchange shots at pot grow site

Three people killed in past in 3 separate incidents:
Marijuana farms: Violence stalks the mountains above a quiet coastal town - Los Angeles Times

Hikers shot at:
Pot farms in California forest raided, dozens arrested – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

I said 'basically' - meaning that there are (very rare) exceptions. I also said that anything that is protected with guards are cartel and in deep areas of wilderness, not a place an average day hiker is going to be hiking.

The first link is Napa, not Humboldt and speaks of law enforcement doing the shooting. Also the article says 'away from well trodden trails'. Stay on the trail and all is fine. An outdoor grower is not going to put his crop any place that would be easily stumbled upon.
The second link is again, shots exchanged between grower and law enforcement, not a hiker. And do you know how far out 20000 Tomki rd is from the town of Willits? About 5 miles as the crow flies, but to drive out there is miles of dirt road in the middle of no where. Not a place that has any trails for it is mostly private propery. Not a place a hiker is going to go.
The third like is poor reporting the shooting incident has nothing to do with a grower. The summary headline says, '....in an area populated by marijuana growers...'
This happened in my area. The area in which Melo was killed was to dense of an area for there to be any grows. The shooter, Bassler, was a mentally deranged individual and was not a grower.
The last link does not mention Humboldt and also state remote, mountainous areas.
Which is where I said that those who do have guards and guns would be.

Anyone hiking just outside of town is not going to encounter any gun happy growers.
One has to really 'dig deep' into the woods to put themselves in this situation.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by OwlKaMyst

Made me laugh...
This is basically a myth. Most marijuana grown in the area is grown indoors or on private property. Very few gardens have such 'security' systems as those that do are usually the Mexican Cartel on public lands that are so far and deep into the woods, there is no trail.

The only "myth" is that "cartels" are even there:

Feds Admit There's No Proof Mexican Drug Cartels Link to California Marijuana Grows
Feds Admit There's No Proof Mexican Drug Cartels Link to California Marijuana Grows - San Francisco - News - The Snitch

The real danger IS from the locals:

'Pirate Cave' In Humboldt Contained Gun Arsenal, Over 100 Pounds Of Marijuana And Cache Of Stolen Vehicles 'Pirate Cave' In Humboldt Contained Gun Arsenal, Over 100 Pounds Of Marijuana And Cache Of Stolen Vehicles (PHOTOS)