Is it possible to escape hunters, ATVs and noise in a rural area?

[in_newengland]

FCMA knocks it out of the park, as usual, lol. So well written, so spot on, so witty. The description alone of Conway is priceless: Conway is a local wealth bubble, comparatively. The hippies are not all the scrappy ones with guns like in Wendell, here they often have trust funds or mega bucks from their time living in NYC or LA before moving to the local hills to convert to Buddhism, change their name to LunaBar, and start a hobby farm.

I knew some NYers with PhDs from fancy schools and money to spare, who immigrated to Conway so they could indulge in the mysterious (to them) practice of composting. I wonder if they've managed to conquer the art of vermiculture. One time I couldn't resist being ever so slightly rude and told them they could probably learn everything they wanted to know by just asking old timer locals, lol.

Sheffield=because there’s no real center for folks in Jaguars to congregate in,


and thanks for the memories of contra dancing. I used to go in Amherst but even people from the eastern part of the state went in Greenfield. Another great post!

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I'll second the love for post #266 - well done, FCMA

+1

Some of the more entertaining prose I’ve read on C-D in recent memory.

[mdovell]

I would also add Deerfield is in Franklin County. It's a bit interesting although Yankee Candle has become more of an amusement park, it was not always that way. There's also magic wings
https://magicwings.com/

Rt 2 goes from west to east. It's not nearly as fast as the pike but it is quite scenic. The Mohawk trail is pretty nice although the hairpin in north adams is not for the faint of heart. When it says 15mph it *really* means 15 mph
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_Trail

A long time ago driving back I came across a old fashioned gas pump that must have been from the 70's. No LCD at all. Then I saw it..couldn't believe it really but a phone booth. They decorated it and there's no phone but I've only seen a few in my life.

I'd also highly recommend a bit of a day trip to Brattleboro. Whetstone brewery is worth the trip and then there's the antique stores. https://www.whetstonestation.com/

[Tupaloop]

Amontillado, thank you very much for the suggestion on Chester! We will add it to the list of places to check out. The Keystone Arches look like wonderful examples of historic stone bridge architecture - we will visit. And thank you for pointing out the Western Mass Hilltown Hikers! While I prefer to hike solo or with hubs, their website is loaded with resources and hiking maps that will surely come in handy. I saved the link.

in_newengland, yes FMCA totally knocked it out of the park more than once here. The description of Conway is hilarious! And honestly we would probably fit right in.

FMCA, speaking of converting to Buddhism, I was seriously excited to see that there is a Vipassana meditation center in Shelburne Falls. I've been wanting attend a Vipassana retreat for a long time. I'll take this as a sign. Also, I now want to change my CDF screen name to LunaBar.

mdovell, Deerfield is on our list, thanks for the suggestion! We did a drive-thru on google maps and fell in love with the historic downtown area. It looks like quintessential New England on steroids. Also the butterfly place is definitely on our list of places to check out while we're up there. What a great suggestion! And I checked out the wiki link for the Mohawk Trail - very interesting! I had no idea it was an old Native American route. The hairpin turn sounds scary, but fun. Maybe it will help us build up the courage to finally drive the Moki Dugway the next time we're in Utah. I think once you drive this, you can drive anywhere! My husband calls it the "Dookie Pantsway". https://youtu.be/-v2WBE0fbhM?t=292

You guys all rock!

[Monarkman]

My advice: move to a liberal gun hating city where there’s no hunters with those “evil” firearms, and no folks enjoying outdoor recreation on ATV’s.

[Monarkman]

I recommend moving to a city to avoid those hunters and the tools of their trade.

[Monarkman]

Your presuppositions of the hunting culture are HUGHLY distorted. I am not a hunter but grew up in Western Mass. in a very rural town, and never experienced the chaos you described. I perceive your disdain for the inanimate objects called firearms, may contribute to your fear.

Also, there are seasons for hunting, and during those seasons it’s true you have to use wisdom, I have hiked in the woods my whole life, even during hunting season, and in 45 years of doing so, I NEVER had a bad encounter with a hunter. Most hunters will set up in areas away from hiking trails anyway. Try to be more open minded and less fearful, this Constitutional Republic was birthed by the rifle, and hunting has been a part of human society for thousands of years.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Monarkman

My advice: move to a liberal gun hating city where there’s no hunters with those “evil” firearms, and no folks enjoying outdoor recreation on ATV’s.

I live in one of those and we are thick as fleas. There are at least 10 different gun ranges scattered about with three times as many gun stores. Off roading is HUGE here. It was the same in Denver.

Probably people would stay a little more sane if they'd quit judging what their neighbors do legally. By the way, it's almost Deer season So, forget California. Hunting and fishing plus off roading are huge here.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by Monarkman

Your presuppositions of the hunting culture are HUGHLY distorted. I am not a hunter but grew up in Western Mass. in a very rural town, and never experienced the chaos you described. I perceive your disdain for the inanimate objects called firearms, may contribute to your fear.

Also, there are seasons for hunting, and during those seasons it’s true you have to use wisdom, I have hiked in the woods my whole life, even during hunting season, and in 45 years of doing so, I NEVER had a bad encounter with a hunter. Most hunters will set up in areas away from hiking trails anyway. Try to be more open minded and less fearful, this Constitutional Republic was birthed by the rifle, and hunting has been a part of human society for thousands of years.

While I generally have no problem with hunters who hunt for food rather than purely for sport, not all hunters and outdoor recreationalists are respectful and I think it's generally worth keeping in mind the cultural norms of where you move.


For instance, my partner's family lives in a rural part of upstate NY and have a lot of land. Years ago, they cut ATV trails for personal use, but have since begun a rescue operation for large, abused dogs and have posted signs telling both ATV users and hunters to stay off. The land is supposed to provide a buffer for the dogs - they're often pretty traumatized by the time they get to my in-laws and so it's a priority to keep sudden, loud noises (like gunfire) to a minimum. Their land backs up on public land where hunting is allowed, and so hunters somewhat regularly ignore the posted signs to stay out. My boyfriend's dad has had to remove 3 parties last fall alone, and while many are apologetic, 2 of them were less than cooperative last year. While not hunting, his dad had to run out some ATVers this summer too. They've blocked off the trails but people have ignored posted signs and blockages to the point where his dad is afraid of someone getting hurt if he wires off the trails.



It's pretty normal in their part of the country for hunters to have pretty free reign of private property, so even though they have lived there for more than 35 years, it's still a challenge, and seems to be getting worse.



It's wise for the OP to consider what the hunting norms are where they move. They aren't going to avoid 100% of hunting, but may be able to avoid some of the less respectful outdoorsmen by understanding the character of where they're moving.