Anyone ever have any issues camping over night at Hoosier Natl.Forest?

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    Sharpshooter
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    Nov 28, 2011
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    B-Burg
    So this weekend the family and I are planning on going hiking in the Hoosier National Forest and camping over night off the trail. Has anyone ever had any issues doing this? i.e. car broken into while parked over night (yes my car will be totally empty) or any problems with other people causing issues at your camp site.
     

    Leadeye

    Grandmaster
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    Jan 19, 2009
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    Your biggest issue in the HNF this time of year will be seed ticks. Spray your clothes with plenty of permethrin, your tent as well.


    People related problems are rare.
     
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    Jan 21, 2013
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    Lawrence County
    Have camped off trail in the Deam Wilderness Area off 446 for years - during deer season and spring/summer. Never had any issues...until this past spring. Two guys came walking into my camp - was camping with my fiance' - one tent and a fire - about 10:30pm. We had just gone to bed. I was awake, but my fiance' was asleep. They came off trail to the fire - we were about 100yds off trail in a pine grove. They were standing at my fire, looking at the tent and talking. I came out of the tent and asked (pistol in hand, but not pointed at anyone), what the #### they were doing. They got all nervous and said they'd leave and wouldn't come back, headed up trail toward the trail head (we were about 2 miles down trail from the trail head). Never gave a reason, just left. Of course I thought it was suspicious and stayed awake for a good while. Just after midnight I heard two guys walking back down the trail and stopped talking about 100 yds from the nearest point to my camp. At the nearest point I heard them enter the woods headed for my camp. It was the same two, don't know if they were armed or not, but I came out of the tent - pistol pointed at them this time - and told them not to come closer or I'd shoot. It was the same two guys. They turned and ran. Needless to say I stayed up the rest of the night, kept the fire stoked, and stood watch. They didn't return after that. I have no idea what they were up to...if they were high or what. Bottom line, anywhere there are people there is the possibility of conflict. NEVER go into HNF unarmed. And, I will never camp off trail in sight of the trail again. I will get far enough from the trail that my campfire will not be seen. Most people never get more than 100 yds off trail in HNF.
     

    spencer rifle

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    Apr 15, 2011
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    Scrounging brass
    Chiggers. They make any other insect/arachnid/etc. look like a picnic. My oldest and I went hiking in the Deam off-trail and picked up a bunch. Itched for 2 months. Take all precautions.
     
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    Jan 21, 2013
    4,905
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    Lawrence County
    Chiggers. They make any other insect/arachnid/etc. look like a picnic. My oldest and I went hiking in the Deam off-trail and picked up a bunch. Itched for 2 months. Take all precautions.

    Anything with permethrin on clothes, tent, etc - let it dry before using - and 100% DEET with the pump spray on the skin. Works for me against ticks, mosquitoes and chiggers. I'm allergic to chiggers and this method works in Indiana and in Texas (twice).
     

    Mark 1911

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    Jun 6, 2012
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    Schererville, IN
    Have camped off trail in the Deam Wilderness Area off 446 for years - during deer season and spring/summer. Never had any issues...until this past spring. Two guys came walking into my camp - was camping with my fiance' - one tent and a fire - about 10:30pm. We had just gone to bed. I was awake, but my fiance' was asleep. They came off trail to the fire - we were about 100yds off trail in a pine grove. They were standing at my fire, looking at the tent and talking. I came out of the tent and asked (pistol in hand, but not pointed at anyone), what the #### they were doing. They got all nervous and said they'd leave and wouldn't come back, headed up trail toward the trail head (we were about 2 miles down trail from the trail head). Never gave a reason, just left. Of course I thought it was suspicious and stayed awake for a good while. Just after midnight I heard two guys walking back down the trail and stopped talking about 100 yds from the nearest point to my camp. At the nearest point I heard them enter the woods headed for my camp. It was the same two, don't know if they were armed or not, but I came out of the tent - pistol pointed at them this time - and told them not to come closer or I'd shoot. It was the same two guys. They turned and ran. Needless to say I stayed up the rest of the night, kept the fire stoked, and stood watch. They didn't return after that. I have no idea what they were up to...if they were high or what. Bottom line, anywhere there are people there is the possibility of conflict. NEVER go into HNF unarmed. And, I will never camp off trail in sight of the trail again. I will get far enough from the trail that my campfire will not be seen. Most people never get more than 100 yds off trail in HNF.

    Wow. Sitting here just trying to put myself in that situation, late at night, alone with my wife, someone has enough gumption to walk into a campsite obviously not theirs, no explanation of why. Obviously not innocent, even if intentions unknown. Yeah, that would most definitely be a high-adrenaline situation. Another example of why we always need to be on watch, always be prepared. Don't be complacent.

    Glad it didn't go any further than it did.

    Thanks for sharing.
     

    Bucky623

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    Oct 6, 2008
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    In Oct. 1992 a friend and I were camping for several days close to the fire tower on Hickory ridge road around the Deam Wilderness area. When we came back from a morning squirrel hunt I notices a low tire on my CJ7 and went over to take a look. I could hear air hissing out of the tire and soon realized that two other tires were also going flat. The forth had the valve stem cut close to the cap where the metal is so the knife didn’t cut through.
     

    FCS-04

    Plinker
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    Mar 27, 2013
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    Bloomfield
    I am out there almost every weekend in the spring and fall. Out of my thousands of hours spent in the area I've only had 2 encounters with idiots and never had my vehicle messed with.
     

    randyb

    Sharpshooter
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    Feb 4, 2009
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    I had one issue years ago while camped with my dog. A disagreeable "turkey hunter" started yelling, racked the slide on his shotgun and threatening me 'for being on his land'. It got resolved pretty quickly afterwards but glad I was armed.
     
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    Jan 21, 2013
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    Lawrence County
    Wow. Sitting here just trying to put myself in that situation, late at night, alone with my wife, someone has enough gumption to walk into a campsite obviously not theirs, no explanation of why. Obviously not innocent, even if intentions unknown. Yeah, that would most definitely be a high-adrenaline situation. Another example of why we always need to be on watch, always be prepared. Don't be complacent.

    Glad it didn't go any further than it did.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Thanks buddy. You wonder what you'll do, and it's easy to say well shame on them I'd shoot them, but you won't. I don't want to shoot anyone and wouldn't unless it were the last resort and I was absolutely certain they were going to harm me or someone with me. The second time they came in, quiet, when they were certain we'd be asleep, I was sure there'd be gunfire. I hit them with my light and had the pistol on them and I think it surprised them I was ready. If they were armed they never presented them. Always be armed. Always be ready. Think through the "what-if's", just like you're bow hunting. Thank God they didn't appear to be armed. Had I hit them with the light and they were both carrying weapons in their hands...That's clearly an aggressive posture with lethal intent. I'd like to say I wouldn't shoot until they aimed at me, but there were two of them...well, anyway, they didn't and they ran. There was no sleep happening that night.
     

    throttletony

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    Jul 11, 2011
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    Thanks buddy. You wonder what you'll do, and it's easy to say well shame on them I'd shoot them, but you won't. I don't want to shoot anyone and wouldn't unless it were the last resort and I was absolutely certain they were going to harm me or someone with me. The second time they came in, quiet, when they were certain we'd be asleep, I was sure there'd be gunfire. I hit them with my light and had the pistol on them and I think it surprised them I was ready. If they were armed they never presented them. Always be armed. Always be ready. Think through the "what-if's", just like you're bow hunting. Thank God they didn't appear to be armed. Had I hit them with the light and they were both carrying weapons in their hands...That's clearly an aggressive posture with lethal intent. I'd like to say I wouldn't shoot until they aimed at me, but there were two of them...well, anyway, they didn't and they ran. There was no sleep happening that night.

    Well played.
    That is a crazy situation. I, like you, tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. If they were coming in a 2nd time - and being extra sneaky/quiet - 10% of me would think they didn't want to disturb since they already got chewed out (and they're lost or incompetent), but 90% of me would suspect something worse.
    You did the right thing.
     

    singlesix

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    May 13, 2008
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    I had one issue years ago while camped with my dog. A disagreeable "turkey hunter" started yelling, racked the slide on his shotgun and threatening me 'for being on his land'. It got resolved pretty quickly afterwards but glad I was armed.
    Sure like the details on how this got resolved. Guy racked his slide and was turkey hunting? I always had a round in the chamber when hunting. You sure he wasn't guarding his "herb" patch :). Back to the thread, I never had issues, it's been 10 years since I've been out that way.
     

    gregr

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    Jan 1, 2016
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    Sure like the details on how this got resolved. Guy racked his slide and was turkey hunting? I always had a round in the chamber when hunting. You sure he wasn't guarding his "herb" patch :). Back to the thread, I never had issues, it's been 10 years since I've been out that way.

    Yeah, bioth those bad situations are a shame to hear about. Same with the tires being slashed, wow.

    I used to spend a LOT of time there, usually started near the fire tower, and not once had any issues with anyone. Not surprising today though. The people, and the times, they have changed.
     
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