Carrying handgun while mountain biking

[Tick_Tock_Glock]

Is it illegal to have a handgun locked in a container and stored in a backpack while mountain biking, hiking or camping? I was just wondering because I thought about having one for protection; like against wild animals like mountain lions and such.
I figured its better to have one with you than without one.

[toopercentmlk]

Unless the mountain lion was trained in turn based combat you're gonna need to carry the weapon "appropriately" for it to be much use... Getting stranded is another thing, better to have it I guess.

[Notblake]

Mr. Mountain lion, before you eat me can you wait just one second, I've got to get something out of my pack.......... heh zipper is sticking ......okay.... oh damn dropped my keys........ there we go magazine in and....... oh..... the mountain lion got bored and left about 10 seconds ago.

[Noah3683]

Unless the mountain lion was trained in turn based combat you're gonna need to carry the weapon "appropriately" for it to be much use... Getting stranded is another thing, better to have it I guess.

+1 LOL mountain lions are predatory animals. They usually jump down on you from above and behind. Good luck getting it out, then unlocked with a 200 lb cat on your back. But better to have it there than not at all. I would UOC at the least. You are at least in better position to somehow get the mag in to defend yourself than trying to remove it from a backpack and so on. If you are on blm or forrest land you can open carry loaded which would be your best option

[Noah3683]

Mr. Mountain lion, before you eat me can you wait just one second, I've got to get something out of my pack.......... heh zipper is sticking ......okay.... oh damn dropped my keys........ there we go magazine in and....... oh..... the mountain lion got bored and left about 10 seconds ago.

You owe me a keyboard! jk. But for reals I just spit dr. pepper all over the place. lol great stuff

[Ultimate]

If you have been mountain biking long enough you would most likely know that a mountain lion will be on your back of your camel bag tearing off your jugular before you have time to reach in your camel bag to unlock your lock box and load up your pistol! I'm saying it sincerely, my suggestion take it or not, I would rather have a big fixed blade handy rather than a pistol in a locked box. But on the other hand if you are mountain biking and pitching a tent or sleeping bag etc, then yes bring a pistol for camp/safety purposes, this you will have time to un lock and load. but for day trips bring a big knife and pepper spray, that is my suggestion.

+1!

[Quiet]

If you have been mountain biking long enough you would most likely know that a mountain lion will be on your back of your camel bag tearing off your jugular before you have time to reach in your camel bag to unlock your lock box and load up your pistol! I'm saying it sincerely, my suggestion take it or not, I would rather have a big fixed blade handy rather than a pistol in a locked box. But on the other hand if you are mountain biking and pitching a tent or sleeping bag etc, then yes bring a pistol for camp/safety purposes, this you will have time to un lock and load. but for day trips bring a big knife and pepper spray, that is my suggestion.

+2.

[Tick_Tock_Glock]

If you have been mountain biking long enough you would most likely know that a mountain lion will be on your back of your camel bag tearing off your jugular before you have time to reach in your camel bag to unlock your lock box and load up your pistol! I'm saying it sincerely, my suggestion take it or not, I would rather have a big fixed blade handy rather than a pistol in a locked box. But on the other hand if you are mountain biking and pitching a tent or sleeping bag etc, then yes bring a pistol for camp/safety purposes, this you will have time to un lock and load. but for day trips bring a big knife and pepper spray, that is my suggestion.

True, that all I was asking...not like some of these other useless replies.

[ChrisO]

Get a dog to run with you. My brother is big into mountain biking last year him and a buddy were riding up around sauselito and a mountain lion attacked my brothers dog it was right behind him (his dog runs the trails with them) if it wasn't for that dog it probably would have been my brother. Brother and his buddy stopped and were ready to stab the damn thing and it just took off (dog obviously wasn't what it wanted) anyways the dog was fine some cuts nothing a trip to the vet didn't fix and he got to eat like a king for quite some time.

[HK Dave]

Carry a decent knife that you have fast access to.

[Falstaff]

Since NO ONE has answered your question; and only offered their armchair Discovery Channel expertise on Puma behaviour; the answer is YES it IS LEGAL to keep your pistol unloaded, in a locked box. You can however have loaded magazines in the box too, just make sure they're NOT inserted in the magwell. I highly recomend the Guvault Micro which requires no KEYS, just your fingers. (they have the biometric versions out, but reviews are not good, people are reporting the the thing takes several swipes before it recognizes yer fingerprint.)


LUCC={LOCKED UNLOADED CONCEALED CARRY} := LEGAL

[Lead-Thrower]

I carry my 7" Ka-Bar knife when I go hiking...

[stphnman20]

Just bite the Lion back!

[Falstaff]

You are FAR more likely to be hit by a drunk illegal while bicycling than you are to be attacked by Puma. In fact, attacks are so rare, you are also more likely to be struck by lightning while mountain biking!

However, I still recomend attaching this to your frame for quick "Mountain Lion attack!" access:

In California, after fatal attacks on humans in 1890 and 1909, there were no further verified attacks until March, 1986. From then until July, 1995, there have been 10 verified attacks on humans in California. (OC)

Nationwide, attacks averaged about three per year until 1970 when the rate jumped to 14 attacks per year which continued throughout the 1990s. (Also see chart in source). (Term Paper On Mountain Lions)

A scientific review of records on attacks by cougars on humans in the United States and Canada from 1890 through 1990 indicated there were 53 cougar attacks on humans during this period. There were nine attacks that resulted in 10 human deaths, and 44 non-fatal attacks.
Since that report was published in 1991 (by Professor Paul Beier, a wildlife ecologist at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, formerly of University of California, Berkeley), there have been three documented fatal human attacks in the United States, one in Colorado and two in California. (OC, in 1995) (One additional death occurred in Colorado in 1997 - see next quote)


There have been only two deaths ever in Colorado from lion attacks: a 10-year-old Lakewood boy during a hike in 1997 in Rocky Mountain National Park and an 18-year-old man in 1991 who was jogging near Idaho Springs. There have been only five previously recorded attacks in the state, according to the division of wildlife. (Denver Post, 5/1/98, B-01)

The California Department of Fish and Game has carefully documented cougar-human incidents which result in injuries to people. Verifiable records of human beings injured by mountain lions in California document only 12 such incidents. (OC)

Mountain lion sightings reported to the California Department of Fish and Game have increased from 59 in 1991 to over 300 in 1994. However, caution must be used in interpreting reports from the public involving mountain lions. Many reports are difficult, if not impossible, to verify based on limited information provided by members of the public who are unfamiliar with the appearance and habits of mountain lions. (OC)
There were 322 confirmed incidents of mountain lion damage to pets and livestock and 121 mountain lions killed on depredation permits in 1994. This compares with five to 10 confirmed incidents of damage and one to five lions killed annually in the early 1970s. (OC)


Since 1986, there have been nine human injuries in California and two deaths. The injuries were mostly to children visiting parks. Two adult women were killed and partly consumed, two in 1994. (OC, in 1995)

There have been 10 fatal cougar attacks since 1890 in the U.S., half in the past 10 years. (SDUT 8/16/98)

There have been 36 [cougar] attacks [in North America], including seven fatal ones, recorded between 1991 and 1999. That compares with 20 -- two fatal -- during the 1980s and 17 -- four fatal -- during the 1970s. (Calgary Herald 1/4/01)

[ChrisO]

^^^ It's true. The crazy thing is my brothers dog got attacked by a mountain lion while they were riding and my brother also got rear ended by a illegal (not drunk just not paying attention) on I-5 guy rear ended him in a van while he was on his motorcycle. I told him he needs to start some safe hobbies.