Would you go hiking alone?

Here's the thing, I am living in Texas right now (where the husband is from) and don't know anyone at all.  I am itching to get out to this trail in the next county that circles a lake and according to a hiking site is full of wildlife (wild hogs!).  There are a few variations you can do and make it anywhere from a 2 mile to a 30+ mile hike... I am wanting to do a 4 miler that runs pretty flat with a few semi-challanging areas.

The husband is not into it at all.  He builds houses out in the heat all day (it's still in the high 90's here) so I can see why... but I have a weird feeling about hiking alone even when people will know where I am and what trail I'll be on and everything.  I just have this vision of me being mauled by a wild hog or something, haha.

Am I just being weird?

Wild hogs are nothing to mess with. I don't know what I would do. Has anyone been attacked by them? If not then I wouldn't worry so much. Maybe carry a whistle with you, that might be something that might scare off the pigs and or call some one if needed. Maybe also carry mace that might work on both people and pigs if you are attacked...just some thought...

ah, no.  i would absolutely not go hiking alone.  not even so much the mauled as the what if you fall and hurt yourself?  i wonder if there's a hiking club in your area or something...

People are a bigger threat than pigs.  Sorry to say it, but ...

I hike alone, and I carry a pistol.  Yes, I have a permit for it.  I'd rather go with a friend (my husband isn't really into it either), but so far I haven't found one who's up for it.

As long as people know where you are, I wouldn't worry too much about falling or getting hurt.  They'll know where to look for you.

I'd go. Take a cell phone, tell someone where you're going and about what time you expect to be back. Carry a walking stick and a whistle if you are worried about wildlife, don't wear earphones, remain aware of your surroundings, have a good time, and share the pictures with us when you're back!

Sounds like fun, but I am more nervous from wild humans than wild pigs.  Are there other people on the trail.  How secluded is it?  Can you a borrow a dog?  If there are normally other people on it the wildlife should be cautious of you. 

I think I am going to go sometime during the week next week.

According the a hiking website where people can post their reviews and stories about certain hikes, this trail always seems to be empty.  One hiker said the only other humans they saw was a boy scout troop a mile in on the short trail.

I always bring my cell, and even when I've hiked with other people we've always left detailed notes about where we're going and when we expect to be back.

ida_maes_mom, I wish there was a dog I could borrow! The 3 dogs I know here are all farm and cattle dogs that have never been on a leash and would probably freak out if they were.

I would actually love to see a wild hog... from a distance! From what I've read they seem to be fairly aggressive (and enormous).  I would never carry a gun, but maybe mace would be a good idea.

I'm perhaps a bit nieve but I go hiking by myself all the time, not in wild hog country but in areas where cougars, bears, and coyotes are not uncommon. (I've never seen much more than the occasional coyote though)... Fortunately cougars and bears tend to hear people coming and avoid them... Hogs though can be aggressive from what I'm told... still they'd probably rather avoid confrontation with a person... I wouldn't worry about them too much... however if they're like coyotes then don't bring a dog... a dog can be seen as an aggressor, it's instinct is to attack the wild animal... and will cause the animal to attack (this I have seen happen)

you should never go hiking alone where there are no people around. especially on trails that are known for hiking.

people wait for people like you to show up so they can do whatever they want without a soul to see.

people have been killed by wild pigs....a pistol would be useless as it would charge you from a hidden area and be chomping you before you even had your finger on the trigger.

plus snakes...scorpions...

cell phones go out of service.

there are probably hiking groups you can join.
look for them.

and...chubacabra...lol
not really..but...maybe?
hee hee

where in TX are you? maybe i could go too? i'd like to do some hiking :-)

seriously, PM me if you want a hiking buddy & are near the austin area.

ahaha, curses... I was laughing to myself that if I wrote a review of trail after I went I would put "skunk ape" in the "wildlife spotted" category. This is how you amuse yourself when you have no friends within 1000 miles.

I was thinking about going to the student center at school and seeing if anyone in the "environmental club" would like to go hiking, but then again, I don't want to be stuck with a weirdo for 4 miles!

P.S. Me? not a weirdo :-)

yeh..i wouldnt go alone with someone i just met either.

plus groups tend to scare off animals more than pairs or persons traveling alone.

oh man..what was that movie where those 3 people went out to the outback of austrailia....

that was some scary sh*t!
based on a true story too.

and that steven king  book...desolation?..desperation?..god i am terrible at titles atm...that was a creepy book too...

books and movies and paranoid theory spells are what i do when i dont want to be friends with anyone within 1000 miles.

lol

no offense to c-hound..lol

i dont know ya...no dead bodies for buttercup to chew on in the basement right?

hee hee

carrihound I PM'd ya! :D

There was that Stephen King book called "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" about the little girl who got seperated from her mom and brother while out hiking. 

That movie I think is Wolfcreek? We rented it once.  Husband loves the survival horror movies, I'm more of a zombie and post apocalypse girl myself.

a lot of these responses sound paranoid!  i don't see why there would be a problem with going alone in the middle of the day, especially with some pepper spray and a knowledge of some basic self defense moves, though i'm not saying you'll need them.

i've been for lots of walks in parks and wooded areas alone and have never felt like my safety was threatened.  although it WOULD be very nice to have a companion, human or animal, if the only thing holding you back from doing this is doing it alone, i'd say maybe check it out alone for 2 miles instead of 4 the first time or something to see how comfortable you are. 

oh no offense taken! can't be too careful on the interweb :-)

i PM'd ya back!

I'm still laughing, thinking about people reading my review and googling "skunk ape". It's not even that funny!

paranoid...hell yah...im not looking to face the worst that can happen.

yeh WOLFCREEK....
eeek


and when i think of tx i think of this other story...the voodoo murders....there were these mexican drugdealers that were into black arts of voodoo...and one of the things they did was kidnap people, torture ,rape and behead them to thier voodoo gods for an offering to ensure sucess in life.

totally creepy.totally true.

people are scary....

I would be way more concerned about getting lost that running into a wild animal or malicious human.  I don't know about Texas, but here in the NW you hear about a lost hiker on a weekly basis.  And, these are often experienced, well prepared hikers.

That said, I'd be fine w/ hiking alone.  Make sure you have a good map, know where you are headed, and tell someone where you'll be and when to expect you back.

People have been walking in the woods on hikes by themselves for many of yrs now. As long as you keep your wits about you and as other ppl said carry a large stick lys carries a gun which is what I would do. Most animals are more afraid of you than u are of them and typically dont want to bother with you anyhow.