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Trout fishing opened on a local lake this Saturday. Several local fishermen were there and a homeless young man, 18yo. He, and other homeless are the focus of this thread.
He was scrounging from others and soliciting from them, even being very up-front and vocal about his homelessness; he went on about being thrown out of his home because he got his girlfriend pregnant and was now living in the woods (a small park area) at the side of the fishing area boat launch...where bank anglers fish. Some folks gave him fish they caught and other supplies.
Monday he is there again working the crowd. He is taking home 10+fish.
Tuesday, I am fishing with several known fishermen and another young man walks up to the fishing bank area with a pit-bull/rottweiler mix dog...I am about 5 feet from the dog when it attempts to attack me, lunging and barking viciously at me. I back away of course and am threatened and scared. I relocate to a sitting position on a large rock and a few minutes later the guy brings the dog up close to where I am sitting and the dog attempts to attack me again...now I am scared, threaten, and pissed: I move again after yelling at the guy. About 15 minutes later he walks the dog away from the bank area. I am still visibly shaken and fish some more.
I saw the18 yo again on Wednesday and in passing I tell him about being accosted by the dog...He starts telling me that it is a public place and that the youth with the dog has a right to be there, what? Next, he tells me the dog is just looking for some love! Then, he goes on to tell me he heard someone pulled a gun on the dog, what? I tell him it wasn't me, stating it must have been someone else. Then he asks me if I carry a gun? I tell him no (of course, although I have a CPL and do carry). So, I ask him if he carries a gun and he says, no he can't, he's only 18, and that he carries a knife because "he likes to be close and personal".
He bums a smoke from a fellow fisherman and returns to his rod. Then another homeless guy shows ups and 'bums a smoke' from the fisherman that the first guy bummed a smoke from...then the guy with the dog (without the dog) shows up and I notice him and thank him for not bringing the dog and he sits with the newly arriving homeless person...it turns out they are all buddies and they go off to have breakfast together at the encampment in the woods and walk up the boat launch road and away...I had given him a fish, no more and not again.
I am concerned for my safety and corruption of our lake/fishing area.
I am 70 and a bit disabled. I put pepper spray in with my fishing gear...what a shame.
Next Steps for me???
Good idea to have a couple doses of pepper spray with you, along with your firearm. I'd definitely get a fishing buddy or two - and make sure they can shoot straight.
Years ago, one of my cousins was approached by a couple of men who asked him for a light for their cigarette. When they got in right close, one of them stabbed him in the guts. Almost killed him, and it took a long, long time for him to recover. You just never know what a "panhandler" is really thinking when they start in.
The fact that he told you he carries a knife is kinda odd. You're right to be concerned.
Homelessness seems to be getting worse everywhere. A homeless man threatened to murder an elderly couple who lives just outside Monmouth not too long ago. Surprising that even a small town like this one is having homeless issues.
I was in San Francisco a little over a year ago, and was surprised by the homeless camps they have there. Interesting times we live in.
Sorry your fishing hole is overrun. Hope you find a better spot.