Is the ANF safe

I spent last weekend camping in the ANF. Amazingly, I am still here to talk about it.

Of course its not safe. There are bears and coyotes run amok. Not to mention the dangerous rednecks. Frick Park is a better place for you guys to spend the weekend.

omg, better not fly in an airplane, terrorists are known to hijack planes.
better stay out of new york, it's unsafe, terrorists are known to visit.
 
the ANF is unsafe, i think he's better off going to DC, maybe chicago.
i'm sure the tap water is cleaner than a mountain spring.
i'm sure the city ponds have better tasting and healthier fish.
i'm sure th city people will be very helpful guiding him thru the city for entertainment.
 

... but a bomb in the fort pitt tunnel @ rush hour would be much more massively destructive.  Espacially if that bomb were nuclear, chemical, or biological in nature.  just sayin'
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I feel very safe in the woods.  It is people not animals that worry me.

There's something about a general, unspecific alleged warning about the ANF that strikes me as very paranoid.  If he was doing research, wouldn't he uncover some facts about the "dangers of the ANF"?

and supposing it was statistical, isn't it possible that people out here in the woods create there own dangers by partying too much, doing dangerous stunts far from nearby hospitals, or even the dangers of being lost during bad weather.

as an example of this, up on the reservoir, rt 59 goes over the kinzua creek arm of the dam.  The bridge is quite a good ways up above the surface of the water say 30-50'.  Well some ole country boys figure that given the depth of the water, that bridge ought to be jumped from. so every once in a while, we get the kids and the daredevils, jumping off the casey bridge.

now, this clearly isn't safe.   There are big huge piers and at times a fearsome wind.  more than one idiot has lost their life, as the wind blew them into the concrete pier, during there jump.  others have hit something the wrong way, breaking a bone and then drowned.

statistically, they would be one of these fatalities of the ANF.  Is it fair to call the ANF dangerous because some people are reckless when they visit the ANF??
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I feel very safe in the woods and spent all my time in it when I was a teenager.  the worst that ever happened to me, was losing my bearings a couple times. 

90% of the accidents and incidents I see in the paper usually come down to people either being reckless or unprepared.

About the kidnapping, There are monsters everywhere and in every corner of america (and prolly the world).  its never a bad idea to have some kind of protection. 

I still stick to my story that if your surgeon brother found more accidents/person in the ANF its because people behave very badly in the woods sometimes.
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I'm not sure what kind of protection you think the state ought to offer?  They are police around in the summer.  The ANF is actually well patroled (compared to other places I've been).  we ought to continue to expand our cell service.  GPS is lacking in spots (I'm not sure that its easy to solve that one).  People need to quite feeding animals.

I don't know, lunker.  I obviously feel much differently than you do.  I don't go fishing, "armed" and I fish at night.

My biggest fear in ANF is what type of bug is going to bite me.
Black hoarse flys have a nasty bite and the no-see-ums a few years ago were relentless even with Cutter Deep Woods Repellent.

Last month some-places were overrun with rainbow people.
If dreadlocks and public nudity scare you-they should be gone by now.

The rapist/kidnapper is said to be from out of state or at least driving an out of state vehicle. He may be back in another state or your city now

Kinzua is one of the most underused bodies of water around
On a weekday there is little boat traffic and very quiet.

One of the safest places around, if you ask me.  Spent many a day/night in and around Kinzua country and wouldn't hesitate a second to take my family there.  My SIL just recently pent a long weekend camping up there at the boat access only camping area and had a blast.

Lunker49,
To give you a serious answer to your question, In my opinion the ANF is as safe a place to visit as any other forested recreational area. That being said, one should always be wary of his/her suroundings and be alert to anything suspicious wherever that may be,city or otherwise. In my opinion one of the best things you can do is arm yourself with a license to carry a firearm and a handgun and also of course know how to use it properly. Whenever I go camping or most times in my everyday travel my 9mm Glock is not far from my reach. In my opinion this is a perfectly safe and wise thing to do given the nature of human behavior. As you may have heard before the police do a great job- don't get me wrong- but in most cases they just investigate crimes and the response time is critical if there is someone willing to harm to you or your loved one. I'm not paranoid,in fact I'm just the oposite. I just like to know if some idiot tries to abduct my wife or harm myself or family I will be there as the first line of defense. In PA, a license to carry a firearm is available from your local Sheriffs office. You need a license to carry concealed, which is my prefered method to carry or in PA you may open carry right on your side if you wish without a license. Visit this site for Your PA gun rights. www.PA OpenCarry.org
 The second amendment is a wonderful thing.

Lunker,
I would have no problem camping there and in fact we have without a problem. As stated above, dangers can be anywhere and your best protection against them is awareness and vigilance. Don't let kids play alone, keep anything of value with you, or leave them at home...
Attacks can happen anywhere at any time, personally I don't carry a gun... but I do carry a knife and have for years, national forest or downtown grocery shopping, it doesn't matter, anyone close enough to infringe on my personal space will find out exactly how willing I am to use it.
Don't let a random incident prevent you from enjoying a beautiful location for a great camping trip... just be careful, use common sense and be prepared... but those things should be second nature anywhere someone goes, shouldn't they?

if you look at stats, it more dangerous to be in your brother's operating room than in the woods.

I lived in Warren for 25 years, it was so dangerous I moved to Pittsburgh.

Seriously though, its a beautiful area. I worked in a state park that bordered the ANF, and I have more incidents a week where I'm at now than I did in 3 years up there in the ANF. The most dangerous thing has already been mentioned- distance to a hospital. If you're messing around up at rimrock and you break a leg you're in for a long uncomfortable ride to Warren General. So just be careful, bring a first aid kit, and have FUN!

ORIGINAL: roehead

I hope it is safe. I am meeting some strangers up there tonight.
I have camped and hiked in parts of it.

 
booo!!!!

He may be refering to the incidents where hikers have run into plots of marijuana in the ANF. There have been stories of people being shot at & of finding booby traps etc. How much truth is in the reports I couldn't say. I thought that that stuff was supposed to make you see better & be happy? Maybe some of our resident herbalists could help out here. lol sam

National forest****suspect captured in Canada

you have to be aware of stumbling and falling drunks around the campfire!