Walking alone in forests?

[Vemjs]

I was just wondering if most women are happy to walk through a Forest / big fields / nature reserves on their own for a dog walk? Or do you view this as dangerous?

Sorry it's probably not under right topic!

if I were a weirdo I'd wait in a woods for a lone woman.

See if I were a weirdo, I'd be lurking on a street to force them into a vehicle. I wonder how dangerous forests are statistically, compared to streets, bus stops, car parks, taxis, parks and town centres?

Have spent many many happy days walking coast paths alone, without a dog. I need the space. Did a research assistant job once where I had to walk 10k alone in forestry commission reserves for 6 weeks, but there was a buddy pick up/drop off system each day (not that that helps if something happens to you before the pick up time). No incidents in about 10-15 yrs.

I don't walk alone in city areas.

@blueshoes

Do people really think their dog will protect them? Presumably they have not been in a situation where they were being attacked to know how the dog will respond to the attacker.

Ha, I have a Saint Bernard and she wouldn't be a good dog for protection, only her size could possibly be offputting to someone tempted to attack.

I do
Alone

I also
Live in london and
Walk
Alone

I live in a small village and walk round here a lot on my own - but in the knowledge that there are a lot of dog walkers and joggers out - you'll never go out without passing someone. There are some lovely woods I go to as well, but again, they're popular places to go, and the balance of peace and solitude with knowing I'm probably within shouting distance of someone, is about right.

It's really sad though, that we even have to consider this. Men don't, on the whole. No bloke is going to get mugged or assaulted on a nice woodland walk but it does happen to women out for exactly the same reasons. I'm sure it's already been mentioned, but remember that question that was asked of women 'what would you do if there were no men on the planet just for 24 hours?' and most women replied along the lines of, I'd go for a walk in the dark on my own.

No I don’t, my local woods has had reports of a man randomly appearing on the paths in front of lone women. I wish I could and felt
Comfortable though.

I live next to a forest and have spent years walking my dogs there.
I know it very well and when I’m on my own I stick to the main paths but can avoid the crowds.

One of the positives of the past year has been the number of families enjoying the forest which is great but I must admit that I don’t walk in the forest in the early evening due to the number of mainly male cyclists who descend on it.
I find them intimidating and not particularly open to other people walking their dogs.
The only negative experiences I’ve had in the forest have involved cyclists.

I’m in London - no, not unless I knew busy. Have been punched out of nowhere before, harangued (I’m a normal woman living in a “reasonable” area) - I guess it’s life. But no I wouldn’t walk in forests / woodland alone, or actually with my dog either.

I walk my dog alone across the fields near me all the time. I do live fairly rurally though. I’m not sure if I’d do the same on the edge of a city.

If it was a large and lonely woodland I would need to focus my mind to not get panicky, and I don't see the joy in that.
Seen way too many horror films to go in the woods alone in the dark.

No.

And I think those women saying being attacked is highly unlikely have had a lucky time.

I've been attacked and/or made very, very scared of an imminent attack at least 3 times by strangers.

Sadly no, I'd never walk in a forest alone. I recently bought a nice camera hoping to learn wildlife and landscape photography, but realised I don't feel safe going out in the countryside early in the mornings alone. I can only do it if I can drag my partner out of bed to come with me... It makes total sense that it's an activity dominated by men.

And to be honest, I'd feel safer walking in fields around London than I would somewhere more remote as there are more likely to be people around running/walking their dogs.

I do but I live rurally. The greatest threat to me is an angry cow.

I meant to say, I have been mugged before walking on a regular city street. I feel safer in the countryside.

I do, down tracks and meadows, woods etc with my spaniel. The thing is I've been attacked twice, and both times were in busy areas. I feel safer in the countryside than I do in more populated town areas.

Do people really think their dog will protect them? Presumably they have not been in a situation where they were being attacked to know how the dog will respond to the attacker.

Dogs help because a potential attacker doesn't know how the dog will react. They don't know if the dog will bark or bite, so even a docile dog adds an element of unpredictability that could put an attacker off.

I have trained my dog to bark in an aggressive way on command with a hand signal. It was easy to do and she looks scarey when she does it (she's a guarding breed). It's a useful trick: it looks like she's straining at the lead wanting to attack someone, when really she's just begging me for a treat.

I am happy to walk alone, never get the actual chance to & would probably find it strange now! The few times I do go out without the kids I feel like I've forgotten something 😂

As someone said up thread I won't let the fear get me I will live my life.

I know a brave woman with PTSD from male violence who walks alone usually with her dog but equally has run alone and she's doesn't let the fear get her. Now that is strength to experience the worst and still don't let it win!

I walk through a shit part of south london and have done for over 30 years and couldn’t give a shit. Not because I’m hard(haha) but I’m not going to worry about what COULD happen
If shit happens my reactions will be whatever my mind wants them to be
Fuck being scared of what ifs

Depends how busy it is. I have a couple of forest/rural walks near me. One is pretty quiet and you'd be tight to pass one other person, I dont walk that one alone. The other is busier and pass about 3/4 people an hour so do that one alone.

No choice - if I want to go for a walk it's always alone - countryside or city - and happily at night in Central London - I enjoy my own company and though men are constant nuisances and lone males not jogging or walking a dog creep me out I have my phone handy so I do it anyway - what's the alternative - I won't let malevolence restrict my life any more than it absolutely has to

No. I was attacked twice once as a child and once in my early 20s. It did happen in London and we now live in a town in the south east but it has left me with a fear of it happening again. I do go for walks in the woods with a friend but never on my own.

@IEat

I walk through a shit part of south london and have done for over 30 years and couldn’t give a shit. Not because I’m hard(haha) but I’m not going to worry about what COULD happen If shit happens my reactions will be whatever my mind wants them to be Fuck being scared of what ifs

Ha, I'm in South London too @IEat, and agree 100%. Fuck being scared of what ifs. I'm old enough to know that shit happens. Danger is SO much more likely to come from men we know than those we don't.

I don't have a dog but I do it all the time. Walking and running.

Nope. i do go along our local tow path and walk along the country lanes, but a woods or forest no.

I'm in the city, happily walk alone in daylight more cautious later on in the day but never do I walk alone in the parks or woods. Very sad really.