Dodgy dealings in the woods..

[LostPups]

I walk my dogs though a wood every day. I've walked there for a couple of years, but the last few months it's been daily rather than sporadically as my previous walking area has closed to the public. The wood is quiet and because noone really goes there, I can let my dogs off lead to run and chase pheasant and squirrels etc... and they r safe and other dog walkers and dogs aren't disturbed by them. I enjoy the walk and so do the dogs.

But in the last couple of months I've noticed men hanging around at one particular spot which is accessed from a nearby pathway adjacent to a train track. They seem to arrive by bicycle and they r always in the same spot, usually sitting or standing behind a tree (which made me jump the first few times!)

The men I see are usually always alone. They look very out of place as they are generally young (18 to 35), wear puffer jackets, nike trainers and have their phones out. Looks out of place in a muddy wood! Occasionally there'll be a more vulnerable looking man instead of or a little after/before the more trendy looking men.

Anyway, the first few times meeting or seeing these random lone men, it didn't bother me. I:d say hi, they'd say hello back, and I'd carry on my way.

But recently I've been feeling quite unnerved and if I'm honest, a little scared.

I am almost 100% sure the men in the woods have something to do with drugs. I don't know what is happening, who is dealing what, the ins and outs of what they r up to, and nor do I care. But I am starting to get paranoid someone might be finding me annoying and might try to bump me off!! Please tell me this won't happen!?!!

I really don't want to stop walking the pups in this wood, but equally I don't want to spook or piss off a drug dealer!

So .. am I'm being crazy to feel scared and paranoid I might get hurt because I have inadvertently found myself stumbling into the middle of a large drug operation!

Do you think the dealers or whoever they are, actually care im there?

Should I stop walking in the woods? (this will.b hard as nowhere local to let dogs off lead except the woods, and one of my dogs needs to run far and fast)?

Is it a known thing that drug deals happen in woods? Or could something else be going on?

Not far from this field there are also a couple of spots where people seem to regularly have fires, and also an area where there's lots of litter (cans, crisps packets etc..) and evidence of further dodgy stuff - clothes with shop tags still on sprawled.on the ground - stolen goods?

I'm so sad my country walk now feels like I'm intruding into the criminal world and that I shouldn't be on their turf :(

If you're walking two XL bully's I would just carry on regardless as they will not mess with you. If it's two yorkies, I might try an find an alternative walk.

They aren’t gonna murder you.

If they are dealing drugs, they know the legal consequences for that.
They certainly aren’t going to add a murder charge to the already severe drug charges.
As far as the gay stuff, I don’t know nothin’ about that, Miss Daisy.
Drugs are much more likely.
They’re drug dealers — not murderers. Well, they just sell the stuff that kills people.

I’m sorry that your dog-walking route has become compromised. That’s a doggone, lowdown, dirty shame.

It sounds to me like mid level dealers passing drugs to people who’d sell at street level. I’d give it a wide berth if you feel unsafe.

Forma druggie here...
They don't want your attention as much as you do, leave them be and they'll leave you alone.

This happened exactly like this years ago opposite from where I used to live. The odd men I saw just looked sinister. Many years later, I found out on Crimewatch, that this was a well known cottaging place.

Hi OP I'm someone who also gets paranoid sometimes about this sort of thing. I'm amazed anyone can walk through woods on their own tbh! But I've seen a lot of crime documentaries. Yes there is definitely something odd going down in those woods and very sadly that would put me off going there, I would probably stop going and try and find some other routes xx

You shouldn’t let your dogs hassle the wildlife.

It's hard to.explain, it just doesn't have the vibe. Also I think if you'd been romping in a muddy wood you wouldn't leave it looking immaculate in your clean Nike shoes and spotless puffer jacket. I also saw a few times a young guy with a young women..It was like he was teaching her something to do with the phone. I've only seen this one female. All the other people have been male. But I got the impression she was the girlfriend of the man she was with. They.looked young and trendy. She didn't look vulnerable.

Isn't it disgusting that females feel threatened now by being in a secluded area with men or a man. Why should we feel like this?

How near are the woods to a town by bike? It sounds a bit county lines to me.
It's not the best idea as a dealer to have a large quantity of drugs on you. What a lot do is hide a stash and keep going back and forward to it. That way if you're caught it's an amount that could be classed as personal use rather than selling.
I'd ask (anonymously) on my local FB as well. Soneone always seems to know.

Thanks. Yeah, i.will find somewhere else I think. Sad because i love it, it's near my house and my dogs love the trails etc....and.chance to be off lead.
.

I think it really depends on where you are and where you were brought up. I've spent most of my life rurally and walking through dark quiet places wouldn't worry me in the slightest. My dog when he was alive ran around woods, fields, down riversides and loved it.

Tell the police. Don't go for a bit. See what happens.

I don't think this is really a feminist issue. I think a lot of guys would wary in the same situation. I'd say it does sound a bit county lines too. Unlikely the OP would come to any hurt, but far better not to be there in case of a possible police investigation and becoming a witness.

I know. That's part of the reason I haven't stopped walking there yet I suppose. I guess I was feeling like it wasn't fair that I was going to have to stop my walks because men were making me feel uneasy :( However, men (and women) are capable of bad things so however unfair I may feel it is, I think I should be wise and avoid this.wood.:(

Because most drug dealers aren’t murderers.
If they do murder someone, it’s usually another drug dealer.

It’s extremely rare to be murdered by someone you don’t know.

A lone man in the woods for no reason, is much more of a threat than a man dealing drugs or meeting up with someone for sex.

Women have always been frightened of this. It's nothing new unfortunately.

Can you go at a different time of day? Presumably they don't spend the whole day there?

It's a couple.miles.to.city centre, maybe 10mins bike ride

Nah. It's not drugs. Why the fuck would you deal in some random wood? It's cottaging. And of course they don't get covered in mud on their white puffer jackets...

I definitely think drug pick up point then. Age, clothing and bikes make me think delivery boys. People aren't coming there to buy which is why you see one or two . They're fulfilling orders.

Magic mushroom season ends in early November and psilocybin mushrooms in the uk grow in dung fields (not in woods). You’d see them foraging if it was this, and finding the idea of foragers in while puffa jackets and nice trainers highly amusing.

Drug dealers usually either deliver, or have a safe dry place for buyers to come to, or go somewhere where there is a lot of footfall. They don’t bury valuable stashes in the woods like pirates then stand around the stash waiting for custom.

it’s obviously cottaging, or possible a single or few male prostitute(s) who are using the spot as a rendezvous point.

Do you have a local Facebook community page or neighbourhood watch/chat group you could share this with?

Drugs are largely delivered by royal mail these days, must be something else🤷🏻‍♀

It could be cruising? I know a lot about this as I had a bisexual ex who did it when he was younger. Also involves drugs a lot of the time so attracts dealers. Tends to be in built up areas though like Burgess Park and Clapham common in London in wooded areas. They hang around at dusk but things get going after dark.