911 or 9mm? I definitely came off more than spooked and carried concealed when in the forest after that. Its doesnt matter if they happen elsewhere in cities, or wherever. I keep coming back to read more comments. I guess we are the only place in the entire world that has crime..Are you a moron? However, an acquaintance of mine has also spotted him in that same area, on that bike, and got the same suspicious vibes. Really? It is a beautiful place to live, come for hunting (animals), and for recreational purposes. If ever it did. I am in Law enforcement. Always a place to beware of some creep turning into a thrill killer, now we have the Mexican drug cartel's hitmen useing this place for a dumping ground. There are homeless people and criminals living out there in tents and homemade huts. I'm looking at a little home in salt springs. $299,900. I heard gunshots that evening. Its the decline of life as we know it, brought to you by the US government and the businesses who own it. Then we came to another road, saw headlights coming and waited behind some trees for them to pass. Citizen patrol is a joke. It's beautiful with all the springs and everything God Bless all. He said questions asked by PIT count interviewers include, name, age, gender, how long theyve been homeless and where they slept last night. They should atleast leave the person where they could be found so that they could have a proper burial and at least the family can start the healing process. I guess the very fact that the climate is tolerable to be outdoors if you have to year around draws people with no homes. The scariest thing I have ever encountered in the forest was a man. What you asked abovewould be the same as asking a pig to fly. Lacey Buenfil ,missing from the park 7yrs. 17 Mile Hunt Camp, located just outside of the Big Gum Swamp Wilderness, is set in a secluded and peaceful forest. Not in this lifetime! It felt like a lawless frontier. Published: Feb. 5, 2021 at 3:03 PM PST OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Dozens of people in Ocala have been displaced following the city's decision to close an unofficial homeless camp. Friend of a friend lives alone on her acreage in Weirsdale on Lake County line. The Best Free Camping in North Florida. As I reread these comments, I agree with most all of the things you have said here. Lisa Marie, Some of us work in law enforcement, or in the justice system in a mental health or criminologist capacity. Go at your own pace, and steer clear of the resident wildlife, including gopher tortoises, black bears, and. Woods, forest, lakes these are all places people have used in the the past to do bad things and hide stuff so yes, arm yourself. They can reapply for money to finish education if they maintain good grades. I've been living in the Ocala National Forest for over 14 years, and have fished and hiked the Forest since my early teens. Unique features such as gin-clear freshwater springs, massive sinkholes and one of the longest explored . However, the contents of this article are all wrongChristy was last seen by her sister, got out of her sisters car and into the the Chrysler New Yorker with Billy Jo Ashton. Nearby Activities Off Highway Vehicle Interpretive Programs Biking Boating Camping (Yet, you're going to use two murders from 1966 as a reason to avoid the springs? "IES has been trying to help," Thomas said, but right now he just needs a "safe place" to get out of the cold rain at night. It's changed, but still peaceful. Yes it is like the wild west, and you have to think that way. As it has been stated in previous comments, the death toll in the forest is extremely low when compared to surrounding cities. Those who prepare now with solar panels and composting toilets, etc., will stand a better chance of not going to jail or otherwise being fined, feed or taxed into the poor house for trying to live what remains of the American dream. He was standing by the side of the building, away from the light. Its once-pure waters have been stained with the blood of innocents. Bad things do happen here but I will never blame the forest. They are out there killing people who have families (Mothers, fathers, siblings, children and ect. All the people are so defensive and say what a perfect place the Forest is and how people are just paranoid but they always make sure to say they themselves are well armed always when they go to the Forest. The park is closed for several hours daily because IES does not have the funds for paid security around the clock. The forest is crisscrossed with service roads that crews go through to check for fire conditions. He also counted and interviewed people around IES Thursday. My friend and coworker Daniel Carnahan,missing, truck found there in Jan. 2017 he has never been found.So guess what. Why don't you get the Police involved with your statements of Murder in the Forest?! That idiot who says that Ocala Forest is a great place to live and all that is a moron and he is no place to say it is safe or anything else because I can I assure you it is not a safe place not at all, http://www.wesh.com/iteam/10321253/detail.htmlYou might want to check out the website that I've linked. yes but Not alone in the woods. Especially when most of our communities out here are poor people. I keep doing stupid, what are the odds that stupid will not eventually turn out badly? It was about 11:30pm. (except until only recently). Reason, a drum major at Forest High School in 1972, has worked as a cook at a downtown Ocala restaurant. Think about it. If I were a murderer in the area, I would look for a big, un-policed, wooded area to dump the body. Stick to the main areas of the forest. Most cops in my opinion should be executed immediately before they can run and hide like nazis on the run. Sounds like a nice place to visit but don't wander around outside the touris-y areas. My camping van with solar panels, composting toilet and weapons awaits its launch in the next year or two. Not saying they are gonna hurt you. Ive been to Hidden Pond a hundred times. Rodman Campground 7. They make no sense. I understand the local drunken parties (though absolutely hate them), but what is with shooting guns at night? The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty examined laws in America that punish. Three campus cop who was playing along with UNLV sorority girls trying to steal my cats -- all of them actually caused me to become homeless from another apartment from that theft, so you can actually make that six times if you include campus cops. I'll be there with my young grandchildren when I'm on vacation . Go ahead and tempt fate, play with fire. I pray you and your sick mind will burn in hell, and your soul will rot in eternity; never to reincarnate again on a peaceful planet! They like bad boys who give them drugs - their fault - better luck next life. Silver Springs State Park operated as. Then there were no more trucks we could hear and we got up and walked the last two miles without incident. Forgot to mention this- which I truly believe: "A gun may falsely empower its possessor to overreact, instigating and losing otherwise tractable conflicts with similarly armed persons. Only peace. Considering the forest is 673 sq miles, I think a body count of 12 in 42 years is extremely low. Beautiful Home On 10 Acres To Rest For A Spell. There are Deputy Sheriffs at many of the springs. A random truck came down the road and saw us. Our high school group meet every six months at a restaurant in Wesley Chapel. Wake up. He could of turned out to be crazy, or he might of thought we were. One can still not be calm enough to assess the situation, and act correctly. Even though more police are murdered in small towns than in the Ocala National Forest, I did include that in the count.The forest is beautiful. Enjoy this place and do not give these sickos an opportunity to commit a crime. The funding has helped us set up a new ministry at Interfaith called our Homeless Services Team. Best known for its campgrounds, water activities, and hiking trails, this primitive wilderness regularly attracts tourists and visitors! My dad was born and raised in the Forest and I fished there for years and years and loved it. There will be a mother close by.Use common sense and do not make yourself an easy target. Have never felt unsafe and the only thing I carry is a knife. Map Directions Satellite Photo Map fs.usda.gov Wikivoyage Wikipedia Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain. Tons of wildlife though. I have lived in a mega city where there is gang violence in certain areas, I have worked and lived in those areas. The forest contains the largest concentration of sand pine in the world as well as some of the best remaining stands of longleaf pine in central Florida. Combined, these national forest lands span almost 1.2 million acres in north and central Florida. These people who are dumping bodies out in the Forrest have no heart. 2023 www.ocala.com. ABSOLUTELY!!! I am an old, white, tax paying, voting lady with a college degree, a job and a home. It is a haul for groceries unless there has been a store opened that area. The best camping, fishing, and swimming on the planet. And its also funny that someone commented that there are more bodies hidden here than anywhere in the US, when there is zero evidence to substantiate that claim and considering that there are much bigger and more remote forests in the US, that wouldnt even make sense. We were 200 yards from the road and 50 yards from the trail, out of sight. I live in the Ocala National Forest. That was interesting. The people live in towns and cities where there is no crime or rough people and where there are alot of police to protect them from country folk. They all looked dirty, possibly Rusty or even maybe bloody. So I glanced at the contents of the baskets in the front and the back of the bike. I carry a gun in the forest because some of the animals are dangerous, from snakes up to humans ,and now I've never met one to cause me trouble. Ghost not sure who you are talking to. This is where I come to feel that there is a god. Anyone judging that this guy is making the Ocala Forest out to be worse then it is has not been informed of how serious this forrest really is a serious problem. Unknown, Salt Springs is a nice area. In my 40 years of Living out here and growing up out here, I have had few issues definitely had to run off meth heads from dealing outside my property fence for many years. Its not the forest. The volunteers also made contact with homeless people on State Road 200, Northeast 14th Street, at a restaurant in Silver Springs, and in multiple spots in Belleview, along Interstate 75 and in. Its doesnt matter if they happen elsewhere in cities, or wherever. Folkes had land here when I was a child. Ive camped in the forest numerous times, unarmed except for a knife (which, Ill admit, is a little naive), and have never experienced anything even remotely dangerous. All you have to do is choose a family you wish to help, and then give. True---The ONF is probably an excellent place to commit murder or dump a body. The (survey information will) better inform our community of mental health needs, instances of domestic violence, and veterans in need of housing," he wrote. The Marion County staff primarily oversees funding and applications, while the City of Ocala staff is the lead agency for handling outreach efforts, Coordinated Entry and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)," the website states. Safest place in the world as long as you know what you are doing and you know how to protect yourself. We never saw a park ranger or any law enforcement on the entire Florida Trail area in the Ocala National Forest during the 4 days we hiked there, from Hidden Pond to Clearwater Lake. 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