Unexpected Railfanning Hazards?

[MEC407]

I don't know if there's anything particularly "unexpected" about mosquitoes, blackflies, and ticks when you're in woodsy areas of New England, but they are very definitely a serious hazard. A good quality insect repellent, applied properly (Read the damned directions!), is your best defense.

The Zika virus isn't currently a problem in this region, but we still have to be cautious about Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and some others that I can't remember the names of, all of which have afflicted people in New England.

Consumer Reports tested many popular insect repellents recently — they're ranked below in order from most effective to least effective:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/heal ... erview.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[B&Mguy]

Interesting discussion on this topic, especially all of the various things that you might not think about right the top of your head. While rail-fanning is a fairly harmless hobby, there definitely seem to be random things that happen from time to time.

As I said in my original post, I find that in some areas, especially rural ones, territorial dogs can often make it a challenge to explore locations if it's too close to the dogs turf. While I have never seen a black bear in my extensive New England travels, they are becoming much more prevalent, and many times, I prepare myself for a potential encounter. I do not fear then, but to want to remain aware and alert when on their turf. I have also never had to deal with unsavory people at photo locations, but I have heard stories that sometimes encounters happen around railroad lines.

I guess I have been lucky that in two decades of exploring the railroads of New England, not much has prevent me from enjoying it, but I tend to be on the cautious side, respect railroad and private property, and if I have a bad feeling about an area or situation, I tend to move right along.