New here, new to OC. Introduction Thread

Hey everyone. Long time lurker, thought I would finally post and introduce myself.

I live in Columbia county, around the Portage area. I'm a firefighter and an EMT, so I have a pretty good report with a lot of the Deputies generally in the area. I've been a gun enthusiast all my life, but just recently bought my first handgun. I've been reading and pouring over the forums trying to soak up as much info as possible, and I've think I'm almost to the point that I'm confident to OC just about anywhere I go.

I actually had my first OC in public experience on Saturday. My wife and a buddy of mine were in Madison and he wanted to stop in Gander Mountain. Knowing their policy on OC/CC, and being in a store full of customers and associates who were familiar with guns, I OC'd in the store. Went off without a problem. No suspicious looks, no calls to police, etc. The only reaction I got was out of a child, probably 4 or 5 years old. I was in the bathroom, walked up to wash my hands. Little boy and his father walk in, and the boy looks at me, looks at his dad and goes "Daddy he has a gun!" The father turned, looked at me, gave me a smile and a wink and told his kid it was okay, I was one of the good guys. Pretty good experience.

I do have one question, Does anyone have experience OC'ing in the Pardeeville/Portage/Wyocena area? I frequent the Cenex station in Wyocena, Dollar General and Piggly Wiggly in Pardeeville, and WalMart in Portage. (Mostly for the wife) I know WalMarts policy on OC, and that will be my next public adventure, however I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Cenex, Dollar General, or Piggly Wiggly. I have not noticed any signs, so I'm assuming I'm in the clear, I was just wondering if anyone had OC'd in any of those stores.

Thanks, and I hope to meet some of you at the rally this Saturday if I can make it

Vinnie

Welcome aboard.
I know GlockRDH is in Pardeeville. You might PM him about local stores, or to get together.
He's the... um... instigator? coordinator? of an OC breakfast this Sat. in Madistan at 9am, before the rally at the Capitol (noon). Bring your wife along & join us at one or both.

Hopefully you've waded through the "new to OC?" thread up there in the stickies. There's LOTS of info, much of it useful. Take the time to watch the "don't talk to police" video(s) at least once.

having grown up in the pardeeville area i know that area is pretty relaxed for attitude towards firearms and armed citizens (from my experience)
i have been in the wyocena gas station 1.5 years ago armed and didnt get any attention at least that i noticed
i was in a dolllar general up near lake superior this last summer and didnt get asked to leave the clerk actually commented on my plain old kydex holster but i dont know if they run on corporate policy or each store write their own??
i was in the piggly wiggly in portage a few years ago armed as well and the hardware store in portage is good to go also last time i was in there pre CC i know these arent the stores you asked about specifically

Welcome. I look forward to meeting you one day (hopefully this Saturday).

MKEgal, Thanks for the info, I will get a hold of GlockRDH on here at some point. My wife has to work, but I'm trying my hardest to make it to the breakfast and the rally this Saturday. And as far as the "new to OC'' thread, hell I think I've read through that a dozen times now, with plans to keep browsing it until I'm 110% confident on what I need to know.

oliver, Thanks for all the good info. Growing up in the area as well, I know that pretty much every hunts and owns guns, so I had hoped it wouldn't be an issue.

protias, I'm trying like mad to be able to make it Saturday.

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

Welcome aboard

Welcome. I sent you a PM...

Just a little update since I've joined. I OC'd in Walmart today for about 2 hours without incident. No customers gave me any weird looks that I could tell, nothing from the employees or managers either. I went through self checkout and the register called for assistance (some protection plan for what I was buying.) The employee overseeing the self checkouts walked up to me on my gun side, smiled, did her thing, then walked back to her screen. As I walked out the door, she made a point to thank me and told me to have a nice day.

All in all a good experience, which is definitely a good confidence booster.

Hope to see you all tomorrow, still trying to work out a babysitter for my little girl.