There are a lot of issues here, but I would like to address a few comments.

Shooting in the air vs. shooting into the ground-Neither is safe. What goes up does come down, but you were in a sparsely populated area it sounds like. If you shoot into the ground you stand a decent chance of a riccochet. Even with a heavy, relatively slow .45 round. I think in the situation, up in the air was a better choice especially if light conditions were bad.

Do people get mugged (or worse) in the wilderness? Hell yes. Maybe it doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen. Most people that love the outdoors are good people, but some people like the woods because there is no law enforcement nearby. At one point I had somebody tip-toe around my tent in the middle of the night. I view that about the same way I do someone trying to break into my house. Why was he there so late, with no light, unanounced? It was a man because we found tracks. There was no good reason for someone to behave like that.

I met a paraplegic guy oen time that was acquainted with a friend of mine. Nice guy and we struck up a conversation. He told me he was in the wheel chair because he had been camping in the Red River Gorge (in KY where I am from) with a bunch of friends. Some person or people came into their cam in the middle of the night and shot everyone in his party with a shotgun while they slept in their bags. He lost his brother and best friend, and he was the only survivor. Some other backpackers found him in the morning which is the only reason he probably survived. Nothing was stolen, and he says they had had no run in with any people during their trip.

It is unlikely that you will be a victim of crime in the wilderness, but more likely than being attacked by a bear. Just my belief, but I am sure somebody has compiled stats on that sort of thing.

Did you ever see proof that the guys on horseback were Forest Service? Anything? I would be highly suspicious of anyone riding quietly into my camp, especially in low light.

You may have over reacted a little. I wouldn't worry about it. No one was hurt. You learned a lesson or two, and discharging a weapon may have possibly saved your sister from a fate worse than death.

Oh yeah, don't run from bears. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

This thread has brought up some good discussion points though IMO, and that is a very good thing.