everyone traveled heavily armed whether they were going to churchin fact , a recent general law had been enacted that required that at least one member of every family should bring with him a fixed gun with the necessary amount of powder and shotor to the monthly council meeting or even to go visiting since there was a wide variety of wild , dangerous animals that roamed the woods and farm lands : bears , buffalo , wild boar , wolves , foxes , badgers , lynx and bobcats .