Guns In Rural Areas

[Marie Mallory]

I was sitting outside a few minutes ago and it seems somebody is loaded for bear! This sounded like a grenade went off, [ not that I know what one sounds like, but]. I just hope he knows fun safety. Unlike the one a couple years who had multiple bullet's whistling thru the trees right beside Jake.
Now others are joining in on other side.
Guess they are 'getting their aim' ready for deer season.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Anyone here hunt or have guns for protection?

 

[Don Alaska]

Almost everyone in Alaska has a gun or more for protection and hunting. In the winter when snow is covering the ground, we can use marine flare guns for protection, mostly from moose but the occasional bear wakes up as well. We cannot use flares in summer because of the fire danger. We also have "outlaws" that roam the woods sometimes. You may have read my account of the guy walking through the dark on our property and peeking in the windows. He was eventually shot by a neighbor when the Troopers couldn't find him and he charged they guy on his porch. He was on some kind of drug combo and we found his backpack and coat in our chicken house the next morning where he had tried to disassemble the lighting and wiring in said shed. Of course, there is meat hunting which all males and most females do here as we are able. If you listen, you can tell the difference between handguns, shotguns and rifles by the sound.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Almost everyone in Alaska has a gun or more for protection and hunting. In the winter when snow is covering the ground, we can use marine flare guns for protection, mostly from moose but the occasional bear wakes up as well. We cannot use flares in summer because of the fire danger. We also have "outlaws" that roam the woods sometimes. You may have read my account of the guy walking through the dark on our property and peeking in the windows. He was eventually shot by a neighbor when the Troopers couldn't find him and he charged they guy on his porch. He was on some kind of drug combo and we found his backpack and coat in our chicken house the next morning where he had tried to disassemble the lighting and wiring in said shed. Of course, there is meat hunting which all males and most females do here as we are able. If you listen, you can tell the difference between handguns, shotguns and rifles by the sound.

Sad but necessary to shoot people sometimes, drugs are one of the main reasons either crime or insanity.
Also, many people aren't satisfied with just robbing, they will kill you too.

 

[Don Alaska]

Sad but necessary to shoot people sometimes, drugs are one of the main reasons either crime or insanity.
Also, many people aren't satisfied with just robbing, they will kill you too.

That is true, and when the nearest law enforcement is miles away, somebody has defend their family and loved ones, or even their livestock.

 

[Marie Mallory]

That is true, and when the nearest law enforcement is miles away, somebody has defend their family and loved ones, or even their livestock.

So true about law and even ambulance, they can take 45 minutes to get here. A family moved because she called ambulance for her daughter and it took them 45 minutes to arrive.
Like when Jake had a kidney stone and was in terrible pain, it took us 45 minutes to get to hospital and I was speeding.
Buddy Brown wrote a song about 911.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

Most of my male relatives and some farm cousins hunted when I was a kid. I've never owned a firearm, but I did learn to shoot light rifles and shotguns. I have a few decent quality low-end single-shop BB/pellet rifles and handguns, all low-powered hand-pumped air target weapons.

So while I've been on the periphery of this I'll admit that it makes me nervous seeing somebody with a gun on his belt or to hear long guns fired when I can't see the shooter. To me it's about safe operation and trust. Some folks just don't give off an air of either one.

I used to walk trails a lot. Every year once small game season began I'd give it up. Too much risk of whizzing bullets or mistaken identity.

 

[Don Alaska]

Most of my male relatives and some farm cousins hunted when I was a kid. I've never owned a firearm, but I did learn to shoot light rifles and shotguns. I have a few decent quality low-end single-shop BB/pellet rifles and handguns, all low-powered hand-pumped air target weapons.

So while I've been on the periphery of this I'll admit that it makes me nervous seeing somebody with a gun on his belt or to hear long guns fired when I can't see the shooter. To me it's about safe operation and trust. Some folks just don't give off an air of either one.

I used to walk trails a lot. Every year once small game season began I'd give it up. Too much risk of whizzing bullets or mistaken identity.

Small game season isn't usually a threat, as mostly shotguns with limited range are used. When rifles are used whose projectiles can travel for miles there may be a problem. In Pennsylvania when I lived there, we always styed out of the woods during deer season unless we were actively hunting and had high-visibility stuff on. Even a .22 can travel over a mile, but a 30-06 or .300 magnum can travel 3 or 4 times that far if not stopped.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

Small game season isn't usually a threat, as mostly shotguns with limited range are used. When rifles are used whose projectiles can travel for miles there may be a problem. In Pennsylvania when I lived there, we always styed out of the woods during deer season unless we were actively hunting and had high-visibility stuff on. Even a .22 can travel over a mile, but a 30-06 or .300 magnum can travel 3 or 4 times that far if not stopped.

All true enough, but once banging-in-the-woods season begins people also lean into random target shooting ahead of deer season. But the main thing is guns going off in the woods when I don't have eyes on the shooter makes me nervous.

 

[Don Alaska]

All true enough, but once banging-in-the-woods season begins people also lean into random target shooting ahead of deer season. But the main thing is guns going off in the woods when I don't have eyes on the shooter makes me nervous.

Understandable.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

We are not anywhere close to a rural area, but we have more gunshots here than I remember hearing in my home in Idaho, which was pretty rural. We did have the law enforcement shooting range located on the farm next to where I lived, but except for when they were there practicing, that was quiet, too. And most of the people who were shooting, had a purpose and knew what they were doing with a weapon.

These people here in town, I doubt if they have had any real training with handling a weapon, and they are shooting it where people should not be shooting a gun.
I do not hunt anymore, and never did hunt deer, just birds or varmints; but I was raised at a time when most families had weapons and went hunting for winter meat each fall. My parents were both excellent marksmen, and I went to Rifle Range when i was in Junior High, and learned how to shoot a .22 rifle, and enjoyed doing that.
My grandpa Bailey gave me my first .22 rifle for my birthday that year, and I still have it. My kids learned to shoot with that same little rifle. When you live in the country, sometimes, you just need to have a weapon, and know how to shoot it.

 

[Marie Mallory]

All true enough, but once banging-in-the-woods season begins people also lean into random target shooting ahead of deer season. But the main thing is guns going off in the woods when I don't have eyes on the shooter makes me nervous.

Exactly! Most people don't know anything about fun safety anymore. Lots of accidents with guns now a days.

 

[Mary Stetler]

Haven't used a gun lately. I would need a fence post and board to help aim at this point. And our laws require not having a loaded gun in the car so I have to get out, yell stand still for a minute, (no matter the target) load and then shoot. You could do a funny video of the old lady.

 

[Don Alaska]

You could do still hunting if you were so inclined @Mary Stetler. Get set up with a chair ( with heat if needed) and a prop, then just wait to see if anything crossed your "path".

 

[Marie Mallory]

Haven't used a gun lately. I would need a fence post and board to help aim at this point. And our laws require not having a loaded gun in the car so I have to get out, yell stand still for a minute, (no matter the target) load and then shoot. You could do a funny video of the old lady.

I've also noticed that looking up can be dangerous for your health too. I was leaning way back and looking up at some vine and almost fell backwards. Now I make sure I have a tree to steady me.

 

[Mary Stetler]

Actually, I could probably shoot deer right off the deck at the farm. But then I would have to get up and get the stupid thing.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Actually, I could probably shoot deer right off the deck at the farm. But then I would have to get up and get the stupid thing.

We watch the deer every morning, till the fogs see them then it goodbye deer, they chase them off barking.

 

[Mary Stetler]

We are lucky. Even though things are being developed around here, there is a railroad berm behind the property keeping bullets from going past the property line if we are careful. when I am working near the piney woods, the deer scare me more than anything scares them with their sudden crashing through the brush.

 

[Don Alaska]

We are lucky. Even though things are being developed around here, there is a railroad berm behind the property keeping bullets from going past the property line if we are careful. when I am working near the piney woods, the deer scare me more than anything scares them with their sudden crashing through the brush.

My wife was trapped in the barn on more than one occasion by moose. She would go out to milk and couldn't get back to the house. Do you remember her bear encounter when I was at the greenhouse and she was working with plants getting ready for sale? I posted that before I think.

 

[Mary Stetler]

I don't even need a strange animal to trap me. I jumped into my car to stop a frolic-ing heifer from inviting me to play. i can't run and she was bucking and tossing her head for a long time in the pole building where I had a car for storage. She kept up the silliness for a long time until a hired man found me to distract her. I can't handle even a friendly bump well.
I am glad we don't have moose here.
I wonder if I could deter a deer with what I used on a bull once. Don't hit them on the head. Smack them hard from below with your cane on the nose.