Deterrence....presence....Q8

One caution — when pointing the light at any potentially armed person hold the flashlight at arm’s length to one side, so anyone shooting at the light is a bit less likely to hit you. Don’t hold it right in front of you and make yourself a large target behind the light.

I learned this when trying to get the attention of some probably drunk probably idiots who were night-shooting randomly off a mountainside road turnout, right above our family campsite.

Talking about security….and a bit off topic.

I have the usual infared detecting lights covering the outside of the house at the entry points. I plan to build a new house and cover it with very low light cameras and two levels of lumen flood lights from under the rafters. I’m still keeping the point of entry lights.

Statistically, most of the buglaries happen between 11 and 3 am. With led light bulbs,directional ability and their very low level of power consumption, 500 lumens per side costs a cup of coffee a month. Without the cover of darkness and without the ability of thieves being able to turn off those lights, plus visible cameras, the chances of being robbed in a very low crime area are getting closer to tiny.

Of course, prepare for the worst….if all else fails, pump action shotguns aren’t sexy but highly effective….

You speak like someone who has “learned” all these techniques off crime shows.

Please stay safe!

Hmm, could’ve been a drug-crazed rabbit trying to get in for a quick score.

Loaded up on PCP, they could bust bones trying to break in and not even feel it.

Cripes, that reminds me of my former girlfriend……

Even confronting criminals without guns is a dangerous proposition as people can and are killed by knives, clubs, fists, etc. Better to stay in your home (armed if possible) and let the police handle the situation.

I once heard scratching on my second floor baloney door. I pulled the drapes partly aside with a 9mm in hand and was confronted by 2 masked desperadoes! Lucky for those raccoons I didn’t want blood and guts all over my deck :slight_smile:

Look at those teeth! I knew there was a reason to stay away from those little round-poopers!

SIG, I had that happen too. They were in my kitchen eating cat food, and my super bright flashlight didn’t faze them at all. Neither did the red dot on one of their cute little faces. I decided to let them eventually just leave, instead of having a big clean up job.

I agree with this statement 100%. Always try to make your house the least desirable as possible to be broken into. The more light, the less desirable. :wink:

Raccoons have taken over in San Francisco :frowning: . Sure wish we could do something about them but too many people here are opposed to any control on, in my opinion, out-of-control wild life.

We have a rabbit problem. One evening, I came home around two and was way past surprised to see about a dozen rabbits scurrying around a 500 ft drive.

The city wont do a damn thing about them because, and I quote “the poor wabbits have a right to be there as much as humans.” Chances are that if you start to kill them and some snitch neighbor reports you, the cops will come to arrest and charge you for cruelty to animals. I kid you not.

If there was ever a thread that has gone off into the wilderness, this is it! LOL

Up north from the city, here in Sonoma County, we have plenty of raccoons lately, and even more possums. Animal control won’t do anything. You’re not even allowed to live trap and relocate them. You can live trap them, then you’re supposed to fix or change anything that might attract them back, and release them in the same place. Guess how well that works.

You can try to make life as safe as possible, but you can’t hide from it.

Thread drift is a time honored tradition :slight_smile:

It’s the same in San Francisco…harm a single hair on a raccoon and it’s probably 10 years in San Quentin prison. As I told my kids when they were going up people never mind using up other people’s time and money or imposing their views on others.

All that copy past quote, why?

That too is a time honored BLF tradition. :+1: . :smiley:

Wow…. it sounds like more than the wildlife is out of control SIGShooter… :open_mouth: :person_facepalming:

I’m guessing that does not work at all cabfrank, just an exercise in futility. :person_facepalming:

Wellp, even here in NYC I’ve seen raccoons, possums, and even a coupla skunks (including a white skunk!). Me, I don’t mind in the slightest.

Generally, the raccoons don’t go ripping up garbage-bags and making a mess because we stick bags in trashcans for collection. About the worst they’ll do is eat the catfood I leave for the outside cats which keep those nasty-ass mice in check.

And possums are tick-magnets, so ticks latch onto them like stink on a monkey, and provide the possums with a nice food supply as they pick ’em off like grapes and eat ’em. So your cats, dogs, etc., will likely not have any ticks attached. Plus, possums have a rather low senescence, rarely living beyond 2yrs, maybe 3. So I feel bad for ’em. If they want to eat the catfood I leave for the felines, hey, have at it. They ain’t long for this world anyway.

I imagine if I were hip-deep in ’em I might feel differently, but they generally ain’t pains in the ass or anything.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to keep or not for that sake of coherency. What works for one doesn’t for another. One shoe doesn’t fit all, etc :slight_smile: