Guns can end life. Guns can also save life. Context is everything. (Said the woman who lives in mountain lion/rattlesnake country, where wandering the the woods without a gun is like playing Russion roulette with the wildlife).

Guns can end life. Guns can also save life. Context is everything. (Said the woman who lives in mountain lion/rattlesnake country, where wandering the the woods without a gun is like playing Russion roulette with the wildlife).

Lived up here for years Di, haven't had any runins that turned out fatal yet. Once I almost stepped on a rattler, my dog ran up, planted it's paw behind it's head so it couldn't strike, and knawed it clean off. Good dog. I was also followed home by a lion once, but it was more curious than in an hunting mood.

Fair enough.

 

When I was in the Marine Corps, I was trained to handle a variety of weapons for that purpose. Outside of the Corps, I would never touch a gun again.

Civilians are secured the right to own firearms by the second amendment. You don't need a reason to own one, you don't have to use it for any given purpose, you just need the desire to own one. It's foolish of anyone to tell me that the only purpose my gun serves is to kill someone, or for target practice or for self defense, because I can use it for WHATEVER I WANT.

Lived up here for years Di, haven't had any runins that turned out fatal yet.  Once I almost stepped on a rattler, my dog ran up, planted it's paw behind it's head so it couldn't strike, and knawed it clean off.  Good dog.    I was also followed home by a lion once, but it was more curious than in an hunting mood. 

 

I can't think of any reason why you would need to shoot a snake in the first place.

Lived up here for years Di, haven't had any runins that turned out fatal yet.

Happiness

is a warm gun

 

Bang bang

shoot shoot!

@ Phoenix: LOL, you're lucky! Now rattlers are easier to scoop into a shovel than to shoot, granted, but on our lower pastures (pretty wild area) the wild boars are deadly, mountain lions trying to rip calves into shreds are common, and even more common are packs of coyotes killing calves and foals. So everyone around here has a weapon to protect themselves and their livestock.

 

I'm glad your dog wasn't snake-bit. Folks around here lose too many beloved pets that way every year.

So you shoot rare endangered innocent cougars and Rattlers eh? I am telling Peta about you.

LOL, I've never had to shoot anything. Neighbors have had to shoot a few coyotes, and use gunshots to chase away a mountain lion trying to eat a calf being birthed by a desperate, panicking mama...

 

Me, I tend to stay in my office and let husby wander the wild range down the hill.

I've eaten an endangered species.

 

It tasted so good!

LOL, I've never had to shoot anything. Neighbors have had to shoot a few coyotes, and use gunshots to chase away a mountain lion trying to eat a calf being birthed by a desperate, panicking mama...

 

Me, I tend to stay in my office and let husby wander the wild range down the hill.

Rocksalt shells in a shotgun works well to scare most anything off.

Lolita was at number 3. That frightens me.

Frightens you! I have a 4 year old girl that looks 7! I think myself as a pretty young guy, but when I gave her the stranger talk and consequent stranger quizzes it all felt pretty eerie. I stopped watching any sort of local media or news. That seems to help me live in a safer world.