You know there are places that need guns,right?

[Bayard]

163. I agree, Flotsam

If you live in the boonies, you need a gun. We have a small farm in Kentucky. Its just a fact of life.

I'm not talking about shooting a bear or a mountain (they don't live here anyway). But you can get rabid animals--there's no walking away from a rabid raccoon. Or, recently, we were trapping raccoons and letting them loose in uninhabited areas (they were after our chickens). We were able to do that with a couple of young ones. But big mama was a different story. She turned into a whirling dervish of all teeth and claws that you couldn't even get close to to pick up the cage with gloves or a stick.

I've also had to occasionally put down one of my own animals. I hate it, but when they are plainly suffering and no chance of getting them to a vet, its the responsible thing to do.

As for shooting a snake....LOL! If they're moving you best be a damn good shot. I lived in major rattlesnake country in Calif. I used to pick them up with a rake, put them in a big bucket with a lid, and take them way to the back of our 40 acres. I heard that ominous rattle once when I opened my feed room door at the barn. I backed up, and closed the door back. When I went down a couple hours later--no snake. Even if you have to take one on, like the one that killed one of my dogs, a rake and an ax work well.

Our area here used to be known as a haven for, "crack heads". Before we bought this place, they had busted out all the windows, stripped and stolen any copper wire they could find to sell. We built tall fencing and locked gates, along with three very large, very loud Great Pyrenees. They are pretty intimidating at 150 lbs each. But most people are more scared of my flock of geese.

I have been physically attacked twice in my life, and lived to tell the tale. I certainly wasn't packing back then. All we have are two shotguns: one very old single shot that belonged to my father. And one that will hold 5 shots. They stay on the wall unless we really need them for a specific purpose. However, if I was ever attacked again, and I could lay my hands on one of those guns, I would defend myself.

Assault weapons across the country need to be confiscated and melted down.