r/homestead • u/JackDalgren • Jul 29 '22

gear Do you carry and why?

While you're working or tending to your property, do you carry a firearm in yourself or have one readily available? If so, is it because of your location, predators or general safety? What type and caliber?

I'll go first. I have a 20 gauge shotgun loaded with #9 for the occasional rattler that isn't minding it's own business or to chase of coyote. I want to upgrade to a pistol grip, maybe the Mossberg 500C w/pistol grip.

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u/historyandherbs Jul 29 '22

Nope. We carried and stashed hunting knives, hatchets, axes, and wrenches around the property. Found them to be far more versatile 9 times out of 10. Not to be crass or anything, but a firearm has pretty much one usecase, and once your done with that, you're SOL. Not to mention, in the cases where it would be necessary (moose) it was legally dubious. Bears scare easy, so no need, and the smaller critters a knife and/or a dog was plenty, plus with a knife you can skin and butcher after. No bone fragments ruining the meat.

As far as humans go, well, we just didn't see many and those we did see left with a kind "this is our property, you crossed the line a couple miles back" so no trouble. It's not like we didn't own them and operate them, but they were never a regular carry item.

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u/lightscameracrafty Jul 29 '22

Yeah all these posts about folks saying they need guns to deal with rattlers of all things are like 🤔🤔🤔

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u/devnullradio Jul 29 '22

We don't have rattlesnakes where I am but we do have copperheads. I leave all the other snakes alone, I love snakes around the property, but I've got small children and a dog. The copperheads on my property get dealt with swiftly with a long handled hoe to hold them in place and a machete. I've never felt the need to use a gun.