Do people in the country really pull guns out on people who approach their territory?

[Diamonds02]

I wonder how much truth there is to this stereotype. Have you personally known someone who have pulled a gun on someone in this situation...or someone who had a gun pulled out on them? Any news stories you've heard?

[Ravenman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihi...Fatal_incident

[Simplicio]

Originally Posted by Ravenman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihi...Fatal_incident

Baton Rouge is a city with something like 300,000 people. Not sure that counts as "the country".

[campp]

I had two guys with shotguns tell me to get lost once. We were on publice property, but they didn't care for the proximity. They were some wise guys from a "private club".

[tdn]

When I was a senior in high school we lived in what we called "the country", though it was more like sparsely populated suburbs. I was selling magazine subscriptions door to door, and most people were OK with that. But there was one house where I was told in no uncertain terms to leave. It was dark, and this was a really long time ago, but I'm pretty sure there was a gun pointed at me.

[Balance]

I grew up in about as rural an area as you could ask for, and I never saw it happen, nor did I hear of it happening. People were quick enough to pull out a gun if someone actually tried to break in, and some would eventually resort to it if a trespasser (i.e., someone actually on their property) refused to leave or acted in a threatening manner, but I don't think anyone preemptively brandished guns at people for approaching their property.

[cjepson]

Not exactly, but my folks used to own a vacation home in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. One time I went there for a weekend with some friends from college; we arrived after dark. A little while later, Myron, the guy from down the road, stopped in to make sure we belonged there. After he left, one of my friends asked if I had noticed that he had a gun on his hip (I hadn't).

[Alpha Twit]

Sorry, no link but there was a guy near me a few years ago who was deer hunting on his own property when he found a tree stand someone had set up on without asking permission. He took it down and loaded it on his truck, left a note on the tree explaining where the stand owner could reclaim it and was just getting ready to leave when the stand owner walked up and accused the land owner of theft. Harsh words were exchanged and the stand owner ended up firing a shot into the truck's radiator. Cops were called and it turns out that the truck shooter violated his probation so that shot cost him eighteen months.

[Balance]

Originally Posted by Alpha Twit

Sorry, no link but there was a guy near me a few years ago who was deer hunting on his own property when he found a tree stand someone had set up on without asking permission. He took it down and loaded it on his truck, left a note on the tree explaining where the stand owner could reclaim it and was just getting ready to leave when the stand owner walked up and accused the land owner of theft. Harsh words were exchanged and the stand owner ended up firing a shot into the truck's radiator. Cops were called and it turns out that the truck shooter violated his probation so that shot cost him eighteen months.

Relevance? This sounds like a trespasser discharging a firearm and causing property damage, not a property owner brandishing a firearm at potential trespassers/innocent passers-by, which is what I believe the OP was asking about.

[Alice The Goon]

In the vast majority of places, no, it's not true. However, when I thnk of Madison County, NC, I always think that I would not want to get lost or have to turn around in someone's driveway, because it's pretty "Deliverance" there.

[control-z]

Rural Virginia here. Yes, sometimes. Some people are just very territorial and guns are more common in the country. Really when you're 30 minutes or more from any law enforcement, it is wise to be ready to defend yourself if necessary.

Of course there are those with something to hide like moonshine stills or probably more commonly marijuana plants, those people are more motivated to keep people away from their activities.

By and large though I think most property owners might question you trespassing on their property, but you probably won't see a gun.

[Alpha Twit]

Originally Posted by Balance

Relevance? This sounds like a trespasser discharging a firearm and causing property damage, not a property owner brandishing a firearm at potential trespassers/innocent passers-by, which is what I believe the OP was asking about.

Closest story I had, sue me. FWIW, both sides claimed the other aimed their weapons at them.

[shiftless]

I lived way out in the county for a while. When it's getting dark and a strange car pulls up in the driveway with three or four people in it, what is the best course of action? Say hello and pretend they are friendly, even if they've done nothing to show that is the case? I chose to remain in the house, or went into the house, and talked to them through the door. The shotgun was leaning against the door frame where nobody could see it. I had to show the gun to a guy once in two years because his story didn't make sense and he wouldn't leave. I doubted he needed two friends to help him sell whatever it was he was selling. I wouldn't say I "brandished" it, certainly didn't point it, I just let him and his friends know I wasn't alone so they got back in the car and went away.

[Crotalus]

I have spent a fair amount of time looking for reptiles in the southeast US. This involves walking down dirt roads, through woods and swamps, and flipping over logs, rocks, bark, and pieces of abandoned and deteriorating buildings. It is often difficult to tell whether the land belongs to the state, a paper company or a farmer. I have met a few gun-carrying people while doing this who inquired as to what I was doing. I never had an unpleasant encounter.

In southern Ohio where I live, it is not unusual for farmers and others who live in rural areas to do pretty much like shiftless described above when they get an unexpected visitor.

[Gatopescado]

Where I live, there isn't much traffic, and a strange car easing down the road slowly draws attention. This happend once. It was pretty clear to me the neighborhood was being cased.

I didn't "pull a gun" on them, but I wandered around the yard with a couple of pieces and when they saw me, they sped up and left the area.

[Sudden Kestrel]

Yes we do. All the time. Especially on people who belong to certain subcultures and are digging up our plants. For just regular folks, we generally take a more Mayberry-esque approach and say hey to daytime visitors, ask if we can help them find something or whatever. Late-night or questionable characters get "special handling." For the sake of property owners everywhere, I'll just leave that up to Diamonds02's imagination.

[Silophant]

I fly research balloons with my university, and, more often than not, that involves going up to random houses in rural northern Wisconsin or southern Minnesota and asking for permission to wander through a field. We joke about it a lot, but we've only had a gun pulled on us once. However, based on the enormous amount of barking we heard from behind the barn, we already suspected a puppy mill. Like control-z said, it's more likely to be people with something to hide.

[the_diego]

One popeye episode:

"Are you Itchfield or Magoo?"

[Rollo Tomasi]

My brother was driving through extremely rural Idaho not too long ago when a few men walked on to the road and flagged him down. They asked him if he was looking for something, and when my brother said he was just passing through, they "suggested" that he keep moving and not stop until he reached the next town. The men were all armed, two with handguns on their belts and one with a shotgun.

My brother (who is a U.S. Marshal and was carrying, although he wasn't on-duty at the time) said he thought they might be militia nutters, although he was certain that he was on a public road. Anyway, he said he didn't feel threatened, but he didn't want to press the issue, so he just nodded and went on.

[Arrendajo]

I grew up in rural Idaho and was never threatened, but then it was my neighborhood. We knew everyone who lived around us and what they drove. So when a strange car was seen cruising around... well, it pings your radar. Everyone I knew owned guns, but I never heard of anyone having to use one. BTW this was down in Mormon country, not up where those militia wack jobs hole up.

[TriPolar]

All people in rural America are missing some teeth. The women wear gingham dresses, the men wear overalls with one strap, and chew tobacco. They all live on dirt farms and have a battered pickup truck. They drink liquor out of jugs, every family has a young male halfwit and a young female slut. Also, they pull a gun on anyone who approaches them.

[the_diego]

^
...and you can make them dance a jig if you're handy with a banjo or guitar.

[Enright3]

Originally Posted by Diamonds02

I wonder how much truth there is to this stereotype. Have you personally known someone who have pulled a gun on someone in this situation...or someone who had a gun pulled out on them? Any news stories you've heard?

Yes. Me. Rural Oklahoma. 1979.
I grew up in a small town of about 1000 people. It's a farm town. Every farmer in the county would pull a gun on you if you knocked on their door in the middle of the night. Basically it's like this... you can't 'accidentally' end up at someone's house in the middle of the night.

[Becky2844]

Many years ago I worked with a woman whose uncle stilled lived up in the Smokies. Back in the '30's when the government took them over for the national park, people who lived there were allowed to remain, but they couldn't pass their place down to family.
Anyway, she said whenever she went to visit him she would wait in her car until he came out, with his shotgun (not aimed, just comfortable in his hand.) He was her uncle and she knew better than to go up on the porch and just knock on the door.
Strains of Deliverance, I know, but probably wise when you're living alone on the side of a mountain.

[RickJay]

Originally Posted by Enright3

Yes. Me. Rural Oklahoma. 1979.
I grew up in a small town of about 1000 people. It's a farm town. Every farmer in the county would pull a gun on you if you knocked on their door in the middle of the night. Basically it's like this... you can't 'accidentally' end up at someone's house in the middle of the night.

So what circumstances arose that caused you to know people would do this?

[lieu]

I was watching one of the moonshine shows on whatever channel recently and the two shiners were driving country roads, I believe in Kentucky or Tennessee or the like, and looking for a stream and remote land upon which to set up a still. Suddenly a landowner and his wife came up on a golf cart (ha) with a shotgun in hand and told them in no uncertain terms they weren't welcome around there and to leave. One case but I got the sense such a sentiment wasn't that rare, probably in large part because it's shine country.

Like Crotalus I've been all over the rural South; Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama, Alaska too, conducting geochem surveys where it's often near impossible to determine where property lines begin and you're often on a place before you can see it through the trees. I always tried to get permission if possible, went to a lot of doors where they didn't know me from Adam but never was there a confrontation or showing of a firearm. Not that one wasn't probably within reach but never did anyone brandish one at my approach.

So in my experience it's rare overall but there are going to be some regions where an existing factor might make it more likely.

[Crafter_Man]

I live in BFE, and have many guns. I have never - and would never - pull a gun on someone who is simply walking on my property.

[ducati]

Country? Hell, try Detroit!

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/...eens-with-gun/

[kopek]

Grew up in the Endless Mountain area of PA. If we needed police, it was State Police and the fast emergency response would probably be 45 minutes. As a result we were always pretty much armed and curious about strangers but few ever saw it; what was usually visible was the rifle for potting groundhogs. Flip a tractor once and you would understand. If I walked up to you it would be hands empty as long as yours were. I may be covered by someone you don't see and have something in the small of my back, but I'm not one to advertise. From what I've seen its still pretty much that way.

Exception is folks sneaking in through the trees from the next mountain over. One of the old timers had some issues with kids growing grass on his land. Didn't want to make a federal case out of it but didn't want it happening. Don't know how those issues panned out but when you have around a thousand acres and a backhoe -------- lets just say that isn't someone to push real hard.

[Enright3]

Originally Posted by RickJay

So what circumstances arose that caused you to know people would do this?

When I was a teenager out with friends; we were driving one of our 'country' friends home late at night; (like 1:00 or 2:00 AM). Our car broke down a few miles shy of our friends house. This was before cell phones (remember it was 1978 or 1979). The only thing we could do was to go to the nearest house we saw to call our friends parents for help. We walked to the farmers house, of whom we all knew, and he knew us and knocked on the door. We were greeted with a shotgun barrel until we identified ourselves. Even then the neighbor only allowed his 'neighbor' to go into the house to call her parents. I think he thought we were up to something even after we walked back to our car to wait for my friends parents to rescue us.

[Enright3]

Originally Posted by Crafter_Man

I live in BFE, and have many guns. I have never - and would never - pull a gun on someone who is simply walking on my property.

Seriously? Not even in the middle of the night? I live in the city and I would consider it, based on the circumstances.

[Lanzy]

YES, I did census work in East TN and had guns pulled on me 3 Times!!

[Baker]

Well, when I was with a hot air balloon crew a guy on the ground threatened to shoot us, but I saw no weapon. We were flying over his small farm at about 300 feet up and some horses got spooked and were running around.. If we'd seen them we wouldn't have been so low, but trees were all around their paddock. /the pilot immediately took us a LOT higher.

[boytyperanma]

Does being shot at count? On of the local farmers of my childhood shot rock salt at any trespassers.


I know a guy in northern NH who keeps a gun and uses it for answering the door. When you have no local police department and the area has a persistent problem with meth addicts breaking into homes, you don't take many chances with people coming to your door at night.

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

Once I and a dreadlocked (white, if you're wondering, and in fact even if you're not) companion were driving cross-country together. We got hungry, so we pulled off the interstate and found an empty meadow with no fencing. We parked our car, got out, and sat down to eat sandwiches.

Then we heard the blast.

Way off, maybe 100 yards or so at the end of the meadow, there was a tiny shack. In the window, there was a guy standing, holding a long gun. We could only see his silhouette.

We left toot sweet.

[River Hippie]

I ran out of gas on my motorcycle on US24 between Toledo and Waterville, OH. It was about 11:00PM. I saw a house with the flickering light from a TV. Knocked on the door to see if maybe they had some mower gas I could buy. The guy that answered the door was holding a shotgun, pointed at the ground, not at me but ...still! he explained that there was a motorcycle gang in the area that had been causing problems. He had gas, I paid him for it and I was on my way.

[digs]

Is the OP still around? I'd like to know why s/he asked... did that happen, or are there plans to head cross-country through people's properties?

[Sudden Kestrel]

Originally Posted by digs

Is the OP still around? I'd like to know why s/he asked... did that happen, or are there plans to head cross-country through people's properties?

That's the only way to get to the good trout streams.

[core_dump]

And I'd like to know how you "pull a gun" on someone when the gun in question is going to be a long gun. It's not like you can hide that rifle/shotgun in your pocket, and remember we're dealing with an outdoor situation here if the person is approaching your territory as stated.

Handguns aren't so great when the guy is 50 yards off running trying to get away. (Likely to return with reinforcements if he makes it.) Plus handguns just don't seem to go with the whole country deal.

[Horseface]

Yes, this has happened to me.

[Crafter_Man]

Originally Posted by Enright3

Seriously? Not even in the middle of the night? I live in the city and I would consider it, based on the circumstances.

You would pull a gun on someone who was simply walking across you property?

[GusNSpot]

Originally Posted by Crafter_Man

You would pull a gun on someone who was simply walking across you property?

There is no good reason to walk across our property.
I did surveying for a while & we were allowed by law to cross private property. We always tried to get permission. I was on the wrong end of long guns more than once.I know how a surveyor works so I would spot that. No matter, I would have a weapon out & showing, not pointing but ready when anyone I di8d not recognize was wandering around on my property. After dark, absolutely every time.

Most folks drive up & politely toot the horn to let folks know you are a stranger & are asking permission to approach. Just show up and march up to the door with a lone woman in the house is a real good way to start learning what that end of a weapon looks like.
Not even an LEO would cross pvt property out in the country unless he was in hot pursuit or some such. You always try to get permission.

Of course, these things can change county by county or just across the ridge. Many people have places you do not get to by accident. It is not often about hiding something.

Out here near us, it is just common courtesy.

Not many people get killed. Folks are not gun happy, but there are few idiots & ''You can't do that, it's not legal.' fools here either.

99% of the encounters do not get into the news or even reported because no one bleeds or dies.

Asking the question of the average SDMB person is not going to get any sort of representative stats for the average 'out in the country' encounters.

YMMV

[Indian]

Originally Posted by the_diego

^
...and you can make them dance a jig if you're handy with a banjo or guitar.

Just watched the movie last week.

[Becky2844]

You can't make a real hillbilly "dance. " He'll stare you down while you're killing him, just like Denzel Washington in Glory when he was getting whipped.

[HeyHomie]

After college I stuck around for a couple years in the town where I'd graduated (Joplin, Missouri to be specific), and had a job delivering pizza.

Knocking on the door and being met with a gun was par for the course, at least in the outer portions of the delivery area. The guns proper didn't bother me, as I'm all for gun rights. What bothered me was the thought process. If you order a pizza from a major national chain, and thirty minutes or less™ later there's a knock on your door, who the fuck do you expect?

[stw004]

Yes it most definitly happens more often than you would like to know about, and occasionally causes local political disputes.

http://m.ktre.com/autojuice?targetUr...nduct-suspects

[Slithy Tove]

Originally Posted by boytyperanma

Does being shot at count? On of the local farmers of my childhood shot rock salt at any trespassers.

I recall a mixture of rock salt, lard and lye. Later I read of a weapon used in the Chicago projects with similar properties: an "Alabama pancake," where bacon fat and lye were put in a hot frying pan and flung in the face of a spouse or policeman. The lye caused a chemical burn, and the grease made it impossible to flush with water.

[Chimera]

Back in the 80's I went to one of the last Gencons at Kenosha. Met up with some people and stayed with them in their camper. One night we went for dinner and, coming back, saw some pallets and junk wood on the side of the road about 100 feet from someone's driveway. We stopped and two guys got out to load some up for firewood. Guy came out of his house with a shotgun, demanding that they come up where he could see them, then both threatened them and demanded we leave the wood where it was. Why, I have no idea.

[chacoguy]

Originally Posted by TriPolar

All people in rural America are missing some teeth. The women wear gingham dresses, the men wear overalls with one strap, and chew tobacco. They all live on dirt farms and have a battered pickup truck. They drink liquor out of jugs, every family has a young male halfwit and a young female slut. Also, they pull a gun on anyone who approaches them.

Thank You. The amount of ignorance on this board, in regards to rural areas and the people that live there is shocking and insulting.