Yeah, I would never shoot any animal unless it was a direct threat to me or others. As in happening RIGHT NOW.
Bears have torn off the door to my tool shed twice. The second time I replaced it seems to have worked. I used oak, just get claw marks now.
It was terrifying I’m sure.
She stood her ground, faced them as much as she could, and yelled her head off. She said she should have thrown rocks, but that would mean exposing yourself when you bend to pick them up.
As far as training? Well ~38 years ago she was an animal control officer. She’s not big at 5’1" and 115 lbs. I’m not sure exactly what training she went through, But I’m sure she has handled some unruly animals.
At one point they thought about giving animal control officers weapons. Pistols or revolvers. They all said that they would have to be paid a lot more to do that. If you need that, you need the Sheriffs Office involved.
Once when taking 8 (mix of cats and dogs) or so animals to Denver 100 miles away the county car, a Suburban caught fire. She rescued all the animals and they where safe. The Suburban, not so much.
There have been millions of cats who have stared at walls and at apparently nothing for centuries. Most of them may have been insects and other creatures unnoticed by us but statistically at least once it must have really been a ghost. I think, maybe. Right?
I almost completely agree… but I admit that I adore my furry little house panthers. I think that if it ever happened (avert avert avert) I might be tempted to do something to save them from an animal attack, although in almost any circumstance it would be too late.
Thankfully my cats are all indoors, or at most on the catio.
The ‘others’ are also my dogs. But I don’t want to carry anyway. That’s where the bear spray comes in.
In the house, a .357 or .45 would make me more deaf than I already am. But that would be my choice.
Kinda scary about that guy that got mauled in his house by a bear. That was a week or so ago. Lake City Colorado.
What is interesting, is that wildlife is returning. I remember years ago that the dogs went to defcon 1 and I looked out the window. I said to me wife "There is a horse in our yard. It was a moose, licking the road salt off my car (my contacts where not in so a bit fuzzy)
Bear have not tried for our house. The dogs are usually a great alarm system.