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No rural areas are not terribly dangerous, the far north excepted.
You'll have to lose the idea that gun ownership and dangerous living conditions are somehow tied together. Statistically, it's simply not the case.
If you're planning on raising any stock, guns and dogs will both become invaluable tools. Seeing as you've mentioned leaving for two months a year, I assume this isn't the case. If you're planning on buying an acreage or the like, there's no real definite need for either, except for personal enjoyment.
Whatever you do don't lecture your new neighbors about owning guns. In reality, at least in most of the US, it won't even come up in conversation unless someone asks you if you want to join them hunting.
Whatever you do don't lecture your new neighbors about owning guns. In reality, at least in most of the US, it won't even come up in conversation unless someone asks you if you want to join them hunting.
All good posts about guns and dogs and the people who have them in rural areas- the only 'dangers' in the country are big critters like bears and big cats. Having a dog can warn you when one is near, a gun can scare one away if it gets too close.
However, there are other things that can help in these situations.
Motion sensor lights and fireworks that make a loud noise.
I lived in deep rural middle of no-where for 15 years and I encountered a bear twice and a mountain lion once.
have A gun...its actually a kids 22 rifel (a chipmonk) but its PERFECT for me, easy sie to handle, easy to shoot ect...
i have a gun NOT for my protection but because i have livestock and thee are coyote and stray dogs ect...my gun is or THEIR protection. before getting my chipmonk id never shot a gun in my lie and was not "gun person" they actually intimidate me even now) but im comfortable with that particular gun and wouldnt be without it.
my dogs are for me...i love my dogs...its also nice to have someone to make alot of noise and look scry when the whitneses come selling religion door to door...
idsay if your planning o raising livestock a gun and a dog are good to have, if not, get to know your neighbors and you shoudl beine assuming your not moving to some high crime country side area...(my area has a high armadillo suicide rate and gangs of cows but not much beyond that in terms of crime.)
No dogs because we go away for two months a year and that would be complicated for the dog.
No guns because we've never used one in our lives, live in Canada, and don't really want to use one.
Practically everyone we've seen has one or the other, or both.
My question is - is country living really that dangerous?
PS: Would appreciate any random advice for a wet-around-the-ears young couple moving to the countryside for the first time ever.
No;but being distant always means being self reliant in many areas.I know we learned that when we had a place 30 miles from no where for effective help has vacation home and we have taken that with us as we moved.Genrally city police measure their resomse at 5 minutes or less in a emergency;that is not possible in many more rural areas ;of course.
No;but being distant always means being self reliant in many areas.I know we learned that when we had a place 30 miles from no where for effective help has vacation home and we have taken that with us as we moved.Genrally city police measure their resomse at 5 minutes or less in a emergency;that is not possible in many more rural areas ;of course.
Precisely. Where we live, 25 minutes, plus, is likely the norm. By then it's all over but the tears. The good news is that if you shoot an intruder, medical first response is less than 10 minutes away. Well, I think that's good news. Have to think about that.
I live in the country. I chose to so as have peace & quiet and to not be aggravated with city ordinances or home owner's associations/subdivisions. (I understand not being trashy, but I have no interest in city officials ordering me to cut the grass in MY YARD or some HOA pencil-pusher telling me my house can only be painted tan or brown.) Where it regards dogs or guns, I own both but am not a huge fan of either. That's not saying I OPPOSE them, just that I'm not HUGE into them. I'm not really the 4-wheel drive and boat-owning bass-fishing country-music jamming beer-drinking type (I'm not criticizing that type, just saying I'm NOT that type.)
Guns--it's for pest control, and yes, that includes stray animals, ANY of them, that interfere in my peace & quiet or threaten our safety. Shoot-shovel-shut up is the rules out in such places, and good for them & us I say. We ARE our OWN animal control. That armadillo that kept coming up here & ransacking our dog food and trash--BOOM!! The stray dogs, they are dealt with via firecrackers typically (when they're sold during July-December I buy way more than I intend to shoot that weekend & save the excess) unless they're really persistent and aggressive/dangerous-acting on my property, in which case--BOOM!! Someone once told me how wrong they thought that was, my reply--then keep them off of my place. My dogs don't go onto other people's places or bark and make it noisy, I take responsibility & CONTROL them. My kids have the RIGHT to play in our own yard without danger from trespassing animals, whatever the animal--period, and without me having to spend numerous man hours and thousands of dollars on fencing (although if you have the time & money and inclination it's not a bad idea anyway). (But if it's a friendly dog that isn't threatening, an "ankle biter" or a nuisance, I'm very easy-going about that sort of thing.)
LRH
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